No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I woke up to Susie's anxious voice, her eyes red and swollen, clearly shaken by my sudden fainting spell. Ernest stood by silently, his expression grave.

"Don't jump to conclusions, the doctor said she's fine," Ernest finally spoke when Susie bombarded him with questions about what was wrong between him and me.

"But there's something going on with you two, right?" Susie wasn't easily fooled.

"I'll explain later," Ernest hesitated.

"Ernest," Susie raised her voice, "you did have a fight with her, didn't you? You promised you'd cherish her just as you cherish me."

"Susie, you don't understand everything. Please, just go home for now?" Ernest said, trying to calm her with patience.

"I won't leave until she wakes up," Susie stubbornly refused.

Ernest's patience wore thin, but he managed to keep his composure, "If you stay, I won't get a chance to apologize to her."

Susie's eyes lit up, a small smile appearing on her face, "Okay, I'll leave. That's more like my brother."

"I'll have someone drive you home," Ernest said, guiding her towards the door.

But Susie shook her head, "I want to see her one more time."

She rushed over to my bed while I pretended to be asleep again.

Even with my eyes closed, I could feel Susie's concerned gaze on me, and she started questioning Ernest again, "She's lost a lot of weight and looks pale. She fainted from anemia. What's happening to her?"

It turns out I was anemic. I had donated too much blood to Conrad, saving him but putting myself at risk.

"Once she's better, let's bring her home. I'll cook her some hearty meals to help her recover," Susie suggested.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" she pressed when Ernest remained silent.

"Do you still love her? Why are you mad at her?" Susie's questions made me clutch the sheets tighter, curious about Ernest's response.

"It's my fault, I upset her," Ernest finally admitted.

And he was right. It was his fault.

My sadness at his admission mingled with relief, bringing tears to my eyes.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Bro," Susie left my bedside to confront Ernest, lightly hitting him, "apologize to her when she's better." Ernest looked my way, "I will."

Only after Ernest's promise did Susie leave. The moment the door closed, tears escaped my eyes. Ernest returned after a while, but I still feigned sleep.

He sat by the bed, silently watching me. Eventually, he reached out and gently wiped away the tears that had pooled in my eyes. 

His touch was careful, tender, a silent affirmation of his love.

So he did love me, after all, evident from the small acts of kindness he shared with Grant.

But why then did he want to leave me?

If it was because of the blood I donated to Conrad, I had explained that, Ernest wasn't petty; he was capable of great love.