No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

"Is he not a germaphobe?" I mused, puzzled by his constant embraces and hand-holding.

Before I could pull away or protest, the sight that greeted me inside the hospital room stopped me dead in my tracks.

It wasn't Ernest.

The man in the bed caught sight of me and immediately furrowed his brows, then snapped at Henrik, "Why did you bring her here?" Henrik, still holding my hand, led me to a couch, "Thought we'd check in on you after the game... see how you're healing up." Brown's face turned a sickly shade of pale, Henrik's words clearly striking a nerve.

And not just any nerve. An embarrassing one.

The thought of Brown's injury made me cringe-it was honestly mortifying.

"Instead of seeking revenge for me, you bring this woman to disgust me? What are you trying to do?" Brown was visibly irritated.

"Just letting you know," Henrik lifted our intertwined hands, "she's with me now, hands off."

"Huh," Brown scoffed, "So I just take the loss?"

nothing to do with her. You started it, and besides... it wasn't her who hit you," Henrik revealed, making his purpose for bringing me

all started because of her," Brown's

the one who involved her," Henrik shot

glaring at me, "She asked for it, getting

and effect, and my only mistake was showing concern

crossed my mind that maybe Conrad had orchestrated my involvement, but I quickly dismissed it. If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have warned me or rescued me from Henrik's estate. He probably didn't know the full extent of the conspiracy

used by others," Henrik

I was manipulated, did

at him, Brown sneered, "Henrik, you're defending her? Don't tell me you've fallen for her?" Henrik's

Reacting

but the water splashed him

Brown leapt up, "You

Henrik cut him off, "Brown, do

Brown, his face turning a shade of green with

this woman," Henrik pulled me close, "you better not touch her. Show some respect

"Let's