I’ve always believed it’s better to risk rejection than spend a lifetime wondering, “What if?” That’s why I’ve never been afraid to tell someone I love them, even if it meant losing them. But not with you. You are the one person I’m too afraid to lose. I’d rather carry a love you’ll never know than wake up to a life where you’re no longer in it. So I keep my heart quiet. It hurts to love you in silence, pretending everything is the same while every moment beside you means more to me than you’ll ever realize. I never meant for this to happen. Somewhere between the ordinary conversations, the laughter, and simply being around you, I fell in love. I thought distance would make it easier. Instead, it only made me miss you more. It only convinced me that what I feel is real. Maybe one day these feelings will gently fade. I hope they do, because loving you this way is both the sweetest thing I’ve ever felt and the most painful thing I’ve ever had to keep to myself. Until then, I’ll quietly love you from where I am, grateful that you’re in my life—even if that’s the closest I’ll ever get.