She Really Liked You Before She Realized You Were Stringing Her Along

She really liked you back when she assumed you felt the same way. When she saw your name flash on her phone early in the morning, and stayed up talking to you until at least midnight, and took it as a sign you wanted the same thing. A relationship. A real one. A committed one.

She really liked you back when you first started flirting with her. When you made her feel special by buying her drinks and letting her wear your jacket. When you gave her reason to believe that you wanted to take her out on a date, introduce her to your parents, and start a happily ever after alongside her. When she didn’t know your real intentions.

She really liked you back when you seemed like a good guy. A different guy than she was used to dealing with. The kind who wouldn’t cancel plans at the last second or ignore her texts for hours or lead her on. But then you started doing all of those things. You proved that you were exactly the kind of guy that she has been trying to avoid.

She really liked you back when you first met, when you actually put in effort to make her like you. When you would text her first. When you would ask her to come over. When you would comment on every Instagram photo, telling her how pretty she looked. Back before you started expecting her to do all of the work, for her to put in all of the effort while you faded into the distance.

She really liked you back when she thought you were only sending mixed signals because it was early on in the relationship and you wanted to play it cool. When she assumed that, eventually, you would stop playing games with her and ask her on an official date. When she thought you were a nice guy interested in only her — not someone who was stringing her along for as long as possible because you didn’t want to settle down.

She really liked you back when you held her hand for the first time, cuddled her for the first time, and kissed her lips for the first time. When she thought your affection actually meant something. When she thought it was a sign things were getting more serious between the two of you. When she assumed you saved yourself for people who actually mattered to you, the same way that she did.

She really liked you back when she was naive. When she was more open with her heart. When she was more trusting. When she saw the best in people. When she gave out second chances. When she thought you would be kinder than the exes who have broken her heart in the past.

She really liked you back when she thought you would become more than another almost. More than another disappointment. More than another guy with potential who threw it all away.