Page 63 of Those Who Are Bound

“You aren’t failing, you’re learning. Failing would be to walk away.” He leaned forward, pressing her closer to the wall with his body, taking her hand and reaching toward a purple protrusion. “Purple. Remember purple. Those are yours.” He gently guided her other hand to another purple grip.

“If mine are purple, what color are yours?” she asked as he moved back.

“The 5.14, and I’m not telling you the color.” There was humor in his voice.

“What does 5.14 mean?”

“Expert.”

She mumbled, “Of course.” Looking down, she placed her foot on a purple foot hold and pulled herself up.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid,” he reminded her.

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” she responded as she placed her other foot higher, pushing off the foothold to boost herself up to another purple handhold.

Jonah stepped farther back as she lifted herself even higher. “You can teach me how to box.”

She kept going, remarking, “To find out that you are some sort of secret MMA fighter?”

He laughed. “I’m not, I promise you.”

“Are you looking at my ass?” she asked as she lifted even higher, trying not to be impressed with herself on the larger hand and foot holds. She was either getting the hang of it or the conversation was distracting her from overthinking.

“Absolutely, I am looking at your ass. And your form.” There was a smile in his voice. “But no worries about being an MMA fighter. I sell the gear, but I don’t have the first clue about it.”

“Too violent for you?” she asked, testing a foot hold before committing to it.

“I gravitated toward outdoor sports. Although the thought of hitting someone for sport doesn’t sound fun. I’d never hit you, so don’t ask me to.”

Elliott gave a small shake of her head. “I don’t spar; I hit the bag. That’s not to say I wouldn’t defend myself if I needed to.”

“I think I remember a moment like that.”

“If you don’t want to do it, then it’s not something you need to do, not for me,” Elliott assured him.

“Do you think I’m making you do this for me?”

“What?” she asked, stilling, pulling herself into the wall. “No, that’s not what I meant. Boxing isn’t… it’s for me, and it isn’t something for everyone. I get that. Just… don’t do it for me. I’m not doing this for you.” She let out a small laugh. “Well, I am a little, but I want to.”

“Rest with your arms extended; remember, keep your arms straight,” he coached. Then he responded, “Would you tell me if you didn’t want to?”

Elliott considered the question as she moved her hand to another grip. “Probably. There hasn’t been anything yet I haven’t wanted to do. But then again, isn’t all this about testing me out, trying to see if I fit into your world before you go all in?”

“What’s your definition of ‘all in’?”

Elliott paused and looked around. Not answering, she pointed out, “I’m halfway up the wall.”

“You are.”

She looked up. “There’s a platform up there?”

“Yes,” Jonah assured her.

“Do you think I can make it?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“And that’s up.” So she kept going, leaving him to his thoughts and view of her ascending backside. She didn’t know if his silence was because he was impressed or because he was waiting for her to fall.

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