Jared scowled. “You don’t mean that. You’re not …” He eyed Theo again. “You’re not the kind of woman someone plays with. You don’t know the game. And you’re grieving, and this arsehole probably knows that and is taking advantage. He’s not good enough for you. I think it would be best for you to come home with me so this prick can go back to his own life. Away from you.”
I didn’t say anything because I was stunned by how high-handed Jared was acting. He’d never been this intrusive in mylife before. But then he was still grieving Grandpa. He wasn’t himself right now.
Unfortunately, Theo misinterpreted my silence.
“Go on, then,” he uttered.
I looked up at him. He gestured with his chin, trying to keep a blank mask on his face. “Go run home, little mouse. Go with your cousin. What’s it to me? I certainly don’t care.”
Hurt threatened, but then I noted the shimmer of sweat across his upper lip and the tension in his shoulders. My eyes drifted down. His hands were clenched into tight fists. My eyes flew back to his and he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly with the movement. He tried to relax his hands, but he’d already given himself away. Theo shrugged. “Off you go,” he insisted, yet there was a shakiness in his voice now he couldn’t hide.
Damn this man.
I glowered at him. “I’m not going anywhere.” Facing my cousin. “Outside. Now.”
Jared yanked his astonished gaze from Theo and turned on his heel with a huff. I followed him, stopping to shove my bare feet into boots.
“Coat,” Theo bit out.
I hid my smile as I shrugged on my winter coat over my robe and hurried outside after my cousin. As soon as the front door shut, Jared whirled on me.
“You’re out of your mind.”
Done with his attitude, I raised a palm. “Just stop. Stop it right now.”
His head jerked.
“I’m not out of my mind with grief. I am a thirty-one-year-old woman with her own mind and her own needs. While I appreciate the intention, you do not have the right to come into my home and treat me like I’m a child.”
“Sarah …” He sighed heavily. “I’m just worried about you. This guy? This fucking guy, really?”
“You don’t know him. You don’t know anything about him.”
“Do you?”
I shrugged, amazed by the truth in my next words. “I think maybe I know him better than anyone does.”
Jared scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t want him to hurt you. Especially not now.”
“You have to trust me, Jared.”
“I do trust you. It’s him I don’t trust. And I’m not blind.” He gestured toward the house. “Surprisingly, I can see he cares about you. But I can also see that he is terrified that he cares for you, Sarah. Terrified.” His shoulders slumped. “So please be careful.”
My cousin’s words hit home. Because that’s what I saw too. I didn’t see a man telling me to go because he was apathetic. I saw a man telling me to go because I scared the shit out of him. I knew Theo could hurt me. Yet, what I felt when I was with him … it emboldened me. It felt so good, I’d risk anything for it.
I hugged my cousin tight and hard, and he buried his head in my neck. After a few long seconds, he squeezed and then nudged me toward the door. “Get inside out of this cold.”
As soon as I stepped into the bungalow, I experienced a sharp throb near my heart.
Theo hadn’t moved.
He stood still as a statue, hands still clenched at his sides. Like a little boy who was afraid something he wanted was about to be taken from him.
“Jared is heading home now,” I said, moving to his side, using both hands to unclench one of his fists and thread my fingers through his.
Theo looked down at our joined hands, a frown marring his brow. Suddenly, his fingers tightened in mine, and his breathinggrew shallow. This man. I ached for him and all his emotional wounds.
“If you hurt her,” Jared’s menacing tone brought our heads up, “I will fucking eviscerate you.”
