Stumbling Block

In the monologue from the play “Stumbling Block,” the character Brianna confronts her deep, unspoken feelings for Jacob.

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BRIANNA: Jacob, wait. There’s something I need to say. Something I should’ve said a long time ago. You’re leaving, and if I don’t do this now, I’ll regret it forever.

I love you, Jacob. There, I said it. I love you, and not in the way friends do, not like a sister or a buddy. No, I’m crazy about you. It’s like you’ve been this… this stumbling block in my heart that I just keep tripping over, no matter how hard I try to move on.

I’ve watched you, you know? Watched you chase after dreams, after girls, after everything but me. And I kept silent. I thought maybe, just maybe, you’d turn around, see me standing here, and realize I’ve been here all along. But you didn’t, and that’s on me. I hid behind smiles and small talks, pretending it didn’t hurt.

But I’m done pretending. I’m tired of being your second choice, the backup plan, the friend. It hurts, Jacob. It hurts seeing you with others, hearing you talk about them. Every time you laughed, every time you shared a secret, I wished it was me – me you were looking at, me you were sharing your world with.

I know this might change everything. Maybe you’ll walk away and never look back, or maybe you’ll laugh it off. But at least I won’t be left wondering ‘what if.’ At least I won’t watch you leave, keeping all these words buried inside me.

I love you, Jacob. And maybe in another life, you’d love me too. But I won’t be your stumbling block anymore. I need to find my path, one where I don’t just wait for someone to see me, really see me.

Go live your life, Jacob. Be happy. That’s all I ever wanted for you. And maybe, someday, I’ll find someone who looks at me the way I’ve always looked at you.

Goodbye, Jacob.

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