This is about being honest with yourself at the very least. If you can’t be honest with yourself then you can’t be honest with anyone else.
Yes, we can make an argument that if you hide something from someone else it will protect them, yes this can be true, but it will eat away at you if you aren’t comfortable with your decision or very clear about your why in your decision.
So for today in your journal as yourself: Am I being honest with myself? What am I hiding from? This may be something as simple as a fear of something, just start being honest with yourself about it.