[Intro] I used to think the warning had to sound like a warning. A hard knock. A face at the window. But sometimes it’s a name you recognize and a question that asks for too much. [Verse 1] You said we’d been talking for weeks, so why did my stomach turn cold? You knew the blue door at my school, but I never told you where I go. You said, “Send me one more picture,” then, “Don’t make this into a thing.” I read those words beside the sink, with my coat still on, keys in hand. [Refrain] I can stop here. I can change my mind. I don’t have to make you understand. I can stop here. I can close that line. I can tell somebody where I stand. [Verse 2] You made a little joke of my no, said I was acting like a child. I saved the messages anyway, though my hands shook for a little while. Then I showed them to my sister; she didn’t ask what I had done. She sat with me beside the hallway until the fear let go some. [Chorus] I don’t owe you a secret. I don’t owe you a place. I don’t owe you a picture or a smile to soften my face. If it feels wrong, I can leave it. If I feel scared, I can speak. There is strength in the pause, there is power in “No.” There is help when I reach. [Verse 3] Now I keep my passwords private, keep my plans with people I know. If a stranger presses past my boundary, I don’t stay just to be polite. I block the name, I keep the proof, I tell a grown-up what I saw. The shame was never mine to carry. I’m allowed to close the door. [Bridge] Maybe you’re hearing this at home, maybe your screen is face-down on your bed. You don’t have to solve it on your own. Show someone the words they said. You’re not in trouble for asking. You’re not wrong for feeling afraid. One honest sentence to a trusted person can make room for a safer day. [Final Chorus] I don’t owe you a secret. I don’t owe you a place. I don’t owe you a picture or a smile to soften my face. If it feels wrong, I can leave it. If I feel scared, I can speak. There is strength in the pause, there is power in “No.” There is help when I reach. [Outro] Close the chat. Keep the proof. Tell someone. You deserve to feel safe.
