MY MOUTH HAD BEEN OPEN ALREADY, but when I saw Alex, it dropped to the floor.
He glanced around the room, scanning it, until he found me. A relieved smile spread across his face, and he hurried toward me. Before I could collect my thoughts, he put his arms around me and hugged me.
It had been years since anyone had hugged me, and the moment was over way too fast for my liking. It felt weird, and all the places where he’d touched me seemed to burst out in flames from his touch, but it was over too soon. Alex held me at arm’s length then, and looked at me from head to toe, as if checking I wasn’t missing a limb. Then he pulled me into him again, wrapping his arms around me. It felt so right, so warm and safe to be in his arms that I couldn’t wait to get out, and started struggling. Warm an
