It's always picture perfect, isn't it?

He was a perfect gentleman, brought you out on fun dates, cooked you dinner, and always opened the door for you. He made you want to look pretty and wing your eyeliner just so, and you began to conform to things he liked. This "conforming" to things he liked really wasn't out of your comfort zone because you actually like playing pool and eating chicken wings and doing outdoorsy things to begin with; you just really would love someone to share experiences with.

He always texted you first, asked you about your day, would bring you lunch to work and would spend so much time with you, that for the first time in a while — you were genuinely happy and everyone saw it.

But then it changes. Because just when you start to feel your heart pitter-patter, you get attached. And when you get attached, he can start to hear your heart, too.

Then the game changes. Your kindness, faithfulness, and attraction to this person are made a joke because all of the sudden a "label" is brought up. But you brush it off. Because I mean, you're just really good friends, right? Your life hasn't been so smooth in a while, so why change a good thing? Or at least, that's what he drilled into your brain.

You must be lucky you didn't ruin it then and thereby bring up foolish and confrontational subjects.

So the storm blows over, you hang out, and all of the sudden he gets what he wants from you.

Your Snapchat streak ends. The conversations grow shorter. You wait hours to days for replies ... until everything slowly rolls to a stop.

You sit in the silence and stare at your phone wondering. Where is he? Why hasn't he texted me? Am I bothering him? What if he doesn't text me at all?

The back and forth of questions bouncing around your mind until you type the innocent words, "Is it something I did?"

You will soon come to learn that you poked a bear you were not ready to poke. You are called obsessive, crazy, and you knew all along that he didn't want to be with you "that way"... just really good friends.

If you do not relate to this, I envy you. If you do, then I have a message for you.

It is not your fault.
You did nothing wrong.
There is nothing wrong with you.

He is the problem. He took advantage of your kind heart and warm energy.

But this does not define you.

It may be hard to think of, but he did care for you. It may not have been what you deserved, but it's something to hold on to.

The best thing you can do for you is to hold on to the lesson you learned, and never accept less than you deserve again.

And one day, he's going to regret it. It's all going to come rushing back at him, even if it's as slowly as when it all rolled to stop. And he is going to realize, he made a horrible mistake and he will ache.

Don't give in to him. Unfollow him, delete his number and let him accept his consequences.

You deserve better, and you are better.