If you’re reading this, you already know you want more. You want their hand in yours, their attention, their affection. But instead, you’re a background character in someone else’s movie. You’re the emotional support animal, the afterthought. And you’re letting it happen.
Somewhere along the way, you decided your feelings don’t matter as much as their comfort. You traded honesty for proximity. You put their happiness above your own. And you started lying to yourself, telling yourself that “maybe, just maybe, if I hang around long enough, they’ll see me.” That’s not patience. That’s self-abandonment.
Let’s call it what it is: you’re afraid. Afraid of rocking the boat, afraid of being alone, afraid of rejection. So you put your dignity in a box and slide it under the bed, hoping it won’t wake you up at 2 a.m. But it does. Every. Single. Night.
You don’t need another pep talk or a list of tricks to “escape” the friend zone. You need a reality check. You can’t force someone to love you by shrinking yourself. You can’t guilt-trip someone into romance by being “nice enough.” Love doesn’t work like that, and you damn well know it.
Here’s what you do: You look in the mirror and remember who you are. You remind yourself that your feelings are valid. You have the courage to speak the truth, even if your voice shakes. You say, “I care about you. I want more than friendship. And if that’s not what you want, I’m going to step back and live my life.”
Sound harsh? Good. That’s what respect looks like. Not only for them, but for yourself.
If they want you, they’ll show up. If not, you’ll have the space to heal, to breathe, and to meet someone who actually wants the same things you do.
You’re not an extra in someone else’s love story. You’re the main character in your own. Stop settling for scraps when you want the whole damn meal.
Respect yourself enough to walk away.