Jonah raises an eyebrow, but there's a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I have two working arms, Lila. Statistically speaking, I have the advantage.”
“Low blow, Jonah. Low blow.”
“Am I incorrect in my assessment?” He keeps his eyes on the road, but the corner of his mouth climbs just enough to be insufferable. I shake my head and turn toward the window before he can see me smile.
“What else did Emily say?”
Jonah hesitates just long enough to make me suspicious. I narrow my eyes, studying his profile. His jaw is doing that thing it does when he's thinking too hard about something—a little flex, a little clench, like he's chewing on words he doesn't want to spit out.
“Jonah.
He keeps his eyes on the road.
“What?”
“What else did she say?”
“Nothing, really. She just wanted details about the injury, I gave them, she?—”
“Try again.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. His thumb does one slow drag across the top of the steering wheel.
“Lila, it was a phone call. A very normal, reasonable phone call between me and your sister about your medical status.”
I watch him. The way he's holding his shoulders. The careful, neutral set of his mouth that he's working a little too hard to maintain.
“You look like the cat that ate the canary,” I say. “What else did my sister say?”
The tips of his ears go pink.
“She asked if I was your boyfriend.”
“And what,” I ask carefully, “did you tell her?”
He blinks at the road like it personally offended him.
“I may have told her I was the person responsible for your care and safety,” he says, his voice climbing into a higher register.
“Okay, that's not so bad. That's technically true right now.”
“Oh, and that we’re married.”
I turn so fast in the seat my shoulder immediately protests.
“Um, what?” I stare at him.
A spark of mischief dances in his eyes, and a cocky smirk stretches across his lips. He leans back, clearly relishing my shocked reaction. Is he really teasing me?
“You’re really hanging onto that fake marriage thing, huh?”
A faint smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll admit it did sting a little when you called me your boyfriend last night. Downgrading me so quickly after I saved your life. Ouch.”
I stare at him for half a second before a laugh escapes me. “Oh my God. Are you actually offended I demoted you from fake husband to fake boyfriend?”
“I’m just saying,” Jonah replies with suspicious seriousness, “the relationship regression felt abrupt.”
“Next time it happens, I’ll be sure to tell you in advance.”
