She loosened her hold on his fingers at the pained sound, heart clenching a little because she was still hurting him. It felt as if everything she did hurt him. She held his good hand as gently as she could, very lightly caressing his knuckles with her thumb. When he asked her not to talk all the words she wanted to say sprang to her lips. I love you. I need you. Please forgive me. Please let me stay here forever. I love you and only you. But the least she could do was honor his request, so she just nodded silently, squeezing his good hand.

Her breath caught a little as he started to undress her, because even though this wasn't about desire it still felt novel to have him touch her and remove her clothes. She lifted her arms to make it easier for him to get her shirt off, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes drifted closed, body instinctively leaning back a little against him. The tenderness in his touch felt like so much more than she deserved right now, but she physically ached to have him close to her, to have his arms around her.