But the way he looked at me, the way he called me beautiful…it felt like devotion. A plea for me to see what he saw, to see past the layers of armor I wore like a second skin. He thought I was beautiful. Even after seeing my bitterness, my anger and fear and everything in between. It was…liberating, to be wanted so deeply, despite all of the reasons nobody had wanted me before. Because of those reasons. But more than that was the way he made me believe it could be true. The way he helped me see myself through his eyes. A woman who didn’t have to hide. A woman who could challenge others instead
...more
