He stabbed a fork into his food and started eating. If he spoke, he’d only end up making things worse. He could see it all now. He’d bite her head off and then she’d burst into tears. Hallie didn’t deserve that. She was trying.
Jacob ate in silence. When his plate was clean and he moved to stand, Hallie was at his side with that bright smile again. “I’ll get that for you?—”
“Will you knock it off, Hallie?”
She paused, the plate in hand. The way she stood there blinking, it was almost like she was short-circuiting. Before she had a chance to ask him what he meant—and he knew her well enough to know that was exactly what she was about to do, there was a knock on the door.
Both of them stilled.
He wanted to demand to know who she’d invited over. He wanted to tell her she needed to get permission to have guests. But that was the Mr. Hyde side of him talking. So, he gritted his teeth and slowly returned his focus from the door to the woman standing at his side.
“Did you have guests visiting?” she asked quietly.
“No, did you?”
She frowned. Then her eyes flashed with annoyance. “This isn’tmyhouse, Jacob. I’m not going to overrun your personal space just because I’m here.” It was the first time she’d sounded upset with him since they were in the truck. He was familiar with the headstrong woman who didn’t take trouble from anyone. This was the Hallie he knew how to handle.
And yet he didn’t feel he had any right when she was here to care for him.
Jacob cleared his throat. “I don’t care if you invite people.” Why did that feel like a lie? Maybe because it was. He didn’t like people in his personal space. That was why Hallie’s presence was so frustrating. Arching a brow, he nodded toward the door just as whoever it was rang the doorbell. “Well? Are you going to get that?”
She jerked into motion. “Right.”
His eyes followed her across the room. She was fully dressed while he’d opted for another pair of pajama pants and loose-fitting t-shirt. It was like she was taking this caregiving thing seriously. Kai had offered to pay her for her help, but she’d refused and yet here she was, going above and beyond.
The door swung open to reveal four men and two women. Tate and Jason Dennison had come with their sister who was currently engaged to Brent Gilley. The latter stood beside her, holding her hand. At their back was Sammie and Caleb.
Jacob didn’t know Caleb very well. But he did spend a good amount of time with Caleb’s brother, Mack. The second the Dennisons caught sight of him, they crossed the threshold. “Hey, man! You’re home,” Tate said, closing the distance between them. “How are you feeling?”
“Been better,” Jacob grunted.
Tate’s happy expression faltered, and he glanced over his shoulder at his brother. The twins were so in sync, Jacob wouldn’t have been surprised if they could speak telepathically. “We wanted to—” Tate started, returning his attention to Jacob, but he cut his friend off.
“What are you guys doing here?”
More uneasy glances passed between the visitors. The women had moved over to speak quietly to Hallie which made sense. Of course, they’d want to check in on their friend to make sure she wasn’t being taken advantage of. But these guys? They were friends. However they weren’t the kind of friends who’d just stop by to check in on each other. Brent had been dealing with his own issues recently. The shock of discovering a family secret that had the potential to tear said family apart was enough to keep him busy, or so Jacob had thought.
When none of them seemed interested in answering his question, he sighed. “Look, I’m fine. I don’t need any of you stopping by to make sure I’m okay. And as you can see, Hallie is fine, too. It’s not like I kidnapped her and forced her to do my bidding.”
There was a huff that came from the kitchen area, but Jacob wasn’t sure who had been the one responsible.
Tate’s frown deepened. “We’re your friends, Jacob?—”
“Colleagues.”
Jason snorted. Brent let out a dry chuckle and glanced toward Tate. “I told you he wouldn’t be up for visitors.”
Jacob’s eyes narrowed. “When was the last time any one of you cared about me or anything going on in my life?”
The room went eerily silent.
“Go on. Answer the question,” he continued even though something in the back of his mind warned him off. “It’s okay. We’re friends in the arena. We cheer each other on. But let’s face it. None of you are close enough to warrant a visit like this.None of you really care about me beyond whether someone else is going to take my title.”
Tate’s face flushed red. Brent took a dangerous step forward. But it was Hallie who managed to shock them all. She strode into the middle of the conversation. “Hey, now! That’s no way to talk to your guests.”
Jacob nearly snorted at her words. He nearly reminded them all that he didn’t want guests. He didn’t need guests. All he needed was rest so he could heal up faster and get back in the arena.
But she didn’t give him that chance, but at least her expression softened slightly as did her tone.
