"What does being in love feel like?"

i don't know, darling. i know that people have loved me. i know that people have looked at me and thought i was their entire future. i know that people have depended on me. i know that sometimes all these people need are just one glance at me and their shitstorm of a day is suddenly much more bearable. i know people have been inspired by me. i know that people have pushed themselves harder and harder everyday because they live to impress me. i know that people have obsessed over texting me or not because they might come off as intrusive freaks but dammit, they can't help wanting to know i'll text back.

but there's the catch, darling. i know these people and their fickle emotions; i know how to manipulate and exploit them; i know how their mind works, but never have i loved them in return. i don't know what it means.