I used to think heartbreak was exaggerated in movies. Made to look impressive instead of unbearable. Crying in the rain. Screaming into pillows. Long speeches and neat conclusions.
I never imagined it would be this quiet.
It looks more like waking up every morning already tired, like carrying something heavy in your chest that never quite moves no matter how you shift. You know what’s wrong, but there’s nothing you can do about it.
I was sixteen. That alone felt unfair.
I had always assumed, if it had to happen at all, that it would be later. When I was older. When I had words for it. When I knew how to survive things like this without unraveling.
But it didn’t wait for me to be ready. After that day, I didn’t see Ryan again. Not once.
I sent messages I knew he saw. I called even whe
