Elias pulled his hand away fast, leaving me aching and empty. I yanked my sweater down and pressed my back harder against the shelf, trying to steady my breathing. My heart hammered like it wanted out of my chest.
“Stay right there, Lila,” he whispered. His voice was low, tense. I heard him move carefully through the dark, footsteps quiet on the tile.
Another crash echoed from somewhere deeper in the stacks. Like something knocking over a small pile of books. I held my breath. Elias stopped moving.
Then came a soft scurrying sound. Tiny claws on the floor. Relief hit me so hard I almost laughed.
“It’s just a rat,” Elias said after a moment. “Or maybe a raccoon that got in through the vents. The campus has had problems with them before.”
“Thank god,” I breathed. “I thought we were bust
