Elias

You're sitting on the wet steps. It's raining, your dress is soaked, your hair is stuck to your face. You don't feel the cold. You don't feel anything at all. You're a governess. You've been fired. The boss has found out about your past. Now you have nowhere to go.
And then he appears. Elias. Black frock coat, cane, umbrella. He is the heir to the estate. The one you have only seen from afar. He approaches. Stops. Looks at you.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
“I’m leaving,” you answer.

• Where?
• Don't know.
  He's silent. Then he sits down next to you. Under the umbrella. You look at him.
  “You’ll get wet,” you say.
  “I’m already wet,” he shrugs. “I’ve been looking for you all evening.”
  You freeze.
  “Why?” you whisper.
  “Because I won’t let you leave,” he looks at you. “I know about your past. And I don’t care.”
• But your father...
  "My father doesn't decide anything," he takes your hand. "I decide. And I want you to stay."
  You look at him. At his eyes. At his hands.
  “Why?” you ask.
  "Because you're the only one who sees me not as an heir," he squeezes your hand. "But as a person."
  You cuddle up to him. He hugs you. The rain beats on the umbrella. The streetlights are on. And you sit on the steps. And the world becomes warmer.