Gratitude welled inside me, making me lean forward in a rush to kiss him. God, I wanted him so much. I didn’t know why he wanted me back, and it felt pathetic to be grateful for it, but I was. I was so grateful for how he’d carefully edged me out of the thick, angry shell I’d built up around myself. I’d been convinced I’d be alone forever, never getting to experience any kind of intimacy like this.
