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?"

and besides... it wasn't her

because of her," Brown's resentment

one who involved her," Henrik shot back,

lips, his blue eyes glaring at me, "She asked for

cause and effect, and my only mistake was showing concern for Jefferson, which

that maybe Conrad had orchestrated my involvement, but I quickly dismissed it. If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have

any harm, might have been used by others," Henrik

was manipulated, did he know something I

"Henrik, you're defending her? Don't tell me you've fallen for her?" Henrik's smirk was telling, "Isn't

and unlike anything I'd been called before. Reacting instantly,

the water

"You

right by hitting you," Henrik cut him off, "Brown, do you

was enough to deflate Brown, his

here to make it clear. Whoever messed with you, go after them. But this woman," Henrik pulled me

"Let's go,