Chapter 219 Cookies Are Delicious, I Want More Next Time
Something tugged at Alexander's chest.
He wanted to say, "I know everything. You're not happy here. You're ignored, expected to be Edith's shadow. All your talents and interests are treated as unnecessary..."
He even wanted to impulsively tell her that she didn't have to force herself, that she could live just for herself.
Before he could speak, Caroline had already turned her face away.
"Don't sit on the floor anymore, you'll catch a cold. You should... go lie down on my bed."
She bent down and struggled to help the feverish Alexander up, settling him onto her soft bed.
Caroline quickly fetched the medicine, watched him obediently swallow the pills, then wrung out a wet towel and carefully wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
After a while, the medicine started working and his fever seemed to come down a bit.
Seeing his face was no longer as flushed as before, Caroline asked softly, "Are you feeling better? Do you want... me to take you out through the back door? At this hour, we probably won't disturb anyone."
Leave? No, he didn't want to go.
He didn't want to go back and face alone the nightmares he had at the Hamilton mansion.
Alexander simply pretended to be asleep.
"Alexander?" After waiting a moment without hearing a response, Caroline called out softly again.
The person on the bed didn't react, only steady, even breathing.
Caroline started to panic.
She tried pushing his shoulder, "Alexander? Wake up... you can't keep sleeping here."
Alexander didn't move, only mumbled a vague response, turned over, and faced away from her.
Caroline stood by the bed, looking at Alexander who was refusing to leave her bed, not knowing what to do.
She couldn't wake him up, and she couldn't exactly get someone to carry him out—that would make even more noise.
She bit her lower lip, looked at the dark night outside the window, and finally could only sigh helplessly.
Resigned to her fate, she turned around, pulled out a quilt from the closet, spread it on the floor, and lay down.
After half a night of commotion, shock, tension, and taking care of a sick person, she was exhausted and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, half-asleep, Caroline felt like someone was holding her, calling her name over and over in a low voice by her ear, "Caroline... Caroline..."
The next morning.
Caroline groggily opened her eyes, only to feel that what she was lying on was exceptionally soft and comfortable.
Wait, the bed?
She suddenly became fully awake, sat up, and looked around.
She was actually sleeping properly in bed, and the floor was cleaned up neatly, as if everything last night had been just a dream.
Caroline touched her forehead, feeling a bit dazed.
Until her gaze fell on the nightstand, where there had only been the poetry book she was reading before bed. Now, next to the book, there was a note.
Her heart jumped, and she reached out to pick up the note and unfold it.
[The cookies were delicious. I want more next time.]
So, he was the one who carried her back to bed?
Caroline pressed the note against her chest, her heart racing.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a loud bang, and Edith rushed in like a little bird.
"Caroline! Get up! The sun's already up!"
Caroline jumped in fright and quickly stuffed the note under her pillow.
"Ah... oh, okay, I'm getting up."
Edith didn't notice Caroline's odd behavior and bounced over to the window, pulling the curtains open.
"Hurry, hurry! Dad said Alex came today and is downstairs chatting with him! Mom wants us to come down for breakfast together!"
Alexander... was already downstairs?
Did he come back? Or did he never leave at all, just appearing in the living room this morning, pretending he just arrived?
Caroline's thoughts raced.
She quickly got out of bed, hurriedly washed up, and changed clothes.
Walking into the living room, she indeed saw Alexander already sitting properly on the sofa, discussing this morning's financial news with Damon.
"Alex, good morning!" Edith greeted him first with a bright, cheerful voice.
Caroline followed behind, quickly glancing at Alexander, meeting his gaze.
He had changed clothes, so he must have sneaked home last night.
Alexander's gaze seemed to linger on her face for a moment. Caroline's face heated up, and she immediately looked away, mumbling a quiet "morning," wishing she could disappear.
Alexander, however, nodded seriously in response, as if it were an ordinary greeting, "Morning, Caroline. Did you sleep well last night?"
Caroline felt her face getting even hotter, "Fine... I'm going to the dining room."
Damon said with a smile, "Perfect timing, Alexander hasn't eaten yet either. Let's eat together. Edith, Caroline, come sit down."
Edith enthusiastically invited Alexander to sit in the seat next to her, but Alexander naturally pulled out a chair and sat in the empty seat beside Caroline.
Caroline's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
However, just as Alexander sat down, Caroline suddenly stood up.
"I... I just remembered I haven't finished organizing some things. You all eat first, I'm not very hungry."
She said this with her head down, then turned and quickly left the dining room.
Alexander's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the "Caroline" stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
Watching her almost fleeing figure, Alexander's eyes darkened.
A trace of confusion flashed in Edith's beautiful eyes, then she smiled and said to Alexander, "Alex, let me spread some jam for you? Do you like strawberry or blueberry?"
"No need, thank you, I'll do it myself." Alexander refused with unexpected coldness.
The smile on Edith's face froze almost imperceptibly, and even Damon looked at Alexander in surprise.
He was... different today.
Alexander and the Caroline sisters attended the same school but different classes, and because of different courses, they rarely had opportunities to run into each other.
Finally making it to lunchtime, Alexander walked into the cafeteria, his eyes immediately searching through the bustling crowd.
Finally, he spotted Caroline in a corner by the window.
She was sitting alone, eating her salad in small bites. Edith was carrying her tray over, smiling as she sat down beside her, chatting intimately about something.
Caroline looked up and gave Edith a gentle smile.
Alexander's chest stirred slightly, and he picked up his tray and walked over.
But when he got closer, he heard Edith saying excitedly, "Caroline, it's settled then! For our birthday next week, let's get that Barbie castle cake! It's super pretty! You have to come with me to pick out the candles!"
So their birthday was coming up.
But Alexander remembered that Caroline never liked those overly sweet, fancy things full of little princess fantasies.
Yet at this moment, facing her sister's excited suggestion, she just smiled and nodded gently, "Okay, whatever you like."
Again.
Always like this.