“I’m not.” This time she spoke evenly, through clenched teeth. “You’re doing it to yourself.”
He laughed but it was sharp and bitter. Gesturing with a fling of his hand to his leg, he ground out, “Yeah, like I did that.” Thenhe motioned to the neck brace. “And this.” He winced when he settled back against his seat a little too roughly. “You’re right, Hallie. I only have my own stupid self to blame. I got myself into this mess and now if you’d be so kind, I’d like to stew in it. I think that’s the least you could offer me.”
She pressed her lips so tight together they started to go numb. What she wouldn’t give to put him in his place right now.
Yes, Jacob was allowed to feel upset and disappointed at the situation he was currently facing. The unknown. His job. Having to live under the same roof as the woman who had inadvertently put him in this position.
So, she’d focus on her breathing.
She’d smile.
And she’d do whatever it took to make this easier on him.
“Okay,” she finally said.
“Okay?” Jacob scoffed. “Okay,” he repeated under his breath.
The rest of the drive was dismal.
Awkward.
And all around uncomfortable.
Her discomfort didn’t even stem completely from his attitude, though that was hard enough to deal with.
Nope. That itchy feeling she got when she glanced at him several more times before they pulled onto his property was all due to the fact that even though he was being a sourpuss, and even though he wore a neck brace and had a cast, Jacob Hines was still the guy she had a crush on.
He’d risked his life for her. That fact wasn’t lost on her. No one would be able to convince her that she wasn’t allowed to look up to this man. He’d put his own safety at risk because of her. And that made Jacob her hero.
With a heavy sigh, and an even heavier heart, she put the truck into park. He reached for the door and her hand shot out to lock the doors with the automatic button.
Jacob stiffened. “Hallie,” he warned.
“Don’t.”
A sound that resembled a growl reverberated from his throat. “Don’twhat?”
“Don’t open the door.”
He stiffly shifted so he could set his piercing gaze on her. A lesser person would have cowered beneath that stare. She sure as heck wanted to. But instead, she kept her finger on the actuator just in case he attempted to unlock the door and climb out on his own.
With a scowl just as sharp, she nodded at his leg pointedly. “You barely left the hospital. I’m here to make the transition easier. You need to use me as support at least for the first couple of weeks.”
He closed his eyes and moved as if he wanted to stare up at the sky but that only turned into a grimace. That growling sound came out of him again and a flutter rose in her chest. There was something about the way he could seem almost animalistic that did something to her. Maybe it was related to the fact that he’d saved her life. Or maybe she simply liked the idea of a man who could hold himself back even when he felt like snapping.
That growl was sort of a sign of his self-control.
She lifted a hand, almost reaching for him before she let it drop into her lap. Her voice was quiet when she spoke next. “Jacob, I know this isn’t what you want. I’ve heard every argument you’ve made about me helping you out. But the fact is you’re wrong.”
He snorted but at least he didn’t argue.
“I’m only going to be here while you’re healing. You can humble yourself for that long, can’t you? Then I’ll be out of your hair, and you won’t have to see me ever again.”
His eyes opened and he peered at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher. Whatever she glimpsed left in an instant, leaving his expression blank. “Yeah, fine. Okay.”
She exhaled and flashed him a smile.
Winning this battle might have seemed like a small feat but it wasn’t to her. Little by little, she’d help him see that being positive is what would help him the most. Would it speed up his recovery process? Not likely. But would it make the recovery a little more bearable?
