When they got to Arizona, only a few people decided to go horseback riding. Meredith hadn't been on a horse in years but she went along with Miriam, Ava, David and a few more people from the team – and Elijah.

After the humiliating encounters Sosie had been putting her through, she felt more than a little relieved when the woman stayed behind, saying she disliked horses.

As they rode uphill, she took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air for the first time in a long time.

Meredith felt like she was back on vacation as she looked at the green fields. It was a refreshing view since all she had seen these past weeks were skyscrapers and endless highways.

When she got to a split path with several directions to choose from, Meredith selected the one that seemed to lead to the woods, nudging her horse. She didn’t know Elijah followed her as the others went down other paths.

Closing her eyes, she relaxed, feeling the summer breeze touching her face. She felt so good she wished she could stay like that forever.

“So, you’ve been horseback riding before?” she heard Elijah’s familiar voice ask from behind her. She maneuvered the ropes and nudged her horse with her feet to make it turn in his direction.

She looked around to see if anyone else was with them.

But there was no one else.

They were alone together – again.

“Just a few times,” she answered with a shrug. “When I was in high school, my dad usually took me and my sister for lessons whenever he had the time.”

“You must have been so happy,” he said softly, the words barely escaping his mouth.

She frowned.

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Money's never been an issue for you. What it’s like to lead such a life?” he asked, which made her chuckle a little.

She knew that's what they all thought. That just because she was born rich, she was happy. But that was far from reality.

All of her family's wealth couldn't buy them happiness.

It had been obvious to Meredith since she was a little girl that her parents weren't in love with each other. Their relationship was one of convenience and companionship. If they loved each other, it was only because they'd been together for more than two decades.

“I don't think there's a way to answer that question. All I know is that I'm thankful for the life I've been able to lead,” she stated plainly, hoping she didn't sound like she was boasting.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they rode beside a stream, stopping occasionally to let their horses drink and graze. She thought she'd ask him about his personal life as well.

“What about you? It's not like you're hurting for money these days,” she said.

Elijah smirked.

“I joined the military for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being that they'd pay for college. After I got out, I worked as a military contractor. And then I became politically active, and the rest is history, or at least I'm hoping it'll be,” he said with a grin. She sensed he was holding something back though.

“What was the main reason you joined the Navy?” she asked out of curiosity.

He fell silent, his eyes looking at the far horizon.

“I lost several of my friends during 9/11, and I couldn't just do nothing,” he murmured.

She was speechless. She couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for him. Her heart went out to him.

When Elijah noticed her silence, he prodded his horse, cantering off to the end of the stream where an old tree stood strong. He got off his horse to let it drink and she followed him, doing the same thing.

But being the clumsy girl that she was, she lost her balance as she tried to remove her feet from the saddle. She closed her eyes when she realized she was falling, uttering a silent prayer that she wouldn’t get heavily injured.

They were almost halfway through the campaign, and she couldn’t afford to back out at a time like this. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to enjoy the pressures of her job.

Meredith held her breath as she waited for her body to land on the hard ground. But she landed on something else. When she opened her eyes, she met Elijah’s gaze, looking down at her with a concerned expression.

He'd caught her.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

She nodded in response, feeling like a thorn was stuck in her throat. Her eyes continued to look deep into his grey ones, where she found herself at peace. And the warmth coming from his embrace made her feel like she was at home.

She held her breath when his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

When Elijah leaned in, she closed her eyes as their lips touched. It was a tender kiss – slow, soft and not at all demanding. They were taking their time, enjoying each other, as if they had all the time in the world.

Meredith felt lightheaded when he deepened the kiss, his tongue probing her mouth. And she obliged, letting their tongues dance together.

She moaned sexily, wanting far more than just a kiss.

But Elijah pulled away. He looked dazed as he helped her get back on her feet.

“I can’t do this,” he mumbled helplessly.

“I know,” she said and nodded. She understood his point, and she knew all too well it would be impossible.

Feeling ashamed of herself, she got back on her horse and made sure everything was fine. She nudged the stallion to turn about when Elijah spoke.

“I’m so sorry, Meredith. If it wasn’t for the election… Maybe…” he muttered softly.

Without a word, she maneuvered her horse and let it run back to the path they took earlier.

Maybe… Just maybe…