The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 50

Ella

“You don’t have to fuss over me like this,” I protested as Lilith tucked another pillow behind my back. “I’m not dying.”

Not yet, anyway. Technically. Sort of. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it.

Lilith had arrived bright and early with a suitcase full of my things–clothes, books, my favorite blanket from home, even my vanilla–scented hand lotion. She’d been buzzing around my hospital room all morning, adjusting the blinds, organizing the nightstand, and making sure I would be comfortable for my stay.

“Nonsense,” she said, smoothing down the blanket. “You need someone looking after you properly.”

“The nurses are doing just fine.”

Lilith scoffed. “Those nurses have twenty other patients. You need someone whose sole focus is you.”

Before I could argue further, she pulled out a container from the bag she’d brought. “I made your favorite,” she said, popping off the lid to reveal homemade chicken soup. The scent immediately made my mouth water. “It’s still warm.”

My stomach growled in response. The hospital breakfast had been bland and unappetizing, and Lilith always made the best chicken noodle soup when I wasn’t feeling well.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I muttered.

“Lwanted to.” Lilith poured some into a bowl and pulled up a chair beside my bed. Then, to my surprise, she dipped a spoon into the soup and held it out to me. “Open up.”

! blinked. “I can feed myself, you know.”

“Humor an old woman, won’t you?”

Feeling ridiculous but too touched to refuse, I opened my mouth and let Lilith feed me the soup. It was delicious, as always–rich and hearty, with just the right amount of herbs and spices.

“Good?” Lilith asked, already dipping the spoon for another bite.

I nodded, swallowing. “Yes. But why are you doing all this? You’re treating me like I’m… Your daughter.”

Lilith’s shoulders tensed, and for a moment, she was silent. She had never mentioned having children of her own, but whenever! asked, she would always change the subject. After a while, I had learned not to bring it up, thinking that she’d perhaps had a bad experience in her past.

I thought I had hurt her by bringing it up now, but just as I was opening my mouth to apologize, she said, “You are like a daughter to me, Ella. And I worry about you. I saw how your parents treated you at that party. I’ve seen how you were raised. You never had a mother who doted on you or made sure you had what you needed. Your parents haven’t even come to check on you since you got

here”

she put it like

to give you the love and attention

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and tender blossomed in my chest at her words. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. No one had ever put my needs first, had ever made

whispered, suddenly fighting back tears. “I don’t mean to sound

and picked up the spoon again. “Well,

this was what having a mother was supposed to feel like. Someone who took care of you. Someone who put your needs above their own. Someone who loved

I had experienced this. At least I wouldn’t

were by my side.” The words slipped out of my

not going to die, Ella,” she said firmly, “I won’t let

“But the doctor said-”

doctor said.

open, cutting her off. Liam walked in with a bouquet of

faded as he took in our serious expressions. “Did

talk,” I said quickly, forcing a

nodded and set the daisies on the table next to Alexander’s cherry blossoms. “Thought your

I could answer. Liam looked just as surprised as I was, and I

stood, taking the now–empty soup bowl. “I’ll go wash this out,” she said, then scurried out of

Liam took her vacated chair. “You

ached, and there was a hollow feeling in my body that had nothing to do with hunger. But I didn’t want Liam

letting you

to run a

“Listen, Ella, about what happened at the bar with Molly

fault,” I

If she hadn’t kissed you, maybe Alexander

cut him off, not wanting to rehash

To Alexander’s lips on mine, his hands on my body, the way he’d groaned when I touched him through his pants. It had been explosive and all–consuming everything I’d fantasized

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Chapter 50