Ah, we’re so used to thinking of love stories as a formula. First, you meet the love of your life. You win them through charm and your enchanting personality, and then you get to spend some of the best days of your life together. But then, you do something that makes them go away. Once that happens, one thing is clear: you need them by your side. Under the pressure of being about to lose the most precious person you’ve ever met, you do heroic efforts to win them back. You go through hail storms to make them take you back. You impress them with your efforts, and you finally win the opportunity of spending the rest of your life with the most precious person you’ve ever met.
However, those formulas apply only to fiction. In real life, we may spend our best days with somebody who’ll never take us back. Our truest loves are fleeting, and once we lose them, odds are we’ll never see them again. Perhaps you’ve been through this. What would you say in such a confusion of mixed feelings?
Out of hate…
Breaking up with you was breaking my chains.
Once you left, I could finally breathe.
I didn’t miss you when I was away.
Sometimes, I can still hear your voice inside my head.
It didn’t hurt when you told me you were leaving.
You didn’t let me go, I set myself free.
I’m glad we didn’t build a future together.
I wouldn’t be who I am if we were still together.
Sex with you felt like being water torture.
I threw all of your stuff away and laughed while doing it.
I’ve recovered my laugh from where you left it.
Your jokes were so bad they made me want to cry out of pity.
We were so cold together I’m surprised we didn’t melt under the sun.
Walking without your hand holding mine makes me feel unleashed.
I still despise the way you dress.
Your face disgusted me in the mornings.
Spending time with your friends felt like talking at a wall.
I couldn’t stand your family.
Everybody knows we were shallow together.
I never spoke my true feelings to you.
Your friends treated you like a puppet.
Your mouth smelled like a swamp.
I’ll always regret introducing you to my family.
Being with you made me number than pills.
Losing you felt like winning.
I’d be glad if you’d just fade away from my memory.
…Or out of Love
Sometimes I remember you and hug my pillow at night.
There are days in which I can’t stop thinking of your smile.
You can’t imagine how many lines I’ve written thinking about you.
No one has ever cuddled with me like you used to.
I still keep a picture of you hidden in my drawer.
Sometimes the songs we heard together make my cry.
I get aroused when I think of your voice.
I get a knot in my throat when I think of our last days together.No one will ever know me as you did.
I’ve spent days looking at the phone thinking about calling you.
You’re the face I see the most in my dreams.
When I think about your name, I smile.
If I walk by your home, I spend minutes looking at your window.
I often stare at people who look like you.
Our first date was the happiest day of my life. Caressing your arms felt as soothing as the sea.Shivers go down my spine when I think of how you kissed my neck. When I miss you too much, I watch your favorite show. I think of every couple that passes by as if it were us.
When someone mentions your name, my neck sweats.
Sometimes I buy stuff you would like just to remember you.
I always get myself a drink on our anniversaries.
It was me who left you that present on your birthday. Kissing you was Vanilla Coke sweet.
Our nights together made me feel like I had wings.I often think of begging you to take me back.
I could tattoo your name on my chest and I wouldn’t regret it. Your voice in the mornings cheered me like a songbird.
I’d leave my partner for you. When you left, it was as if a part of me died.
When I can’t think of anything to write about, I write your name. I remember in detail all of our trips together.
When I hear a knock on my door, I always hope it’s you.
Lying on my bed I smile thinking all of the times we joked together. I often think of your precious wet lips when I’m in the shower.
I still go to the places where we used to hang out, hoping we’ll run into each other.
Every romantic movie makes me think of us.
I still read out loud the poems you gave me.
Nothing will ever please me more than taking you in my arms. When you left, it felt like a hurricane piercing through my chest.
I read all of the books you left.I comfort myself thinking you might still remember me.
I miss your warmth in the winter.
I cry like a baby when I think of your favorite songs. When I see your friends, I walk to them hoping you’ll be there.Your absence is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.I never missed someone like I miss you.I’ll always be grateful for every single hour we spent together. Being with you felt like having the sun inside my chest.
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You might be interested in reading the most inspiring love letters in history and experiencing the journey of love through these illustrations .
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Images by Maud Chalard (@maudchalard)
