Chapter 141

ELIZA’S POV I stirred the soup slowly. It was quiet except for the sound of the kettle. Alexander insisted on being near me so, he laid on the couch in the living room right next to the kitchen. Every few minutes, I glanced over at him. He was half-asleep and he still had dark circles still under his eyes. Seeing him like that… it twisted something in my chest. He’d always been the strong one. The man who’d go through gunfire without flinching, who stood tall even when the world crumbled around him. And now, he was propped up on three pillows with a blanket tucked under his arms. His face was pale and his eyes were heavy with exhaustion. But he was here. He came back to me. That was all that mattered. “Smells like heaven,” Alexander murmured as I walked in with the tray. “You’d better mean that,” I said, setting it gently on the side table, “because I put actual effort into this. Herbs and all.” He chuckled, then winced. His hand moved instinctively to his ribs. “Laughing hurts,” he sa