The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V. E. Schwab
Contents
Part Two: The Darkest Part of the Night — Chapter XII
Overview
Addie and Henry spend an entire night together, repeatedly choosing not to end the evening, until they finally part at the subway. They make plans to meet again, but Addie’s curse forces her to improvise because she cannot write, text, or be contacted normally.
In a crucial breakthrough, Addie successfully says her real name aloud, and Henry repeats it back—proof that he can truly hold on to her in a way no one else can. Addie realizes the curse still binds her, yet Henry’s memory creates a new, destabilizing hope that the spell has a weakness.
Summary
Addie and Henry’s night stretches on as they drift from bar to bar, choosing again and again not to part ways. Addie notices Henry’s quiet loneliness and how strangers respond warmly to him, even when he seems unaware of it.
Near midnight, they share cheap pizza and walk through the first warm spring night. When Henry says he misses the stars, his sadness flashes through, and Addie is struck by how ordinary he seems—except that he can remember her, which makes him impossible.
At the subway entrance, the familiar dread of endings hits Addie as Henry prepares to leave. Henry says he wants to see Addie again, and Addie admits she wants him to see her again, too. When Henry tries to exchange phone information, Addie lies that her phone is broken, knowing her curse prevents her from writing or messaging; they agree to meet at the bookstore on Saturday.
Panicking at the thought of letting him go, Addie calls Henry back to confess something: “Eve” is not her real name. Fighting the curse’s resistance, Addie manages to say, “Addie.” Henry accepts it without hesitation and says, “Goodnight, Addie,” giving Addie the impossible relief of hearing her true name spoken and remembered.
After Henry disappears down the subway steps, Addie waits for the usual snap of loss, but it doesn’t come. Alone but not lonely, she tries—and fails—to say her own name aloud, proving the curse still holds her. Yet Henry’s ability to remember her feels like a breach in the spell, and Addie clings to hope without needing to understand how.
Who Appears
- Addie LaRueCursed to be forgotten; spends the night with Henry, plans a reunion, and says her true name aloud.
- HenryMan who remembers Addie; shares a long night with her, asks to meet again, and speaks her real name.