“I wanted to check on you.”
“You could’ve come during daylight hours like a normal person.” Then again, I was thankful I’d had no visitors today. Even Mom had stayed away, which meant I’d been able to spend all afternoon in bed.
She plucked at my blankets. “I-I didn’t want to come too soon. Thought it might be best if I let your temper cool.”
I rubbed my face, shoving away the last tendrils of sleep. Not that my brain was much help at the moment. According to the doctor, I had a fairly severe concussion. He’d put me on anti-inflammatories with strict instructions to rest. He said I couldn’t even think as thinking was an activity.
He obviously didn’t know what running a farm entailed.
But I didn’t need to think to know why Hope avoided me. I also knew I’d been rough with her, dragging her from the hospital and trying to kill her with a single stare.
I owed her another apology, but at the same time, she owed me.
As if she heard my thoughts, she blurted, “I’m so sorry for discussing your father with those busybodies. I shouldn’t have gotten upset, but they were talking about you and saying such silly things that I couldn’t stop myself.” She shrugged shyly. “I thought I was defending you, but I know it could’ve looked like I was meddling.”
Damn.
I never had a chance at staying pissed when a sincere apology was given. Regret glossed her eyes as nervousness that she’d severely upset me etched her face. She might be wearing pyjamas, but she hadn’t been to sleep yet, and the thought of her tossing and turning, worried about my reaction…well, it stole the final threads of my rage and made me sag into the pillows.
“I’m sorry, too.”
She rubbed her arm where I’d grabbed her, smiling softly. “It’s fine.”
Sitting up with a hiss, I reached for her bicep. “Did I hurt you?”
She froze, pulling back a bit. “No, don’t be—”
“I did. I hurt you.” Running a fingertip over the pink and white cotton, I wished her arm was visible to assess how badly I’d screwed up. She winced a little as I put pressure on where my fingers had been.
I’d bruised her.
Shit.
Leaning back, I groaned. I’d done so many things wrong lately. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“It just…it gets to me when I hear people talk about him, you know?”
“I’m the same. When the paparazzi spread lies about my mother’s death, I get super possessive and want to take their cameras and notepads and shove them down their throats.”
I half-smiled. “Violent little creature.”
“When those I love are threatened, yes, definitely.”
My heart stopped beating. “Yet, I’m not someone you love, so why defend me?”
Her cheeks glowed an interesting peach before she dropped her gaze and found my navy blanket fascinating. “Because I have a feeling you’ve had to put up with that sort of nonsense for a while, and I know how draining it can be.”
“This isn’t Hollywood, Hope. I don’t have rumours spread daily about me like you actors do.”
“No, you have it worse.”
I cocked my head. “How do you figure? I don’t see my name on a magazine cover with a made-up scandal just to sell copies. They’re vicious in your world.”
“Yeah, but those close to us—those who truly matter—know it’s all just lies. We know the truth, so we don’t care what others say.” She looked at me, her gaze going far deeper than I wanted. “You, on the other hand, know the people whispering behind your back. A small town should be supportive of its own—not treat you as gossip.”
I feigned disinterest. “Nothing new. Even while my dad was alive, they talked about me.”
“Because they think you’re a product of incest?”
Everything inside me stilled. My voice turned short and sharp. “I just remembered you know far too much about my family thanks to that god-awful movie.”
I expected her to argue, to assure me that she didn’t know everything. Instead, she nodded, her face apologetic. “You’re right. I do know more than I should.”
Our eyes tangled together.
That awful pressure in my chest returned, whispering lies that I could handle one touch, one kiss, one dose of connection.
Tearing my attention away, I cleared my throat. “Yeah, well, I don’t like it.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “Not much I can do about it, though.”
The sadness in her tone irritated me. I didn’t have the patience to deal with her or myself tonight. “Look, I need to rest.”
“What did the doctor say about your injuries?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
She laughed under her breath. “Yeah, right.”
“Don’t push me, Hope. It’s late. I’m tired. Go back to my mother’s house.”
She fell silent, her gaze dancing around my bedroom. I waited for the questions of why I slept in a glass box, but she nibbled on her bottom lip. “You moved up here so young. Della still really misses you, you know.”