Aurelia's POV
The hospital gift shop had a surprisingly good selection of fresh fruit, and I found myself picking out the perfect basket for Adrian—oranges for vitamin C, grapes because they were easy to eat one-handed, and strawberries because I remembered him mentioning they were his favorite.
The gesture felt natural, caring for someone who had risked his life for mine.
"You didn't have to bring anything," Adrian said with a warm smile as I entered his room, but his eyes lit up when he saw the fruit basket.
"I wanted to," I replied, setting it on his bedside table. "How are you feeling? Really?"
"Like I got stabbed by a poisoned blade," Adrian said with dry humor, "but significantly better than yesterday. The doctors say I can go home tomorrow."
Relief flooded through me. "That
