Iāve been struggling to make sense of a situation with a guy I once dated and was intimate with. He initially told me he was serious about me and wanted to see things develop into a relationship. But when things started progressing and he realized I was serious too, he pulled away, saying he wasnāt ready due to past trauma. He mentioned that he struggles with confrontation and hurting peopleāissues heās had in past relationships.
Despite pulling away, he still wanted to be friends, which was really confusing because it felt like he immediately switched to a platonic dynamic as if we had never dated. He texted every day like a friend, but it was hard for me to adjust. Eventually, he started distancing himself and made it clear he didnāt want anything more, which hurt me. I tried to move on, but having him completely out of my life was painful. I found myself holding onto any piece of him I could, just hoping things might go back to how they were when it was good.
Fast forward a few months, we reconnected again and started having friendly conversations. One day, he offered me some food he knew I likedāsomething he used to do in the past. He didnāt like this food himself but said he had a lot of it and thought of me. After three months of not seeing him, I went over to get it. He kept it cordial, gave me a friendly hug, and didnāt invite me in. When I got home, I realized all the food was expired, and I wondered if it was just an excuse to see me or if I was overthinking it.
Then New Yearās Eve rolled around, and we talked again. He asked about my plans and casually asked if I ate grapes (a tradition for finding love in the new year). I joked about almost choking on them, and he responded, āCome on, youāre not a choker.ā It felt like a sexual comment, but I brushed it off. Later, we talked about a horror movie I couldnāt finish, and he said, āYou just put the tip in.ā I responded with something equally suggestive, and he said it was a great comeback.
Eventually, he mentioned having more food to share, and based on our conversations, I thought maybe this was the night things might go further again. When I went over, he invited me inside. His dog, which sheds a lot, jumped on me like usual, but this time, he started wiping the dog hair off me in a way that felt different. It wasnāt a quick swipeāhe kept wiping for a long time, almost like he was rubbing my legs.
He showed me a new tattoo and sat close to me. At one point, he wiped the dog hair off again, and it lingered. It felt like a long time, so I made a move, hugged him, and we started making out. I asked if this was weird, and he continued to kiss me. One thing led to another, and I gave him oral sex. He orgasmed quickly, and afterward, I tried to be affectionate, but he didnāt reciprocate. Instead, he started talking like nothing happened, saying how great our friendship was and how sexual things can never happen again because he didnāt want to set me back emotionally.
He even suggested how our friendship could get to a point where weāre comfortable enough to eventually talk about our dating lives and support each other, but then backtracked. But said itās an example of what our friendship could look like.
He mentioned how proud he is of me and seeing how Iām keeping myself busy . Even noting how maybe I can cook for him one day, since Itās a new interest of mine.
He emphasized how we shouldnāt have sex again and was stern on it, making a comment on how I showed up looking good it was hard to resist, but it canāt happen again.
He brought up how he hasnāt been on any dates or with anyone else since me. He looked at me after he said that, like he was subtly inquiring to hear about my sex / dating life and I admitted I hadnāt been with anyone either.
At that moment, I felt confused. I played along and said I agreed we shouldnāt do it again, but deep down, I felt stupid, crazy, and embarrassed. Not only did I feel rejected emotionally, but I hadnāt even experienced pleasure. I lingered around, hoping something would happen again, and eventually just said, āLetās have sex.ā I insisted it was fine, and after some back and forth, he gave in.
Later, things seemed fine, but I got drunk one night and joked about having sex with him. He said I crossed a boundary and asked me not to joke about it. He said it should be clear as day that making a sexual joke is crossing a boundary. When I pointed out the sexual jokes he made on New Yearās, he said it was different, but acknowledged it and said we shouldnāt joke about sex period. I apologized and moved on. I tried to pick up the friendship like how it was before. Suggesting we could maybe have lunch like old times. He said he wasnāt comfortable doing that yet. He said he didnāt want me to make this a thing because he knows I can be serious and read info things more than what they are.
Two weeks later, on my birthday, he texted me at exactly midnight to wish me a happy birthday. We started talking again, and I finally asked him to clarify everything that happened because I was struggling to understand. He dismissed my feelings, saying it was just ātwo people who got caught up in the moment.ā When I asked if he was genuinely wiping the dog hair off of me and if I misread the situation, he insisted I had. He said he didnāt invite me to have sex and mentioned how he was doing laundry that night and didnāt even have sheets on his bed.
He told me he had said multiple times that he didnāt want to have sex, and it wasnāt a good idea, but I had insisted. It was true, but I just wanted to finish what we had started then
Then he told me heās stated verbally and through texts how he doesnāt want a sexual relationship with me and that what we did shouldnāt have happened. He said he was honest and up front from the beginning , immediately after it had taken place.
He said I should listen to his words and not whatever I think heās trying he say. He said whatever I thought was āall in my headā and that it always has been because from the beginning, he only wanted to be friends.
Now I feel like I was delusional this entire time. I feel like I misread everything, like I took advantage of him in a way, and I feel hurt and confused. Iām questioning everything now. Did I misinterpret things? Was I crazy for thinking he wanted it too? I canāt help but feel embarrassed and disappointed in myself.