Afraid

She’s afraid.
She’s afraid of the people around her, she’s afraid of herself.
The realization hits her almost every day, and every day it brings a new wave of emotions.
How can she be afraid? How can she?
And even though she hates it, she knows why she’s afraid.
She’s afraid that the shards of her broken heart are so sharp they’ll hurt others who trust her. She’s afraid that if someone tries to fix her, they’ll just end up hurting her. She’s afraid that she’ll trust again. She’s afraid that she’ll hurt others.
Her heart is a puzzle. Each of her friends securing one piece in place. And if that friend left, the peace they were holding would just shatter into more untouchable pieces.
She has a right not to trust, not to love.
She has the right to say, ‘no, I didn’t’ when people asked her whether she liked him when she dated him.
She has the right to be upset.
She has the right to cry.
Because she’s afraid.
She’s afraid.