Page 157 of Rite of Unity

It was easier to be angry at him.

I laced my fingers together, squeezing.

“I hope you’re hungry.”

I glanced at Elias.“Yes.”

His lips drooped.

I turned back to the window, eyes blurring, the world flying by outside.I should be trying harder to engage.This was our public date.If the nation didn’t love me, I was done.

But the cameras weren’t on us yet.

My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror at the car behind us crammed with Paul’s entire film crew.

“Maryn.”

I turned, eyes locking with Elias’s.“Yes?”

“What happened to you is unforgivable.I’ve talked to my father and security.None of the women in my Rite will be questioned under such conditions again.”His brows drew together.“But I had hoped…”

Something tightened in my chest.

“I owe you a debt,” I said to his unspoken words.“I don’t know what would have happened if—”

“You owe me nothing.”His words were sharp, and his teeth ground together.“What I mean is, it wasn’t your fault.”He ran a hand over the steering wheel.“I shouldn’t have taken you to that place.”He shook his head.“I don’t know what I was thinking.”

His hand left the wheel, wrapping over mine and tugging my fingers apart.

“Did you know that marriage vows once required both parties to repeat an oath?”He glanced at me.“For better or worse.”

I raised a brow, my fingers tightening around his.“What?”

“That’s what they promised each other.”

“I don’t—”

“It means whether you’re having a good day or a bad; whether your partner is an idiot and doesn’t think before he acts.”He grinned, and the tightness in my chest eased.

“Did you just admit to being an idiot?”

His smile widened.“I wanted to let you in, to share some of my world with you, but my job is to protect you from the harshness of life, not to expose you to it.”

I forced myself to nod.

He tugged my hand out of my lap, pulling it up to his mouth and pressed his lips to it.“It was selfish of me.Forgive me?”

Our hands sank down, resting on his thigh.Heat burned my cheeks, but I didn’t pull away.I glanced up, noting the drones already buzzing behind us.Our break from the cameras was over.

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

Elias’s lips stretched wider, teeth gleaming.

We pulled up beside a dark building, a row of drones hovering overhead.He turned toward me, reaching for my other hand.I let him lace our fingers together, leaning closer.

Our eyes met, and for once, I didn’t look away.

He squeezed my fingers.“Ready?”