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Not sure if breaking up was the best idea anymore

User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder August 18th, 2019

Hi everyone, I am here cause honestly I didn't know where else to go right now to discuss these things. I feel like i might have messed up a lot of my close relationships and friendships in the past couple of months.

So let me start from the beginning.

I was in a perfectly good relationship. My boyfriend (Lets call him Mike) and I were together for about 4 years now and things were perfect, i think we were in mad love. My mother knew about this and was supportive too. Nobody in his family knew but eventually we would tell them. Then we both had to move to a different city. This is when things got out of hand. I haven't had a very good experience in a long distance relationship before (the guy cheated on me) so I wasn't sure about this one. Mike in general too wasnt very good at keeping in touch when away. But we said we will give this our best shot. For a couple of months things were changing in both our lives. We were meeting new people, making new friends, we had new jobs. It was kind of hard to keep each other updated about the things that happened in the day/week. We were busy and couldnt find time to talk. What's worse is he stays at home and hadnt told his parents about me. We still got through it, fought and made up. He visited me a couple of times, I went over to visit him. I thought things were going well finally. We still wouldn't be able to really talk and connect, but it was okay. But soon enough, we fell right back into the hole. The only messages we exchanged in the day was a good morning and goodnight. Barely 2-3 phone calls a week. We had stopped connecting, atleast from my end. I didn't find telling him what happened in my day exciting anymore. I didn't think of him when I saw other couples. There were days when I would just cry realising that I might be falling out of love. I didn't want to. I really really didn't want to. But it was happening.

Here's the tricky part, there's a back story. During this time I was getting close to another friend/colleague of mine (we'll call him Jack). Now Jack and his then girlfriend (say Nina) and Mike and I, the four of us were a part of the same group of friends back when we were together in the first city. Infact Nina and I were closer and better friends than Jack and I were back then.

Jack broke up with Nina about the same time that we moved to a new city for a new job we got together. Since then we started getting to know each other better. We got close (just as friends). He would flirt occasionally but it was healthy flirting and he knew I was in a relationship with Mike. Mike and Jack were friends too (as i mentioned before). All was good until I started having issues in my relationship. Soon I started having a slight crush on Jack. Jack and I are great as friends. We do crazy fun stuff when we are together, but we are very different and I know that if we were to get together, it would not last. Yet i had started having feelings for him. Maybe it was the fact that it was convenient. Having him work at the same place, being in the same group of friends, being able to see him everyday. Maybe I really wanted these things from a boyfriend. Maybe LDR wasn't working for me. There were so many mixed feelings.

Mike and I spoke even lesser now. My feelings for him started vanishing. Many-a-times I had come to the brink of breaking up. We took a gazillion breaks. We fought and discussed our relationship and why it wasn't working. There were other issues we had too which we couldn't solve together. The twig really broke when I spoke to my dad about it and he didnt seem approving of this relationship. Now call me a coward but I really can't stand upsetting my dad. With my feelings dissolving, having constant issues in the relationship and my dad's unapproval, I decided I want to break up once and for all. And so I did.

For a couple of weeks, it was hard. I would think about all the things that I could have done better. All the happiness we could have found. I would cry and I would miss him. But when he called for the same, I would be so cold to him. I thought it'll help him get over me faster. Jack and I started getting closer during this time. He would come over to cheer me up. Sleep over too sometimes. But nothing ever happened between us. Jack had done this before too when I was in a relationship and it was okay. Nothing seemed like a sign. But now when I had broken up, everything seemed like a sign.

I couldn't take it anymore and discussed this with Jack, I told him what i'm feeling. I told him I miss Mike but somehow I had feelings for him(Jack) too. I told him it's a phase and it will pass. I asked him about the things he had started doing for me lately. He explained to me that it was purely out of friendship and nothing more. We both understood this and agreed to move on without any awkwardness.
But then came Jacks birthday, and in an unforeseen turn of events with a big push of alcohol, I had to sleep next to Jack on a small bed. We are both unsure but we found ourselves wrapped in each others arms in the morning. Nothing had happened. We had just hugged and slept. This was a bit awkward for me but I let it slide. Since then whenever he would come over or I would stay over at his place, we would always hug and sleep, no questions asked. We never spoke about it and somehow it was just understood. And then there was another night (this was almost 2 months after my breakup with Mike). Jack was staying over and we were both quite drunk. With our inhibitions lowered, we found our faces too close to each others. Before I knew it we had kissed and made out a little. Somehow it felt very normal. It felt like I had been doing this for ages. As soon as it hit me what I was doing, I freaked out. I got up and started panicking. I calmed down after a while and realised that I cannot undo this now, so why not continue. Maybe somewhere deep inside I wanted to do thing that I might regret. For quite a while, about 3-4 years my life had been a perfect constant. I think I wanted to stir it up.
Since that night, Jack and I have been meeting up, being sexually involved. But the feelings I had for him are gone now and he doesnt feel anything for me either. Its hollow. And I feel like shit after it. But we still continue.

Sometimes I cry and I dont know the reason for it. I cant sleep for hours at night. This is taking a toll on my body. I break down in front of people even if there was no trigger. I am not happy.

I am confused why I am doing this. I am sad that nobody will understand me. I have ruined any chances of me getting back together with Mike. I feel like I am cheating on Nina somewhere deep down. I fear I have spoiled my friendship with Jack forever. Im stuck in the middle somewhere now and I feel like a cheater, but I cant stop.
I dont understand what I am searching for.

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User Profile: ASilentObserver
ASilentObserver August 26th, 2019

@HustleHarder

Hello <3, Welcome to Relationship Support Space. Thank you for reaching out and sharing your thoughts with us. But, we apologize for the delay in responding to you.

As I see we are late in supporting you, can you please help us with the current status of the concerns you have and if you still would like to discuss and figure things out together with us?

We would be glad to listen and support you, if we could be of some help. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sending virtual hugs!

3 replies
User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder OP August 31st, 2019

@ASilentObserver I am still exactly where I was when i posted this thread. Any help and suggestions are still welcome.

3 replies
User Profile: Kahilum08
Kahilum08 September 1st, 2019

@HustleHarder

Hi there, HH!

Gosh, this is one tough cookie of a situation. My heart goes out to you, lovely. This is a lot to take in just to read -- I can only imagine what it's been like for you to be living it every day.

First off, in regards to your relationship with Jack: although it might sound counter-intuitive to say, in general, there is nothing wrong with your actions. Although you and Jack are currently just friends, and you did have feelings for him in the past, the both of you are two consenting adults engaging in sensual behavior together. If you feel nothing for him, that is okay. Having sex without love works for some people, and not for others.

A question I'd want to ask you is, are you continuing to have intimate moments with Jack because you feel guilty about everything that's happened in your life thus far, and therefore are experiencing a kind of, "Screw it all" sense of feeling? As in, things suck so much right now, I might as well do this because nothing else is going right for me?

Or, is it that when you have these moments witih Jack, you are feeling some brief moments of comfort? I'm wanting to ask because depending on how you might be feeling, it might lead us to an understanding as to why you feel like you aren't able to step away from Jack fully.

As for Nina, something to remember is that although Jack and Nina were in a relationship together, Jack did not cheat on

Nina with you. They ended their relationship, and then the two of you began to have your own experiences together. Even if Jack tells you that you were the primary motivation for him to end things with her, the good news is that this means he understood that he was unhappy in his relationship, and didn't want to cause Nina any direct harm. If he truly wanted to be with her, despite of how he might have been feeling towards you, he more than likely would have tried to talk about the situation, and see if there were any possibility whatsoever in having a kind of "alternative setup" for a time being.

As for Mike, this is truly not an easy journey that you were on. You may honestly just be a person who needs constant physical interaction in order to feel comfortable in a relationship. If this is the case, that is okay. The thing is though, if it is how you work, then it's important to remember that you might also be someone who is willing to have relationships with anyone so long as they are a constant presence in your life. If this is true, then you and your mind could benefit from a long conversation about what it is that you're wanting to have: constant in-person companionship; immediate access to a romantic partner; or an escape from loneliness, etc.

Whatever your reasons may be, feeling stuck in something that you feel you can't run from is an awful feeling. Please know that you are not alone, and we here at 7 Cups will try to find the best ways to support you with any of these tough moments.

Much love to you <3

3 replies
User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder OP September 9th, 2019

@Kahilum08

First of all, thank you so so much for taking out the time to read my post! You have given me a lot to think about, a different perspective of looking at things and im very grateful for that.
What you meant to ask me about Jack, I think I am not able to fully step away from him because he gives me those fleeting moments of comfort that I have somebody in my life I can share intimate moments with. It would be a stretch to call it loneliness but yes, it is on the same lines.

About Nina, Jack most definitely did not break up with her because of me. It was something that happened a long time ago. Even before any of this started. Jack did not and does not have any such feelings for me to this day. So yes, you're right that I should not feel guilty about lying to Nina. I am working on making myself feel better about this.

With Mike, I have started having casual conversations lately. And I somehow feel like I am still answerable to him. I feel like a cheater for not telling him that Jack and I are in this kind of a setup. Mike really understood me very well but I am not sure how he would react to this. I don't want to hurt him. Not again.
I am really confused what I should do right now. Should I continue with what I have with Jack and let the rest fall into place? Should I tell Mike and Nina about it? Is me being with Jack wrong because there is no love involved? Is this complicating my life unnecesarily? Do I want to get back with Mike? :(

2 replies
User Profile: Kahilum08
Kahilum08 September 10th, 2019

@HustleHarder

^_^ I'm so glad that you felt as though some of what I wrote resonated with you! Having different perspectives can genuinely open our minds to all the possibilities of what we might truly be experiencing within our Hearts. I think you're doing a great job of trying to be fair to yourself, and fully learn as to how and why you might feel the way you do.

In regards to Jack, if he has always been consistent with not wanting to have anything with you aside from this current setup, then thankfully you won't have to worry about his motives. If for the moment, spending time with him can give you some comfort, then knowing exactly what it is will help you keep a realistic mindset about it. You're not choosing to fool yourself, because there genuinely is nothing "there" to ponder about. You two are bed buddies, and have a nice time together in that activity :) Fair deal.

As for feeling as though there is no need to feel guilty about lying to Nina, I think it's great that you're working to find peace within your Heart about this. It shows how much progress you're making within your understanding of this complex situation! It clearly shows that you don't want to hurt anyone, and that your true intentions lie in trying to be as honest as possible while still trying to figure out what your own needs are. It's a tough journey, but you're really making strides along it :)

It's natural to feel confused though, even when progress is being made. In my own humble opinion, I personally wouldn't mention any of this to Nina, because at this point, she may have done her own work in letting go of Jack and moving forward with her own romantic life. Knowing about Jack's current escapades might just give her some unneeded hurt that she'd have to work through as well.

Everything with Jack just sounds like you're in a sensual cul-de-sac: You go in, and you go around and around and around, but never further along down a road to anywhere. Continuing to have your hookups with Jack is probably fine, so long as you feel that you can handle it just being a hookup and nothing further. Thankfully, sex and love do not have to go hand-in-hand, but if you are someone who wants it that way, then Jack might be someone you will need to start weaning yourself off of. If not, then this situation is 100% okay :)

Having conversations with Mike sounds like a positive thing! You genuinely do not owe him anything at this point, since you two are no longer together. And, he honestly might be pretty hurt about hearing of your and Jack's current agreement. Do you feel any semblance of love re-sparking in your Heart when you talk with him? Or is it just the familiarity that is bringing you to feel close with him?

It can be tough to tell the difference between what is comfortable and what is real love. It's great that you're still pushing yourself to ask these questions though. This will help you have a deeper understanding of yourself in so many important aspects :)

1 reply
User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder OP September 14th, 2019

@Kahilum08
You are such an awesome person! You make me feel so much better about this whole situation. You're right i'm still figuring out what I am feeling. I guess I'll just have to give myself some time. I have a lot on my plate right now, workwise and somehow I'm using that as an excuse to not think about this. But after that ends, I know I will have to come to peace with a couple of things in my life or do something about them.

Can I be completely honest here? I didn't think I was somebody who could keep love and sex so disjoint. I have always known myself to be a very emotional person. If you had asked me a year ago if I were okay with a friends with benefits situation, I would have said no straight up. Yet now I find myself going with it like it's no big deal. I remember initially when things kind of started off, I used to have feelings for Jack. Initially, it didn't feel nice to know that I might be attracted to him considering my entire break up situation. I told myself it's a rebound sort of thing. Then I felt good that I still have love left in me. Slowly, that faded away. But now, there is nothing. It feels really hollow and empty to be doing these things without love. Everytime, at first I'm really convinced that I want to do it, but after it I feel terrible. I feel devoid of feelings, of love. I feel empty. And I don't like this feeling, but I find myself going back each time. I don't know who I've become. I don't know who I'm fighting with, inside of me.

You're right about Nina. I guess it's best to keep her away from this. I don't want to stir any feelings up for her again. I know she went through a tough time for a couple of weeks to get over Jack and I don't want to add to that.

As for Mike, when I think about him I think of all the happy memories we've created. I miss him and it almost makes me want to get back with him. There are times I have to cry myself to sleep and stop myself from texting him or calling him. But when I compose myself and talk to him, I feel like there is no spark left. There is a very casual energy between us now. Sometimes, I know he's hurting and that kills me. But there are other times, when I realise all over again why I broke up with him and why what I did was the right thing to do.
When we were in a relationship, he was my comfort corner. If I was ever feeling down or sad, he was always there to talk to. He used to make me feel better about everything. I guess I keep going back to him because I miss that part of my life. I feel like if I talk to him, I might be able to grab bits of that feeling of comfort. But soon I start to realise that that might be gone now and that it might never come back.
I can never get back with Mike now I guess, I would have to tell him everything that's happened since and I don't think he'd be able to take it. It would make him go away from me if anything, with more pain. I don't want to do that to him so I guess that boat has sailed now.

This entire situation is so complicated only because of what I have with Jack. Maybe it isn't the brightest idea, for me, my mental health or for others either.

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User Profile: vexy
vexy August 31st, 2019

@HustleHarder

I'm in a similar position, beginning a new school and all. It's hard and with a relationship it's even harder. You say at the end that you aren't sure what you're searching for, and that might be because you're still in the situation right now, in the middle of the storm. If i were in your position, I'd give it a lot more time and give myself some distance from everything and everyone involved if possible to get my head clear, try to figure out what exactly I want (to be by myself? to be with someone? what is your first priority?) and then maybe talk to them (Mike and your two other friends) about it all.

3 replies
User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder OP September 9th, 2019

@vexy
Hi vexy, thank you so much for taking the time out to read my post.
You're right, maybe I need to get away from all of this and clear my head before I get into anything new.
Do you think maybe I should call it all off with Jack and stay properly single for a while with no complications?
Should I just come clean to Mike and Nina about this whole thing?

2 replies
User Profile: vexy
vexy September 12th, 2019

@HustleHarder I think you would know the answer to that better, and I may be a little biased since I've been through similar situations, but that sounds like a good idea. It would also give you time to really be good with yourself, and know what you want. I hope it all works out for you <3

1 reply
User Profile: HustleHarder
HustleHarder OP September 14th, 2019

@vexy Thank you so much vexy. That means a lot to me. I think I might stay away from all the mess till I figure myself out.

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