Jul 20, 2023
"I hate you" as...
A guilty confession. I don't want to, I didn't mean to, but now I do.
An angry shout. Fists clenched, fury bubbling up inside until it finally bursts out.
A surrender. Exhausted, inflectionless. This is what you wanted, and you finally got it.
A joke; I'm giggling and so are you, and the words are so soft no one takes them seriously.
A warning; I'd never say that to you, and you know it, and now you know that something is very, very wrong.
A way of snarking back and forth with you. You've done something annoying, and I say I hate you, but we both know I don't mean it.
Defiance; you've won and we both know it, and I cannot stop you, but I will look you straight in the eyes, even to the end.