had reached out to hold his hand. she had surprised him by doing that and he had surprised himself by letting her.
more than that, he was surprised that he had finished the pizza without the thoughts about his father crossing his mind.
back in the room he placed the envelope on the desk and slid into bed. he stared at the ceiling, thinking about the girl. the way her hand felt – soft and warm against his skin. he thought about the way her mere presence pushed away the negative thoughts. he wanted to spend more time with her.
he climbed out of bed and walked out of the room. he reached 