جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 914

Amelia came out of the kitchen with a bowl of heated chicken soup. The moment she stepped into the living room, she saw Christopher fast asleep on the couch.She slowed to a stop, gently set the bowl down, and walked over. As she looked at his pale, worn face, something tugged at her chest. A quiet ache spread through her.She reached out, wanting to smooth the crease between his brows. Her fingers hovered just above his forehead, then slowly pulled back, afraid of disturbing the rare peace in his sleep.Amelia turned and went into the bedroom, came back with a light blanket, and carefully draped it over Christopher.She crouched beside the couch, watching him in silence for a while before getting up to clean the dishes scattered around.Just then, the bedroom door creaked open, and a small figure peeked out.Evelyn stepped out in pink bear pajamas, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her hair messy. She was clearly woken by the noise from the living room.The moment she saw Christopher ly

"Your body hasn't even recovered, and we don't know if Gerald is still nearby. What if something happens to you out there?" Amelia said, worried.Christopher tried to shake her hand off, but he didn't have the strength.He could feel the warmth of her palm through the thin fabric of his sleeve. It seeped in, slow and steady, and the faint warmth it stirred only made the guilt hit harder."You don't need to worry about that." His voice was tired. "I can handle my own problems.""Christopher, can you stop being so stubborn?" Amelia's brows pulled tight. "You're not alone anymore. You have me, and you have Evie. We're both worried about you. Can you think about us for once?"At the mention of Evelyn, Christopher froze.He thought about last night, about her small voice asking if he was sick, and the way she looked at him, like she wanted him to stay.Something inside him gave way.He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all that was left was exhaustion and a quiet surrender