To Renna Rose Lancaster, Aadam Callahan was her first taste of magic-the boy who made her world feel livelier, brighter, like anything was possible. Together they crafted a bond that felt unbreakable-a universe where dreams were shared under starlit...
"He saw her before he saw anything else in the room"
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The moon hung low, casting an eerie glow over the massive silhouette of the mansion that loomed at the end of the street. It was ancient, all crooked lines and crumbling stone, with ivy crawling up its sides like fingers desperate to reclaim it. Even from a distance, the place reeked of old secrets and ghost stories.
And here we were.
"Alright, I just want to say, this is the dumbest thing we've ever done," Isla muttered. "I mean, why are we doing this again?"
"For the vintage wine babe. It's probably older than all of us combined. Do you heathens not understand the value of history?" Cameron declared, spinning the key he'd somehow managed to pilfer.
"Is history worth getting arrested for?" Isla muttered, her arms crossed.
Freya snorted, "You're going to drink it and act like you can taste the 'oak undertones' or whatever nonsense rich people say."
"Look, all I know is it's going to be delicious, and I'll be the hero of the night," Cameron quipped, puffing his chest dramatically.
George, who was strolling beside Freya, rolled his eyes. "Hero? Mate, you're the villain in this story. Breaking and entering, stealing vintage wine-it's like the start of every bad horror movie. Let's hope we don't meet the same end, aye?"
I glanced down at Rose, who was practically skipping beside me, her dark wings fluttering slightly with each movement. She was giggling softly, her cheeks flushed with excitement and there was a sparkle in her eyes that made me want to grab her and- Stop it, Aadam. Focus. Haunted mansion first. Kissing later.
I leaned down slightly, whispering into her ear. "You know, if you're too scared, we can still turn back."
She stopped walking, tilting her head to look up at me, "Who said I'm scared? You're not scared, are you?"
I smirked. "Me? Never. But you... I mean, you were hiding behind me during that horror movie last week."
Her lips parted in mock outrage. "I was not hiding! I just... repositioned myself for better comfort."
Liar.
I chuckled and tapped her nose lightly. "Sure, angel. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Isla sighed heavily as we approached the mansion gates, which were massive, rusted things that creaked even in the stillness of the night. "Honestly, I can't believe you all talked me into this. Renna, I expected better from you."
"Don't look at me," Rose said, her lips quirking. "It was Cameron's idea!"
"Ah, but you're the one who said yes first," Cameron pointed out, winking at her. "You've got a wild streak in you after all, Lancaster."
