It’s not giving up on love—it’s giving up on something that was never truly love to begin with. Sometimes, they just didn’t love you; they loved the way you stayed silent, the way you filled their empty spaces without ever demanding more. You were their placeholder, not their priority.

And no, you weren’t asking for too much. You were asking for honesty, effort, reciprocity—all the things real love is built on. But the truth is, they weren’t willing to give it. Not because you were undeserving, but because they couldn’t—or wouldn’t—step up.