Page 172 of Those Who Are Bound

Elliott shifted her attention to her. “I’m sore everywhere.”

“The soreness will get worse before it gets better,” Jonah informed her.

Her only response to hearing him was a cold flick of acknowledgment before looking at Lucy again. “I have bruises almost everywhere, a concussion, a broken ankle, as you can see… but…” She teared up, and she swallowed a few times, turning her head away.

Jonah straightened against the wall. He wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her.

“Overall, I’m okay,” she finished, her voice tense. “I just want to go home now.” She shifted on the table and winced. Jonah started forward, but she held up a hand. “I’m fine. I’ve got it.”

Stubborn woman. He approached her anyway. “You have a broken leg. What are you going to do, walk out of here?”

Her look was resentful. He didn’t understand it, her overwhelming animosity toward him. But he ignored it.

Begrudgingly, she gestured to the corner. “I’m supposed to take that.”

They all looked. It was a knee scooter, complete with a little bag in front.

“But I think it’s protocol for them to take me out in a wheelchair. I need to let someone know I’m leaving,” she said. But she looked at Lucy.

“I’ll do that,” Lucy volunteered, looking eager to be out of the room.

Before she could take a step, though, Elliott tilted her head and looked at him, curious. She asked, “Did you pray for me?”

“You know I did. I haven’t stopped.” He caressed her left arm. It was true.

Lucy’s expression was hopeful.

“Well, you have to know I’m wondering if this is what you prayed for, then. Or are you going to tell me that your god works in mysterious ways? There’s a reason for everything, right? I wonder what Josh’s family will think about that.”

Lucy gasped.

Jonah wanted to shake her; it was the wrong reaction. She was looking for a fight, and he wasn’t going to let her drag him into one. He kept his expression implacable. The atmosphere in the room thickened again.

Without looking over at Lucy, he said quietly, “I’ll talk to you later, Luce.” To Elliott, whose expression was wary and defensive, he said, “I’m not here to defend or argue. You matter to me.”

Reaching out, he lightly grasped her by the back of her neck, mindful of her injuries. Leaning in, he got in her face. “You don’t want me here, so I’m going. But I would never pray for you to come to harm, or for your pain. Or anyone else’s. You know that.” He kissed her forehead and ducked to whisper in her ear. “My fucking world stopped when I thought it was you.”

When he stood up, her expression was frozen. At least he could leave her stunned.

He turned and walked out the door.

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