#Chapter 41: A Gift

Ella Sunlight streamed through the curtains, warming my face and pulling me from a deep sleep. I blinked groggily, taking a moment to register that I was in bed, tucked beneath the covers and still wearing the black dress from last night. I had no memory of getting here. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in the car. Had Alexander carried me to bed and tucked me in? The thought made my stomach flutter before I could tamp it down. I couldn’t help but picture Alexander carrying me, his arms strong and secure around my body, just as they had been that day Sophia had pushed me out of the hayloft. Stop it, I scolded myself. It didn’t mean anything. He probably just didn’t want to wake me up. Or he even had Gabriel carry me instead. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder about him—and, most of all, his promise from last night. Was he really going to stop sending money to my father, just because I asked? That would be… unprecedented. Alexander never