I’ve always been the villain in my own story,
so it doesn’t come as a surprise
that I’m the villain in yours too.

I tried so hard to play the part of the princess—
the one who needed to be saved—
but that’s not me,
and it never will be.

Princesses spent their childhoods
playing in flower fields,
laughing in the sunlight,
and being crowned prom queen.

Not villains.

We spent our days walking on eggshells,
tiptoeing through shadows,
giving pieces of ourselves away—
desperate to know what it feels like
to shimmer in the sunlight
instead of burn.

I should have given more of myself to you,
deciphered your unspoken language sooner.
But like a true villain,
I gave everything I could to you,
changed what I could for you—
all in the name of making love last,
even if deep down
I knew it never would.

Because in the end,
the prince always slays the villain
to chase the princess.