He stares at me like I’m a stranger. Like he hasn’t known me for years. Like I’m not the girl he fell for. I’m afraid to speak. I stand there, mask off, guard down. I wait for him to say something, anything.

“Why?” He finally says. The way he said it, was so defeated, he looked so betrayed. I didn’t answer.

“After all this time, after all these years, you never trusted me enough to tell me. Why?” He pleads. Still… I don’t know what to say. I mean I know why I didn’t want him to know, but how can I make him understand?

“Answer me!” Anger. He was angry. He’s never been upset with me, not like this.

“It was for your own good, I di-didn’t want you to.. I didn’t want you to get hurt. What I do.. it-its dangerous.” I stammer these words, hoping he’ll get it. Hoping he’ll know.

“Well I did get hurt. I’m hurt that you lied to me, I’m hurt that you didn’t trust me, I’m hurt that you had to do this all by yourself.” He’s not wrong, l did get him hurt, not just emotionally but he almost lost his life today. He almost died… because of me.

I begin to cry. I never cry. But hot tears stream down my face and all I can say is, “I never meant to hurt you. I did it- I did all of this..to protect you.”

His face softens, and he comes closer, and pulls me into a hug. I sob, “All I wanted to do is protect you.”

He sighs and whispers into my ear, “I know, but I want to protect you too.”

I nod my head, I understand. And I breathe out a sigh of relief because he understands too.