Love Began with the First Meeting

The first thing Brian saw when he opened the door was Molly on the sofa, her head down, while she held the medicated oil in one hand.

He noticed her face twisting in pain as she rubbed oil on her swollen ankle.

Mumbling to herself, Molly didn't notice when Brian came in. All she could focus on was the pain.

"Owww…" she groaned in agony.

Another anguished sound escaped her lips. Molly had to take deep breaths to ride out the pain each time she rubbed her ankle. Her face took on a tortured expression as she slowly exhaled. Molly stared at her ankle, so horribly swollen, not knowing what to do except bite her lips and twitch her nose.

As she berated herself for not having any other option to reduce the swelling of her ankle, someone suddenly snatched the medicated oil from her hand. She looked up and found herself staring into an impassive but attractive face. Before she had time to process what was happening, Brian went down on one knee and gently took her ankle to put on his other knee. His careful handling was in contrast to the imperiousness and unwillingness on his face. Without a word and never looking at Molly's face, he poured the oil into his palm and started rubbing it on the swollen joint.

The woman was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to react as she watched Brian gingerly working on her ankle. With dull eyes, Molly looked strangely at what he was doing to her sprained foot. His movements seemed to mesmerize her. All of a sudden, Molly screamed as she felt severe pain shooting through her whole body.

"Keep quiet!" Brian barked at her. His tone was cold and angry, and he gave her a look of disapproval even as he kept rubbing her ankle with the medicated oil.

"Ouch!" Molly whimpered.

"Please be gentle," she cried in pain.

But the pain didn't stop, and her ankle already felt so hot. She went on screaming as he kept massaging the swollen joint. "It hurts, Brian! Easy, easy…" she pleaded with him.

He ignored her pleas and went on rubbing and blocked out each "ouch" he heard.

little gentler, please?" she was almost teary-eyed.

noisy, right?" he

continued rubbing the ankle with as much pressure as he

realizing the pain was gone. All

Molly's ankle. Even when he noticed she had stopped complaining about the pain, he kept quiet. When their eyes met, still no words were spoken. Molly then

moment, she was lost in

The only sounds that broke the silence were the breathing of two people and the rubbing of the skin. The suffocating and irritating smell of medicated oil filled the air. It was unpleasant yet

she could no longer stand

work as a masseur in case you

massaged her foot and resulted in the unintentional broadcast of thoughts. Most likely, Molly blurted out those words because she just wanted to

her then frowned at what she said.

take more than a month if you don't apply force when massaging. And if you become disabled, who will take care of you? I can't," he said

annoyed, and his tightly knitted brows were proof

That you won't have time to take care of me?" she mocked

you hire a nurse or get a temporary maid,"

Brian. "Why am I only learning now that you're such an awkward person? You, worried about me? Why don't you just tell

at her words. Before he could retort, she asked,"Bri, how many

but

to stare at Brian. "You do have a skillful way of rubbing my ankle," she mumbled to herself. Molly thought her voice

continued chatter, he raised his eyes to glance at Molly and answered

said matter-of-factly yet Molly's heart ached for the man. So, she couldn't explain why knowing Brian had been injured many times in the past made her sad, even if it didn't appear to be a big deal. Without thinking, she blurted out,"I