you and i both know
how it happened

how it slowly unfolded

you knew i stared at you

you knew i liked talking to you

you knew that if you needed something
i would give it to you
even if it left me with nothing

you knew it hurt
to hear you speak about someone else

and you still did

you knew my insecurities
my doubts
my quiet fractures

you knew that if i did not see you
my eyes would search for you
restlessly
until they met yours

and only then
would the worry loosen its grip

just seeing you
was enough to change my entire day

the way you stood there
that smile
you always tried to hide

as if your joy needed permission

you knew that hearing you say my name
in that playful tone
felt like electricity

you knew that when our eyes met
my heart stumbled
my breath forgot its rhythm

you knew i could recognize your voice
in a crowd
without even looking

you knew that if you called
i would come

not because i had to
but because i wanted to

you knew i texted
that i wrote about you
that i tried to understand you

to know you beyond the surface

you knew i worried
every time your eyes darkened
with thoughts you never shared

you knew that if you ignored me
something hollow would open

you knew that if you walked away
something in me would fracture

you knew that simply being you
was enough for me

you knew

you knew perfectly

and still

you chose distance

because you also knew

that if you rejected me
something in me would die

and yes

that is exactly how it happened

in the end

i do not know
if you ever really knew me

or who i am

maybe

the only person who truly knew

was me

and in the end

what i know

with certainty

is that i liked you

and maybe

just maybe

somewhere inside

i still do