When I first saw you, I saw it all. A house, two dogs, a couple of kids, and a Tahoe in the driveway. After you and I had our first conversation in person, I knew. I knew that I wanted a forever with you. I didn’t know how long that forever would be, but I knew that I wanted it.

For a period of time, I was everything you’d ever wanted in your life. Your secret keeper, your best friend, and your partner. It seemed so simple back then. Love was you and me, and everyone else’s opinion was second best. Months flew by and I was over the moon in love with you. I couldn't contain my love for you; I didn't know I had to.

You told me over and over that I was showing it too much or allowing others too deep into our relationship, so I hid. I shuttered away from any affection you showed me in public, I started ignoring you when you'd call or text. Why would the boy I wanted to spend my entire life with, want me to hide my love?

Girls do it all the time: one day you're 18 and beginning college without a care in the world and then along comes a boy and it all changes. Boys have a funny way of doing that to a girl. You can hope and pray that one of them may be the one, but that's not always the case.

I have heard over and over again that you fall in love three times: Your first love, the one you can never shake, and the boy you'll compare everyone else to for the rest of your life.

The one that got away. He is the one who will haunt your memories and take you down a dark path of lost dreams and hopes that you once had. This is you, this is what you'll always be to me.

And finally, the one. He is your prince charming, your best friend, the future father of your crazy kids. He is what you're going to find at the end of this rocky road called love and it will be amazing.

If I see you at the bar downtown, I'll nod and say hello to you as I did when we first met. Don't expect anything else from me. I will be respectful and walk on by, but I will not be back. You took the dream of forever away from me and I won't get that back.

I am asked over and over why I choose not to date anymore and it's simple: you. Not because I'm still in love, we both know that I'll always be, but because you broke me. You took me down a road I never wanted to go down that allowed me to put a boy before myself.

As much as I would've loved forever by your side, I can't wait to meet "the one" for me.

So to the boy that I wanted forever with, thank you. Thank you for loving me for our 'forever' and thank you for showing me that I deserve more than what you gave me.