I hated him.

I hated him. 
He was extremely boastful and egotistical. 
And I was a loner who refused to be associated with anybody that possessed such traits. 
Until he noticed me. 
And I resisted. 
But he was persistent and patient — to the point where he was willing to peel a thousand layers in order to understand why I am the way I am. 
And eventually, I gave in. 
Slowly but surely, he became my silver lining during a time of complete isolation and loneliness. 
In a world full of people who would have been easier to get along with, he chose me to invest his time in. 
That was 8 years ago. 
And now, 
I hate that I love him for all of it. 
For the time, the energy and the love. 
Back then, I didn’t know that hating him would lead me here. 
And I don’t regret any of it.