Late Bloomer: A Journey of Love and Longing

For years, I've watched from the sidelines as friends and acquaintances fell in and out of love, while I remained a bystander to the dance of romance. Last year, amidst a backdrop of loneliness and a hint of melancholy, I found myself yearning for experiences I had yet to encounter, chief among them being the elusive sensation of falling in love.

It was then, in the midst of this longing, that I stumbled upon an unexpected twist of fate. A guy friend of mine 16 years my junior declared his love while intoxicated. He told me that I was cool and he was in love with me. I just laughed about it that time because a friend (lady) also said the same thing to me.

But his word of declaration put a seed of thought in me. I began to remember the times that we were together with friends. The fun things we do, the times that he shows that he cares for me, and also the times that he is just doing the things he normally does with his friends.

His declaration of love, even though it's under the influence of alcohol ignited some spark within me that I had never known before. For a brief moment, I glimpsed the feeling of being desired and cherished.

It took a lot of courage to ask him about it but he said that he didn't remember and he loved me like he loved his other friends.

The sting of rejection mingled with the bittersweet realization that I had finally tasted the bitter-sweetness of unrequited love. Despite the pain, there remains a glimmer of happiness in the knowledge that I have, at last, experienced the depths of affection.

Now, standing at the crossroads of vulnerability and uncertainty, I am faced with a question that echoes within the chambers of my heart: Should I risk it all and confess my love, laying bare the depths of my emotions for all to see? Or should I retreat to the safety of silence, preserving the fragile stability of our friendship?

What should I do?