But for Now, We’ll Stay Facebook Friends: A Story of Almost-Love

 There’s a certain kind of heartbreak that doesn’t come with slamming doors or loud goodbyes. It’s the kind that lingers in the silence between unread messages, the quiet ache of waiting for something that might never return.

I never thought I’d write about you. Never thought that out of all people, you'd be the one to make me feel this way. You were my first in everything—my first love, my first heartbreak, the first man my family knew, and the first person who made me question where friendship ends and love begins.

I tried to guard my heart, to convince myself that we were just friends. I told myself that you were simply kind to everyone, that the way we talked, laughed, and shared secrets meant nothing. But deep inside, I knew. The way we looked at each other, the late-night conversations, the unspoken words—they all told a different story.

There were so many moments when I wanted to ask: What are we? But fear kept me silent. Fear of losing what we had. Fear that if we spoke the truth, it would all come crashing down. So we continued as an almost—an ex-maybe, an unfinished chapter in a book no one dared to finish.

And then, you left. Just like I knew you would. You moved on, or at least, it seemed like you did. And I was left here, tracing the memories we built in places that once felt like ours. The store where we had merienda, the gate where you used to wait for me, the little things you gave me—all of them remind me of you.

I prayed. I cried. I begged God for answers. Was I meant to help you, or were you meant to teach me something? Then, one morning, at 5:24 AM, your voice messages came. You were drunk, vulnerable, and honest. You told me I had a special place in your heart. You confessed what I already knew but never had the courage to say out loud.

Yet, the next day, you were gone again—just like before.

I still wonder if I ever cross your mind the way you do mine. If you ever pause before opening my chat, debating whether to say something. If you miss me, even just a little.

But for now, we’ll stay Facebook friends. And I’ll stay here, waiting for a goodbye that was never said.