There was the uncomfortable kind like the one that had stretched between her and Jakob the night before as they’d stood in the hotel cafe. Then there was the comfortable kind of silence like when she lay in his arms with her head on his chest after he had made love to her. That was the kind that had felt full and complete.
And then there was this.
She stood in the middle of her hotel room with her arms crossed while she watched Jakob pace like a man trying to outrun his own thoughts. He had jumped out of bed and dressed quickly, but he had not sat down again or looked at her for more than a second at a time since.
And then babbled about her necessary move out of the hotel to the castle.
“I just think,” Jakob said carefully mid-pace before he stopped near the window, “that it would be better if you came to stay at the castle for a while.”
Mallory lifted an eyebrow. “A while. Just because?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not a length of time just like that’s not an answer.”
His jaw ticked and she expected an outburst, but instead, he remained calm. “Mallory, please.”
“No,” she interrupted in a quieter tone. “You don’t get to placate me without an explanation. Not after last night.”
That made him look at her. Really look at her.
Something passed between them. It was hard to tell if it was regret or longing mixed with frustration. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Last night is exactly why I’m asking you to go with me.”
Her chest tightened. “You said you weren’t going to disappear again.”
“I’m not disappearing.”
“You’re standing in my hotel room telling me to pack up my life for an undisclosed amount of time because of an unnamed danger you refuse to explain, all the while giving off vibes like you can’t wait to get rid of me.” She dropped her arms. “From where I’m standing, that feels pretty close to disappearing.”
Jakob exhaled slowly. “There is a threat.”
“You’ve said that.”
“And it’s being handled.”
“You’ve also said that.”
“What I can’t do,” he said with a firmer voice, “is leave you here knowing there’s even a small chance you could be hurt.”
Mallory stared at him. “So instead, you want me locked inside a castle full of armed guards and secrets.”
“Protected,” he corrected.
“Controlled,” she shot back.
That did it. He crossed the room in three long strides and stopped just short of her. “This isn’t about control.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
He opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
There it was. The invisible wall slamming back into place just when she’d started to believe it was gone.
Her voice softened despite herself. “Jakob, we finally talked. You finally let me in. And now you’re shutting me out again.”
His jaw flexed. “I’m trying to keep you alive.”
