Dear ex-crush

You were so sweet and kind. You were one of the only people who treated me nicely, even though we weren’t friends. I had a crush on you for years. Then I sent you love letters. I poured my heart into them. You knew it was me, and you started dating someone else. Did you keep those notes? Or the portrait of you that your friend stole from me? Was I too creepy? Did you know that I’d fallen for you? That you were the only thing keeping me alive?

You chose someone else but I wasn’t surprised. I wouldn’t choose me either. I moved on, but hearing your name hurts. I still think about you. The first boy I loved. I feel like it’s not fair to my boyfriend to remember you. I know if I had to choose it’d be him, but I miss the innocence of loving you from a distance.

Sincerely,

Your not-so-secret ex-admirer.