Page 134 of Those Who Are Bound

He grinned. “Clearly, Miss Rork.”

She pushed her lips to the side. Okay, he’d said it twice now.

“I told you, we’re progressive.”

She tapped her chin and pushed her lips to the side. “Progressive with a two-thousand-year-old outline.”

“That it’s survived this long should say something.”

“People are desperate creatures.”

He studied her face. “Quite true.”

“And you’re taking advantage.”

He looked pained by the accusation, but he neither commented nor defended.

Their waitress returned with their beers. Elliott sipped hers, pleased that she had managed to order a citrus shandy.

After a decent swig of his own beer, Jonah set it down and said, tilting his head, “I need to come clean about something.”

Her jaw dropped. “Wait. The whole preacher thing wasn’t enough?Nowyou have a secret you need to reveal?”

His eyebrow rose. “I didn’t think it would be an issue. But, the canoe trip…?”

Elliott startled. She’d forgotten all about it. Honestly, when the “spokesman for the righteous” bombshell had been dropped on her, she shifted into survival mode: wrap up and get out. She was supposed to be ending this relationship, not continuing to lead him on.Not going on midday bike rides with him after a night of sex.

Because it led him to believe that they were fine, working through things.They weren’t, not in her head. But it was hard to break away, especially when he wasn’t cooperating. He was fighting for her, for them. Because he trusted her. He trusted that she would give him a fair shot, that she’d realize this shouldn’t be a big deal, when it was. He believed that because he believed in her, and if the situation had been reversed, he wouldn’t have been disappointed in her. He would have celebrated learning something new about her.

She was a shitty person. He was so much better off without her.

“Oh, that…” She made a face.

Jonah’s expression fell into one of understanding and stunned disappointment. “You aren’t going.”

Ugh, shehatedthat look on his face; it broke her heart. “I am.” The words came out so fast, she had no control over them, wanting to soothe the hurt she’d caused. “It’s not that. I… I didn’t think you’d still want me to go.” Okay, so she threw him a bit under the bus on that one, too. “But… I said I would go, so I’ll go.”

He looked skeptical. “You don’t want to go, though.”

“I forgot about it, to be honest.” She looked at him imploringly. “But there’s no way I’m going to desert you at the last minute and leave you at the mercy of Lucy.”

He didn’t look as though he believed her.

Lifting her hand, she made a gesture that he should keep talking. “Tell me what you need to confess. It’s a canoe trip. What can be that dramatic about it?”

Now he narrowed his eyes, gauging for a couple of seconds before he said carefully, “My friends… and they are my friends, but… the trip, it was arranged through the church.”

Elliott glared. She glanced around the outdoor space at the other patrons before returning her accusing gaze back to his. “You’re taking me on amissiontrip?!”

“What? No!” Now he looked like he was trying not to laugh at her. “Kitten—”

She glared harder.

“Kitten,” he emphasized, scowling back. “It’s a float trip with friends that was arranged through the church. It isn’t a mission trip. Do you know what a mission trip is?”

No. With a slight pout, she answered, “Missionaries on a trip.”

His lips twitched. “We aren’t missionaries.”

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