Hearing her voice, Derek glanced her way. His eyebrows went up, and he smiled. “Wow. You look great.”
Trevor barked out a laugh. With his hands on his hips, Jake closed his eyes and hung his head, sighing loudly.
Olivia’s sweet voice filled the room, “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed, darlin’. You clean up real nice.”
Before he could stop himself, Jake slapped his hand down on Derek’s shoulder and pushed him toward the door. “Yep. She’s beautiful. We get it. Now, would you both please leave, so the woman can eat in peace?”
****
Jake had called herbeautiful. Surely he hadn’t meant it. Her hair wasn’t fixed, she didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, and half her face was black and blue. Still, Olivia couldn’t help but like the way it sounded, coming from him.
“Alright, alright. I can take a hint.” Derek’s voice drew her attention back into focus. He looked over at her. “Jake said you weren’t picky, and there weren’t a lot of places around, so I got him a burger and fries and you some soup. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t know what they’d been...” He hesitated, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. “I-I mean, I wasn’t sure what you’d eaten while you were...anyway, I figured you should probably light for the next couple of days.”
Olivia hated the thought of everyone walking on eggshells around her, but appreciated the fact that they cared enough to do so. “Soup sounds perfect, Derek. Thank you.”
“That reminds me,” Trevor reached into his jacket pocket. “Here. I’m sure you know how to take these.” He handed her two prescription bottles. Turning to Jake, he said, “Ibuprofen and antibiotics. She’s likely to be sore for the next few days, but nothing she can’t handle.”
“Thanks, man,” Jake shook Trevor’s hand. “I appreciate it.”
Trevor pulled Jake into one of those half-hugs guys do. They slapped each other’s backs, then shared a look that apparently said it all.
“We will leave you to your dinners,” Trevor smiled back at her. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Olivia said again, truly grateful these men had been brought into her life. “For everything.”
Trevor smiled. “Well, I’d say ‘anytime’, but let’s keep this to a one and done, shall we?” He winked, then opened the door and left.
“Have fun, kids.” Derek said with a little bit too much enthusiasm. Olivia didn’t miss the smirk he gave Jake as he walked by.
Shaking his head—she suspected he did that a lot around Derek—Jake secured the deadbolt and chain. He turned and held out a hand toward the table. “Shall we?”
He pulled out the chair closest to the door for her. It didn’t surprise her that he wouldn’t want his back to the door. It was a habit of his she’d picked up on long ago.
“Thanks,” she smiled and sat down.
Jake removed the items from the bags. He set the bowl of soup, a plastic spoon, and some napkins in front of her before taking his own seat. Olivia watched as he unwrapped a deliciously greasy cheeseburger.
She removed the plastic lid from her bowl. Steam billowed upwards, carrying with it a mouthwatering aroma. You couldn’t go wrong with chicken noodle. “Your team seems great.”
“Yeah, they’re solid.” Jake eyed their food and grimaced. “We’ll have a better meal when we get back home.”
“Are you kidding? This looks wonderful.”
Olivia could feel him watching her as she sipped the first spoonful. An explosion of flavor erupted on her tongue. In reality, it probably was no better than a can of condensed soup, but after practically starving for weeks, it tasted like heaven. She moaned in appreciation.
“Good?” he asked.
She wiped some broth from her chin. “Delicious.”
He smiled wide, his whole face lighting up. Damn, the man was gorgeous.
They continued to eat with little conversation. Olivia only ate half her soup, for fear she’d overdo it and make herself sick. Jake, on the other hand, had absolutely no problem finishing off all of his food.
Against his objections, Olivia insisted on cleaning up the mess. Giving in, he excused himself to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Once he was out, she went into do the same.
After, she changed into the nightgown. This time, when she saw her reflection, she smiled. If it weren’t for the bruises, she’d actually look halfway decent. Butterflies began dancing in her stomach as she wondered what Jake would think.
