To My former best friend
You Told the One Thing I Asked You to Keep
I trusted you with the one story I could barely say out loud.
You held my hand while I told you. You promised it would stay between us. Two weeks later, people who had no right to know were looking at me differently.
You said you only told one person because you needed advice. That person told another. By the time it reached me, my private pain had become a rumor.
I do not think you meant to destroy our friendship. That is what makes it harder. You were careless with something I had handed you carefully.
I miss you. I miss our long drives and voice messages and the way you could make any terrible day funny. But missing someone does not rebuild trust.
I hope you have learned that being trusted is not the same as being entitled to share.
I am keeping my distance because I finally understand that love without safety is not enough.
You held my hand while I told you. You promised it would stay between us. Two weeks later, people who had no right to know were looking at me differently.
You said you only told one person because you needed advice. That person told another. By the time it reached me, my private pain had become a rumor.
I do not think you meant to destroy our friendship. That is what makes it harder. You were careless with something I had handed you carefully.
I miss you. I miss our long drives and voice messages and the way you could make any terrible day funny. But missing someone does not rebuild trust.
I hope you have learned that being trusted is not the same as being entitled to share.
I am keeping my distance because I finally understand that love without safety is not enough.
