Chapter 3
Not every destruction begins with screams or betrayal. Sometimes, it begins with comfort. With a person who unknowingly becomes your safest place. And maybe that is why losing them feels like losing yourself.
Before silence consumed my life, there was once someone whose presence alone could calm every storm inside me. Some meetings never appear special to the world, yet they silently change a person forever. There were people around us that day — some taking pictures, some lost in conversations, and some trapped in their own little worlds. But whenever he came near me, everything around me turned strangely quiet.
I was always loud and carefree around my own people, yet in front of him, I became completely speechless. My hands would tremble, my heartbeat would lose its rhythm, and suddenly, I would forget how to speak. The first time we exchanged our IDs, my fingers shook so badly that I could barely hold my phone properly. But then his hand accidentally brushed against mine for just a second… and somehow, every nervous feeling disappeared.
That feeling was strange. Peaceful. Safe. The kind of peace only genuine love can give without even trying.
He was never the type to make fake promises or use dramatic words. His care was hidden in the smallest things. While others casually said, “Be careful or you’ll get hurt,” he would quietly say, “You should stay careful around guys, okay?”
At first, I misunderstood him. I thought maybe he doubted me whenever I mentioned my male cousins. But slowly, I realized he was only trying to protect me in his own way. Sometimes, he created little situations just to test my maturity — and honestly, I failed almost every time.
But before sadness could fully reach me, he would heal everything so naturally that I forgot we were even fighting.
Maybe that was the moment I unknowingly started trusting him more than myself.
