in short,
i avoid her
not because i really want to
but because she can read me
like a book.

her eyes
can see through my disguses
& her voice
is like a wrecking ball to all the walls
i've put up.

i'm afraid
of her knowing the truth
—my battle within—
because i want to protect her from everyone
including myself.

a/n: I wrote this, but as I read through it again, I realized that I liked the first half better on its own.
This is the short version.
See chapter two for the "full" version.