He took off his bulletproof vest
to hug you better…
and you shot him anyway.

Few people understand
what that does to a man.

Men spend years building walls.

Years.

Learning not to trust.
Learning not to need anybody.
Learning to survive alone.

The one day, he met you.

And for the first time in a long time....
he put the weapons down.

He stopped expecting betrayal.
Stopped expecting abandonment.
Stopped expecting pain.

He looked at you and thought:

"Maybe I don't have to fight anymore."

That's what nobody understands.

The greatest gift a man gives a woman
isn't his money.

Isn't his attention.

Isn't his protection.

It's his trust.

Because trust means:

"I believe you won't hurt me
even though you have the power to."

Read that again.

You knew where he was weak.
You knew what haunted him.
You knew what broke him before.

You knew his fears.

His scars.

His insecurities.

You knew everyhting.

And that's why the betrayal hit differently.

The enemy didn't hurt him.
The stranger didn't hurt him.
The person he trusted did.

Now everybody says:

"Move on."
"Get over it."
"Heal."

As if they're talking about a breakup.

Brother… he's not grieving the relationship.

He's grieving the version of himself
that existed before it.

The version that believed people.
The version that loved fearlessly.
The version that trusted completely.

The version that thought
giving someone his heart
was a beautiful thing.

That man died.

Now he's colder.

Not because he wants revenge.

Not because he hates women.

Not because he's bitter.

He's just trying to make sure

nobody ever gets that close again.

Years later, you'll remember the man who
loved you with everything he had.

The man who trusted you completely.

The man who would've gone to war for you.

And you'll wonder where he went.

He didn't leave.

You burried him.

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art: Hilma aft Klint