You never gave me one big reason
to hate you and walk away
it was little things you didn't notice
stacking up day after day
You'd say"I'm here"
then disappear
and I'd make excuses for you
I got so good at reading silence
I forgot what silence meant
Now somebody loves me
and I look for the catch
I hear one weird tone
and start doing the math
You didn't leave me broken
you just taught me to expect it
That's soft damage
you don't see it when it happens
I still smile, still fall, still want somebody
but I keep one hand on the handle
That's soft damage
little habits I can't hide
I say I don't need reassurance
then check your face for signs
You didn't destroy me
you just changed the way I love
I know how to play it cool now
I learned it from watching you
I can leave a text unanswered
just to see what you will do
I hate that I became somebody
who keeps score in their head
counting hours, counting changes
counting things that never got said
Maybe that's the part
I don't like admitting
I took what hurt me
and turned it into a system
That's soft damage
you don't see it when it happens
I still want something real
but I keep waiting for the pattern
That's soft damage
I can feel myself pull back
when somebody gets too close
I start preparing for the crash
You didn't destroy me
you just changed the way I love
And maybe you were learning too
maybe we were both too young
maybe nobody was the villain
maybe we just weren't enough
But I don't want your mistakes
to become my personality
That's soft damage
but I'm finally calling it out
I don't have to punish somebody new
for what you taught me about love
That's soft damage
and I know it's still in me
but I'm learning not every hand
is gonna let me go eventually
You didn't destroy me
you don't get to define my heart
That's soft damage
not where my story ends
