Petrify

34. The Ghost

The Ghost

It’s true that I am a jealous creature. I want what I am owed. I have been very patient.

I know that I have her. She has chosen me, even if she is reluctant to admit it. The way she weeps around me is evidence enough of my possession. And that should satisfy me.

But her attention is torn between the two of us. Henri has softened her. It’s something I didn’t account for—that her affection would be split. She cares too much.

If she thought only of me, then these worries wouldn’t bother her. I would only make her cry from overwhelming pleasure.

Her fondness for Henri—this is the true source of her distress. This is what’s tearing her apart.

I can mend her again. I can make her whole.