He always admired Jessamine’s quick wit, sharp tongue, and the way she was unafraid to speak her mind, but Elijah had not been on the receiving side of her ire in quite a long time and it was difficult to get used to. Where was all this even coming from, anyway? She was the one who asked him to write to her, she was the one who came to the shop by herself without a chaperone, she was the one who kissed him for the first time before he even had time to think. But suddenly he was the one getting told off like he made her break some rules? “Fine, whatever, do what you want. You always do,” he shot back - it was weak, he knew, and not really an argument so much as him just giving in to her argument with nothing but a cheap shot. Elijah never had his father’s rough edges and biting commentary - he was far more naturally soft and sweet like his mother.

Once again, he was being yelled at for doing something he never really did in the first place - fine, yes, he did ask just now if Francesca could leave, but she was the one who made herself comfortable in his presence unchaperoned in the first place. If they weren’t outside right now, he may have called her out for them being alone together never stopping her before but he was really trying his best not to be ungentlemanly about it, even if she was the one starting things. His stomach dropped when she came out and said it - she was breaking up with him. Perhaps he should’ve seen that coming - he had never been good enough for her and he knew that. But it still hurt to hear and on top of everything else, “Are you ashamed of me, Minnie?”