loneliness epidemic

i think i'm experiencing a slow burn, but not the romance kind. the kind where you are slowly phased out from someone's life until you are completely gone.

i try to match your energy because you've told me you're stressed and going through a lot right now. truthfully, i can't deal with the complete change of personality. you no longer speak the same way to me, you no longer ask me to hang out and you're always busy now. you give me short answers and ignore my statements that you can set any boundaries you need to with me right now, during this time.

everyone i have told has said you'll be leaving. i've not been dealing with it well. we have a specific type of bond; you were the one thing keeping me alive after my sister passed away. you took care of me. and now this change of behaviour is making me panic more than anything. 

how am i supposed to communicate it to you, either? you've said that you can't handle a lot right now, and if you knew that i was struggling alongside your struggles, what if it makes you worse? or what if you leave right then and there? i'm not ready to face that.

if you're leaving, why drag it out so much?