Page 30 of Ugly Truths (The Veiled Truths Trilogy #2)

He steps closer, the teasing light in his eyes giving way to a flicker of seriousness. “Alright then,” he mutters, his voice dropping an octave as his weight shifts forward. “Show me what you've got.”

Before I can blink, he's coming at me again. I lunge to meet him and gain ground by hooking his leg and shifting my weight to drive into him. His grip falters and I slip into position, my heart pounding as I move to trap his arm.

My lips curl into a smile just as Jeff’s low chuckle reverberates in my ear. His hand snaps to my wrist mid-movement, twisting just enough to throw me off balance.

“Close,” he murmurs, his tone half-praising, half-mocking, “but not close enough.”

In one smooth motion, he sweeps my legs out and redirects my momentum, slamming me onto my back again. The mat slaps against my shoulder blades, and the ceiling suddenly spins.

I groan. “You’re such a show-off.”

Jeff only gives me a moment of reprieve before he’s extending a helping hand. “You’re the one who called me old. What’ d you expect?”

He hauls me to my feet. My legs are shaky, but a grin tugs at my lips despite it. I spit out my mouthguard into my hand, and Jeff mimics my action just as his eyes land on the scar peeking out from under my rash guard.

“Those are still fading pretty well,” he comments, nodding toward the burn.

I run my fingers over the raised skin. “They are,” I say simply, before shifting the focus. “How’s Lauren?” I ask, moving for the water bottle I left on the edge of the mat.

He follows me away from Cillian and Nat instead of demanding we continue. Usually, Jeff is relentless. Though he’d never admit it, he definitely has an even softer spot for me now after seeing what my body went through a few months ago.

“Working like a dog, but what else is new,” he jokes, grabbing his own water bottle and squirting a stream into his mouth.

I lean against the wall, the coolness of it seeping through my overheated skin. “Does she still like the hospital she transferred to?” I ask. We spent a lot of time talking over those few weeks, with Lauren handling my care and taking far too much of her newly instated PTO to do so.

“Yeah,” he says, capping his bottle and sitting down on the mat in front of me. “They’re impressed with how she’s managing the department. Barely has time to breathe, but she’s happy.”

“That’s great,” I grin. “She deserves it.”

Jeff smiles back, leaning back on his hands. “She told me to make sure you don’t push yourself too hard.” His eyes narrow teasingly. “So don’t go pulling any more hero stunts.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes as I take a sip of water. “I’ve learned my lesson. No more hero stunts.”

He raises a brow, unconvinced. “Uh-huh.”

Jeff’s eyes linger on me for a moment, his expression shifting, though it’s hard to read. “So,” he starts, his voice low, careful. “How’s it been? You doing okay? ”

I consider brushing it off with a generic response, but this is Jeff. He’s one of the few people I trust, and I know he won’t let it go until I give him something.

My eyes skirt across the room to a distracted Natalie and Cillian. “I’m good,” I say finally, fiddling with the cap of my water bottle. “We're still getting some stuff sorted so I can go out and be normal again, but that'll take some time.”

“Good,” he says with a nod before wrapping his arms around the tops of his knees. “You know, I wasn’t so sure about him,” he admits. “Silas, I mean. After that day he came looking for you at the gym.”

My brows knit together in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Jeff’s brows shoot up. “Maybe a couple of months ago, he showed up for an assessment under a fake name, asking questions about you. Wanted to know where you were.” He lets out a low whistle. “Honestly, I thought he was bad news. The kind of guy who might burn the world down just to prove a point.”

Silas planning a calculated visit to Jeff’s gym, demanding answers, doesn’t surprise me. If anything, it feels like exactly something he’d do. Still, hearing it out loud is… something else.

“I didn’t know he came looking for me,” I admit quietly.

Jeff shrugs, his lips quirking into a wry smile. “Didn’t stick around long, but the way he was—” he pauses, searching for the right words. “I was worried. You’d been through enough. The last thing you needed was someone dragging you into more chaos.”

The inside of my cheek stings as I bite into it. “He had a right to be angry with me.”

Jeff watches me closely, his gaze sharp but not unkind. “And now?”

I exhale slowly. “Things are better. He’s not the guy you saw that day. I'm safe with him."

“Safe is good,” he says after a beat. “I can live with safe. But if that ever changes…” His voice trails off.

I smile, shaking my head. “You’d be the first person I’d call. ”

“Damn right,” he nods, but there’s a softness to his tone now. “Still, keep your eyes open. Safe’s a good start, but don’t settle.”

A quiet warmth creeps in as Jeff holds my gaze, his emotions clear as day. My happiness matters to him. It always has.

“I won’t,” I promise, meaning it.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. The sounds of Cillian and Natalie’s quiet conversation are lost beneath the noise of the treadmill and the playlist she put on in the background.

As if suddenly aware of where we are, Jeff clears his throat and stands. “Alright, enough heart-to-hearts. Ready to get your ass kicked again, or do you need more time?”

I laugh, the tension easing as I push off the wall. “Bring it, old man.”

He grins. “That’s more like it.”