Chapter142: Not Done Yet

|| Lilac's POV || The tension between us had softened, replaced by a quiet, almost fragile calm. Alaric's voice broke the silence, his tone light but carrying an undercurrent of something deeper. "Hungry? Let's go back to my house. I'll cook." I smiled, a small, genuine one that felt foreign on my lips. "I don't think you're in any shape to cook," I teased, my eyes scanning his disheveled appearance. His hair was a mess, his clothes wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. "Yeah... I look bad, don't I?" he chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Probably should've taken a shower." "You should," I said, my tone playful but soft. "Though I'm not complaining about your scent. I love it." His eyes met mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. It felt normal to be here with him, as if the chaos of the past few weeks had never happened. As if we were just two people, sharing a quiet moment in the midst of a storm. We walked ba