The brief acknowledgement had honestly been all Elliot had been hoping for, but it would've been a lie to say he wouldn't have been pleased with her company. The hour had been fairly late when they'd arrived, dinner and preparations for bed taking precedence over making the handful of newcomers feel welcome. There would be time enough tomorrow to mingle with the other survivors, but tonight, he was simply too tired and heartsick to make the effort.
Elliot's gaze followed Rae as she took to the stairs. Two bottles were tucked in her arm, their contents too murky to be water. Curiosity mingled with the slightest hope that she'd been looking for him. When she appeared at one of the many doors that lead to the balcony, Elliot gave her a crooked grin.
He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "I let myself get swallowed by the crowd," he replied with a glimmer of his usual humor. "There are a lot more people here than there were at the church. Easy to lose track of one person."
Elliot had never been one to rest his problems on another person's shoulders. Even his family had to coax him to share from time to time. He pushed aside those sad memories with another small smile. "Still adjusting to the new surroundings," he answered, which was half true. "I think I might be too tired to be tired," he added with a chuckle.
"What about you? Not tired? Or is it your job to stay up all night?"