Rihanna has opened up about her feelings for ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, saying she felt like his “guardian angel”.

The Diamonds singer remained protective over the rapper, even after he was arrested for assaulting her in 2009. She later reunited with Chris for a second time and asked a court to lift the restraining order against him.

Rihanna and Chris Brown
Rihanna and Chris Brown in 2012 (Alex Gallardo/AP)

“I was that girl, that girl who felt that as much pain as this relationship is, maybe some people are built stronger than others. Maybe I’m one of those people built to handle s**t like this,” she told Vanity Fair.

“Maybe I’m the person who’s almost the guardian angel to this person, to be there when they’re not strong enough, when they’re not understanding the world, when they just need someone to encourage them in a positive way and say the right thing.”

Rihanna and Chris Brown
Rihanna and Chris Brown (Matt Sayles/AP)

She continued: “I was very protective of him. I felt that people didn’t understand him. But you know, you realise after a while that in that situation you’re the enemy.

“You want the best for them, but if you remind them of their failures, or if you remind them of bad moments in their life, or even if you say I’m willing to put up with something, they think less of you – because they know you don’t deserve what they’re going to give… That’s when I finally had to say, ‘Uh-oh, I was stupid thinking I was built for this.’ Sometimes you just have to walk away.”

Rihanna added: “I don’t hate him. I will care about him until the day I die. We’re not friends, but it’s not like we’re enemies. We don’t have much of a relationship now.”

The 27-year-old singer, who graces the front cover of the magazine’s November edition and bares all in a photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz, revealed Chris was her last real, official boyfriend – and she has been single since then.

“It is lonely, but I have so much work to do that I get distracted. I don’t have time to be lonely,” she said.

“And I get fearful of relationships because I feel guilty about wanting someone to be completely faithful and loyal, when I can’t even give them 10 per cent of the attention that they need. It’s just the reality of my time, my life, my schedule.”

She explained: “I’m fine being with myself. I don’t want to really let anybody in. I’ve got too much on my plate, and I’m not even worried about it.

“A very extraordinary gentleman, with a lot of patience, will come along when I least expect it. And I don’t want it right now. I can’t really be everything for someone. This is my reality right now.”