hold the power to hurt me

Leo stood in front of Annie's locker, a sense of unease gnawing at his insides as he clutched the folded piece of paper in his trembling hands. The weight of guilt settled heavily on his shoulders, a constant reminder of the breach of trust he was about to commit.

He had made a promise to himself to stop taking and reading Annie's notes. With each passing day, their friendship had blossomed, and Leo found himself increasingly drawn to Annie's quiet strength and unwavering kindness. He knew he should respect her privacy, give her the space and time she needed to confide in him when she was ready.

But as he returned the last note he had taken, his eyes inadvertently drifted to the new one tucked neatly inside Annie's locker. A pang of curiosity gripped him, overriding his better judgment. He reached for the letter almost instinctively, his fingers trembling as he unfolded it with trembling hands.

Leo cursed under his breath, his resolve wavering as he wrestled with conflicting emotions. He knew he was betraying Annie's trust, violating the boundaries of their burgeoning friendship. But his impatience got the better of him, his need to understand Annie's inner turmoil outweighing his guilt.

Dear Annie,

It seems I'm walking a path I've known before,

Caught in the delicate web of emotions—

Wading deeper,

But always mindful of the sharp edges that can cut.

Once again, I'm allowing someone inside the guarded chambers of my heart,

Knowing the risks,

The beautiful but dangerous blend of joy and sorrow that comes with it.

I know the stakes:

The sweetness of love, the ache of heartache.

Yet here I am, stepping forward.

But this time, there's hope.

Hope that the fragile threads of trust I'm weaving won't unravel,

That this closeness won't dissolve into something painful.

With every step, I surrender a little more of myself,

Knowing full well that in doing so,

I give you the power to both heal and harm.

It's terrifying, this vulnerability,

But maybe it's also beautiful.

- Annie

Leo sat with furrowed brows, the weight of Annie's words heavy on his mind like a lingering fog. He traced the lines of her letter with trembling fingers, each word etched into his consciousness like a haunting melody.

What does she mean? Is she talking about me? Does she think I'm going to hurt her? Leo's thoughts spiralled in a whirlwind of uncertainty, his heart heavy with the weight of unanswered questions.

As Leo mulled over Annie's cryptic message, a tempest of conflicting emotions churned within him, each wave crashing against the shores of his consciousness with relentless force. Frustration and anger swirled together like a tumultuous storm, threatening to engulf him in their tumultuous wake.

The mere suggestion that Annie might fear him, might suspect him of harbouring intentions to inflict harm upon her, sent a jolt of disbelief coursing through Leo's veins. It was as if the very ground beneath him had shifted, casting doubt upon the foundations of his identity.

Every time he thought he was beginning to unravel the mystery of Annie's soul, he found himself confronted with new layers of complexity, new depths to explore. It was as if she were a labyrinth, intricate and unknowable, with hidden passages and winding corridors leading to the core of her being.

All Leo wanted was to understand her, to peel back the layers of her defenses and discover the truths buried beneath. He yearned to be the one to chase away the shadows that haunted her, to be the light that illuminated the darkness of her past.

"What's wrong?" Justin's voice broke through the haze of Leo's thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment.

Leo looked up, startled out of his reverie by Justin's concerned gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, a jumble of conflicting emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

"I'm not going to fucking hurt her," Leo blurted out before he could stop himself, the words tumbling out in a rush of frustration and despair.

Justin raised an eyebrow, giving Leo a knowing look. "What?"

Leo shook his head, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Sorry," he muttered, averting his gaze. "It's nothing."

But Justin wasn't about to let it go. He leaned in closer, his voice low and steady. "It's about the girl, isn't it?"

Leo nodded, his jaw clenched with unresolved tension. "Yeah," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Does she think you will? Hurt her," Justin pressed, his eyes searching Leo's troubled expression for answers.

Leo shrugged, a sense of helplessness washing over him like a tidal wave. "I don't know," he confessed, his voice tinged with frustration. "But it's what she's worried about."

Justin nodded slowly, his brow furrowed in concern. He may have been in the dark about Annie and the letters, but he sensed the weight of Leo's emotional burden.

"Well, if she's worried about that, have you considered that maybe she's just tired of getting hurt?" Justin offered, his voice tinged with empathy. "Sometimes, when you've been hurt so many times before, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that anyone who walks into your life will also hurt you."

Leo regarded Justin with narrowed eyes, a flicker of irritation dancing in their depths. "What?" Justin mumbled, taken aback by Leo's sudden hostility. "I can be real sometimes too, you know."

Leo let out a derisive scoff, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. "Sure," he muttered dismissively, his mind still consumed by thoughts of Annie.

But Justin wasn't deterred by Leo's defensiveness. He leaned in closer, his voice soft but firm. "Look, man, I don't know who the girl is or what the deal with her is," he began, his tone earnest. "But if you really care about her, show her. Show her you're not going anywhere, that you'll be here anytime she needs you."

Leo nodded in agreement, the weight of Justin's words sinking in like a stone in the depths of his soul. But as he considered how to heed his friend's advice, Leo couldn't shake the nagging feeling of uncertainty that lingered in the recesses of his mind.

Showing Annie that he cared was one thing, but finding the right way to do so was another matter entirely. Leo knew that actions spoke louder than words, but he couldn't help but feel lost in a sea of doubt and indecision.