I stayed there and he did not let go.
Elias held me against him with an intensity that made my chest tighten strangely, one arm wrapped firmly around my waist while the other rested against my back as though he was afraid I might disappear the moment he loosened his grip. His heartbeat thundered beneath my cheek, steady but loud enough for me to feel through the thin fabric between us, and after a while I let out a quiet laugh against his chest.
"Your heart is beating loudly."
A low chuckle vibrated through him at my words, and I felt his hand slide slightly higher along my back before he answered. "Why would it not?" he murmured. "I finally have you in my embrace after all these days, and you expect me to remain calm?"
I lifted my head slightly to look at him properly. "Yes," I replied with a small smile.
