( with his hands still raw from clawing away at whatever he could, he bit down on his lower lip and stared deep into her eyes as she spoke. while adam was still reeling from such a traumatic and intense experience, he nearly felt compelled to cry tears of joys. for many days and nights he could only replay their interactions together in his mind. the sound of her voice in the morning, the way she rolled out of bed to go brush her teeth, the scent of her shampoo, and the way she messaged him constantly—

all of these moments allowed him to remain sane during such a difficult time in his life, in the darkness of what was to be his grave. so to finally hear her here and see her left him feeling that he had been given a second chance at life. he wasn't going to mess this up. )

I love you too Maria....I don't want to talk to the cops just yet....but I'll tell you what happened to me because it will explain something I want to ask you.

( was it perhaps too soon? too fast to ask her to commit to him so quickly? maybe it was selfish and stupid, but he was driven to not let his life go to waste anymore. )