[Intro — breathy, close] say it soft… like it doesn’t hurt… [Verse 1 — intimate, almost whispered] You keep talking like it’s harmless Like it never left a mark Trace the outline of the damage Call it love inside the dark You don’t look at me the same way But you swear it hasn’t changed I can feel it in the silence Every word you couldn’t say [Pre-Chorus — slight lift, fragile] If we don’t say it out loud Maybe it won’t fall apart If I stay right where you left me I can still play the part [Chorus — full but controlled, aching] We can just pretend it’s perfect Say it like it never bends If I hold you in the right light I can almost feel it again We can lie until it’s painless Keep it just beneath the skin If we never call it over We don’t ever have to end [Verse 2 — more tension, subtle blame shift] You keep telling me you need me But your hands don’t feel the same Every touch is getting colder Still you swear I’m not to blame I could tear it down between us But I’d rather let it breathe If it breaks, it won’t be my fault You’re the one who made me leave [Pre-Chorus — stronger, cracks showing] If we blur it just enough We can make it look like truth If I’m losing you slowly I’ll just say it’s something new [Chorus — bigger, more desperate under control] We can just pretend it’s perfect Say it like it never bends If I keep you where it’s quiet I can almost feel it again We can lie until it’s painless Dress it up like innocence If we never call it over We don’t have to face the end [Bridge — stripped, eerie, revealing edge] Say my name… like you mean it (soft echo) mean it… Tell me I’m not the reason this is slipping through your hands If I break, I’ll make it pretty You won’t see it when it ends [Final Chorus — emotional release, still elegant] We can just pretend it’s perfect Even when it starts to crack If I paint it gold around us We don’t have to take it back We can lie until we believe it Hold it like it never ends If we never say it’s over… we can always just pretend
