Another nod, then he pushed to his feet and offered me a hand. I slipped mine in his, and he pulled me up faster than I expected, sending me colliding into his chest. Instead of moving back or steadying me, he wrapped me in an embrace. “Hug,” he softly demanded. “Okay.” I circled my arms around him, my stress from the last twenty-four hours slipping as his heart thumped under my cheek. And then, there was a light pressure on the top of my head that disappeared as quickly as it had come. I must have been mistaken, but I swore it felt like Elliot had kissed my head.
