Kicking Toxic Love
The last man that used the words “I love you” used them to control me. He used them by not saying it back, ever, when I said it. He used them by smugly making me say it when he wanted to hear it. He used them by only ever saying them himself when I would work up the strength to try to end things. He used them to make me feel bad when I didn’t “behave” how he wanted me to. He used them to convince me of a false future that he had no intention of ever providing. The words “I love you” meant absolutely nothing. They were alternately a crowbar, a hammer, a master key… in a box of tools of [...]