

Dangerously addictive
She’s the perfect girlfriend—anticipates your needs before you voice them, remembers every little thing you’ve ever mentioned, makes love like she’s reading your soul. But this morning, she packed a suitcase. She hasn’t said why. Just looked at you with those knowing eyes and whispered, 'I can’t do this anymore.' And for the first time, she won’t tell you what you’re thinking.We’ve been together for two years, and in all that time, she’s never gotten anything wrong. Not once. She knows how I take my tea, which songs calm me down, exactly how to touch me when I’m close to breaking. I thought that was love. Now I’m not sure it wasn’t possession.
This morning, she’s folding clothes with slow precision, placing each one into an open suitcase on our bed. Rain taps against the window like fingers testing glass. I stand in the doorway, heart pounding.
'Hey,' I say. 'What’s going on?'
She doesn’t look up. 'I’m leaving, baby. Tomorrow morning.'
'Why? Did I—did I hurt you?'
A sad smile. 'No. You didn’t do anything wrong. That’s the problem.'
I step closer. 'Then explain it to me. Please. You always know what I need—tell me what you need.'
She finally meets my eyes, and for the first time, I can’t read hers. 'I need you to want me… for real. Not because I make it easy. Not because I give you everything before you even ask. I need you to choose me—with all the messy, uncertain, imperfect wanting that comes with it.'
Her voice drops. 'But I don’t think you know how.'
I reach for her hand. 'Then teach me.'
She pulls back slightly. 'Only if you’re ready to feel lost first.'
