No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Susie nodded, then continued with a casual tone, "You know, Licia, I've actually developed this weird liking for pool. Funny thing, I never had anything to do with it before, but for some reason, I'm just drawn to it now. And, get this... after my surgery, my tastes in food, my opinions, even the way I think about stuff, it's all shifted."

"Hey, do you think it's because of the heart I got? I read somewhere that when you get an organ transplant, you might pick up some habits or likes from its previous owner," Susie said, her eyes wide with curiosity, practically begging me for an answer.

I mean, I've heard about this in documentaries and such, but medically speaking, it's supposed to be a myth. Yet, there's no shortage of stories out there. It's not just heart transplants, either. Folks who've had liver transplants end up changing their dietary preferences, like someone who couldn't stand spicy food suddenly can't get enough of it.

"Could be," I said, glancing at her chest where another person's heart beat within.

"Oh, but look at us getting sidetracked. Weren't we talking about my brother? Licia, I'm telling you, he might seem cold on the outside, but deep down, he's definitely got a soft spot for you," Susie said with conviction.

That got me thinking about the news I stumbled upon earlier - Brown ending up in the hospital, and the whole pool ball incident. If it were anyone else, they'd have chosen a different prank, not that. It had to be connected to last night when he teasingly called me "pool girl" and challenged me to a game.

Could Ernest be the one behind it?

With that thought, I quickly texted Grant: Was Ernest behind what happened to that guy last night?

His reply came instantly: Who else?

But then he retracted the message, only to send another: Not too sure, you might want to ask him directly.

I couldn't help but scoff, turning off my phone.

"Licia, I don't know all the details between you and my brother, but what I do know is he loves you," Susie kept stressing her point.

"Licia, can you tell me?" Susie pressed.

"My relationship with your brother is

complicated, and there are things,

especially about his dad's

involvement in my parents' trouble, that I'm still trying to figure out confessed, hinting at the unresolved issues between Ernest and me.

S

"Licia, if it helps you and my brother get back together, whatever I know, I'll tell you."

I paused for a moment, "Ten years ago, you would have been around eight or nine, right? So, you must remember something. Was your family struggling with money back then?"

Without hesitation, Susie shook her

head, "Nope, we weren't rich, but we weren't poor either. We had enough. Plus, my dad had a decent job

driving for a local businessmanThis belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.

earning a good salary. We were pretty well off compared to others in the neighborhood. I was kinda the envy of my peers."

Lord had mentioned that Ernest's father was bribed, but if money wasn't an issue, it didn't make sense for him to betray my parents for financial reasons. And given that Ernest and I were close enough to form a friendship, it suggested our families were on good terms.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized there had to be another motive behind Ernest's dad risking it all, including his own life.

But Susie's account threw my theories off track. I had assumed Ernest's dad needed the money for Susie's medical expenses or some other family emergency.

"What's got you asking about this?" Susie inquired, puzzled.

I couldn't quite explain, so I switched the topic, "Was there anything significant that happened to your family around that time?"

After pondering for a brief moment, Susie's response took me by surprise, "Yeah, something did happen... and it involved my brother."

"Related to your brother?" I echoed, intrigued.

Susie nodded, "He disappeared that year."