No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Although Susie's surgery went off without a hitch, her road to recovery was paved with potential setbacks. She couldn't be left alone. Ernest managed to find a caregiver for the daytime hours, but come evening, he made it a point to be by Susie's side.

This arrangement meant I saw a lot less of Ernest. After all, our day jobs kept us busy.

"I'm available," Ernest surprisingly agreed.

"And Susie...?" I began, but Ernest cut me off before I could finish.

"I've got it covered," he reassured me, his commitment shining through.

"It's been a while since we've had quality time together," he admitted, his forehead pressed against mine. My heart couldn't help but ache a little.

And why wouldn't it? If he was spending every waking moment caring for Susie, there was no time left for me.

I knew I couldn't be jealous, but that didn't mean I didn't feel a bit hurt.

The championship Jefferson was competing in was miles away in Fenton. Ernest and I caught a flight to get there. Stepping off the plane, we were surprised to find someone holding up a sign for us, courtesy of Jefferson.

I hadn't expected Jefferson to be so thoughtful.

I was glad I made the trip; it would have been a shame to miss out on his considerate gesture.

Plus, sharing the flight with a bunch of his fans was an eye-opener. I hadn't realized just how popular Jefferson was.

Even before we reached the venue, the sheer enthusiasm of the fans was infectious.

"I can't believe how popular Jefferson is," I mused. "All these years, I just thought of him as the guy running the pool hall."

Ernest remained quiet, his typical stoic self, but I didn't mind.

Especially since he wasn't all that familiar with Jefferson, I took the opportunity to paint a picture of Jefferson's pool prowess, not forgetting to mention a few of my own victories against him.

When the car finally stopped, I eagerly asked the driver, "Is Jefferson staying at this hotel too?"

"Seems like it," the driver's response thrilled me.

"I'll introduce you to him tonight," I said, slapping Ernest on the back.

He didn't respond, his expression sour.

I could tell something was up. Except for the early days of our

acquaintance, Ernest had neveel

I like this before.

"Ernest, what's wrong?" I confronted him.

He remained silent, which only served to irritate me. "Ernest, talk to me."

"Do you like Jefferson?" he suddenly burst out, his voice heavy with emotion.

"What?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"All you've done is talk about him the whole trip," Ernest's voice was laced with hurt.

It dawned on me then-he was jealous.

never gone

Seeing this side of him was rare. He

got this way with Conrad, but Jefferson had somehow managed

to

to stir his jealousy.

So, I teased him by nodding, “Yeah, I do like him. Wouldn't have talked about him so much otherwise."

Pet

Ernest's mood visibly darkened. I expected him to say more, but he simply stated, "Let's go," and started pulling his suitcase.

I didn't follow.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

He stopped and looked back at me. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'm upset you're being so petty," I admitted, a bit more petulant than usual.

With Conrad, I was always composed and gracious—a perfect lady.

But with Ernest, I found myself acting more like a whimsical girl.

Ernest sighed, stepping back to face me. "It bothers me, hearing you praise another man nonstop."