*SOPHIA'S POV*
"Oh my goodness, someone help her," Henna pretentiously called for help.
Ken and Bran suddenly heard this call for help and turned around.
"Isn't that Sophia inside the pool?" Ken asked as he was not entirely certain.
The moment Bran realized that I was the one struggling in the pool, he immediately placed the glass of champagne he was holding and hurried to where I was.
But before he could reach where I was, Liam was much closer as he reached and dived into the pool to help me out.
Bran stopped halfway, he didn't know if he should go ahead and meet me or withdraw from the situation.
Liam finally got me and my bag out of the pool as I tried to push back the strands of hair all over my face. Liam helped me up from the floor by the pool and into a chair.
"Can I please get a dry towel?" he yelled out as he looked around.
One of the waiters quickly went in and came back with a dry towel.
"Here, sir," he said, handing it over to Liam.
He quickly collected it and tried to wipe my wet hair, but I stopped him halfway.
"It's fine, I'll do it, thank you," I said and collected the dry towel from him and dried my hair and face.
The music continued, and basically everyone went about their business.
"Why are you still standing here, Bran? You need to get over there," Ken persuaded him.
"And do what? The one person she says is just a friend has shown up to help her right in time."
"Are you being serious right now, Bran? This is Sophia we are talking about, your wife! What do you think people will say when you're found nowhere near your wife when that happened? What do you even think she would think, man?"
"Nothing, she would think nothing….she is trying so hard to be distant from me, Ken."
"And what makes you think that? What if she is trying to open up to you, but your actions are pushing her away? You need to be there, not here," Ken said and pointed in my direction.
I looked ahead and saw them talking, but they were inaudible. A part of me wanted him to come check up on me, another part of me just concluded it was a bad idea to be here, with him in the first place.
Bran finally walked up to where I sat, while Liam covered me up with his suit.
"I am sorry that I got concerned with saying hello to partners. Are you okay? What happened?" he asked.
Henna quickly chipped him as she got closer to him.
"She was trying to fit in, but she missed a step and fell into the pool. You know she is not used to these kinds of environments."
"I don't remember asking you," he shunned her quietly.
"She is right, I don't think I am supposed to be here… I should leave, there is no point staying back, looking like this," I said this and stood from the chair.
Bran and Liam then said at the same time.
"Let me drop you at home."
"Let me drop you off."
Both Liam and Bran looked at each other as they were surprised that they shared the same thought.
I stood there, a bit surprised too, and wondered who I would rather he take me home as they looked at me and waited for me to make a choice.
I gently removed Liam's suit from my shoulders and handed it over to him.
" I will go with Bran, thank you so much for this," I said and held Bran's stretched hand.
"Are you seriously leaving without interacting with these calibre of people here?" Henna quickly chipped in to Bran.
Bran said no words but instead led me out of the party venue.
Liam stood there, holding his suit, disappointed that I had chosen Bran once again.
"How could you not convince her enough to let you take her home?" Henna suddenly said to Liam and called his attention back.
Liam turned and looked at her with scorn.
"I saw what you did back there," he said.
"What are you talking about?" Henna asked as though she were oblivious of her actions.
Liam went close to Henna and grabbed her tightly by her arm as she winced in slight discomfort.
"The next time you will pull such an act on Sophia, you won't live to pay for it," he said, and let go of her arm.
Liam then walked out of the party venue, while Henna gently massaged the part of her arm Liam grabbed.
*********************************************************
Bran held my hand and led me out of the party venue towards where our car was parked, and immediately we got away from the people, I gently pulled my hand away from his and got into the backseat of the car first.
He walked to the other side and got into the car as well, and Pierre drove us back home, in yet another silence.
I quickly found my way to the bedroom.
"Please prepare a hot bath," Bran ordered Mrs Reeves as she quickly went about it.
I got into the bedroom, and knowing that I needed to pull off the wet dress, Bran stayed back in the living room.
I changed into a bathrobe, and just in time, Mrs Reeves was done preparing the hot bath, and I got into it.
It was such a warm feeling that I really needed at that moment, after being drenched in a pool and cold all the way home.
I lay there, soaking in the bathtub filled with semi-hot water and steam all over the place.
*BRAN'S POV*
Mrs Reeves came down the stairs shortly after she was done upstairs.
"All done?"
"Yes, sir, she's having her bath now."
"Okay, thank you, you can go."
"Good night, sir."
Mrs Reeves said this and left the main house. I hung around the living room for a while and then decided to head upstairs in the hope that Sophia would be done with her bath.
I got into the room and pulled off my suit. I then saw Sophia by the bedside, trying to tie on the bathrobe.
She was still uncomfortable with being without clothes around me, so as soon as she saw me, she quickly tried to cover up the robe, but in the process, she slipped, as her feet were still wet.
I quickly rushed to her side in order to hold and stop her from falling, but instead we both fell and I tried my best to protect her from the impact.
She fell into my arms, and in that split moment, I could feel and smell her flowery scent. It's been six years since we have been this close to each other, and I could not help but get connected and attracted more.
*SOPHIA'S POV*
There I was, wrapped in his arms, his nice cologne up in my nose. His hazel eyes, fixated on mine, and the movement of his Adam's apple made me feel like touching it. For the first time, I was not shy to look him in the eye.
He suddenly became hot in my eyes, and the feelings I once felt when we met six years ago, rekindled in me.
I got back to reality, and I didn't know when I slightly pushed Bran away from me, stood and wrapped up my bathrobe well.
"I am sorry, I wasn't being careful," I stuttered.
"It's fine," Bran said and stood from the ground.
I tried to go to bed to pick up my phone when I felt a strain on my ankle.
"Oww," I yelped.
"Are you okay?" He quickly asked and came to my side.
"I am fine, I must have missed a step," I said stubbornly and still tried to walk.
"Ow ow," I yelped again.
"I think you sprained your ankle, here, come sit," he said and helped me to sit on the bed.
"Let me get the first aid kit."
Bran went to the drawer by the bed and brought out the first aid box to where I sat on the bed.
"Uhh, I think I have to get some ice on it first."
He said this and went downstairs to the fridge and came back up with an ice pack.
"I think this would help first for a while," he said and placed the ice pack on my ankle.
I just sat on the bed and watched him take care of my ankle.
After holding the ice pack on my ankle for a while, he removed it and took out the elastic bandage, and wrapped it around my ankle.
"This should reduce the swelling," he said as he wrapped it.
"Thank you," I said calmly.
Bran looked up at me, quite surprised when he heard those words from me.
"What?" he asked for clarification.
"I said, thank you," I said and pushed my hair behind my ear.