Quote:
Originally Posted by stephan
Going to see her to tonight to tell her it's either me or him. She called me last night and told me that he admitted he still likes her and wants to get together. Completely inexcusable at this point. It's either him or me. If she says no, we are done. If she says ok, and i catch some deception down the road, we are done.
Right now it's your self-esteem issues vs. her abandonment/security/daddy issues. The situation is perfect for hers right now, as she has 'old reliable' (you) who will never leave her, and 2 (or more?) other guys pursuing her. But there's no way for you to get your needs met in this arrangement. You believe you need her, because you're afraid no one else you're attracted to will have you. You want to keep her for yourself, and the harder you squeeze, the more she wants to explore other options.
Aladare made the best comments, although since she's coming from a more mature perspective, this may be hard to relate to. Although it's fun to talk about revenge fantasies, it's the absolute wrong idea, because reacting this strongly betrays the level of your attachment to her, and reinforces the pain associated with the relationship. Keep your self-respect or, in your case more likely, start building self-respect by having a conversation with her that includes:
"When we decided to be a couple, I thought that meant that we'd be doing things generally as a couple, etc., rather than exploring options with other people.
"Maybe it's time to re-evaluate. You might have a different idea of what being a couple means. I'm not willing to be your fall-back guy. It doesn't work for me. Your wanting to hang out with Bob and exbf seems to me that you're in a different place re- our relationship. Tell me how you see our relationship right now."
[she responds by saying "You're the greatest," etc.]
"So are we a couple? Are we together? Because hanging out with Bob/exbf tells me we're not a couple. You might think of it as innocent, but obviously it has led to one of them discussing wanting to have a relationship with you, so obviously they see it differently, as do I."
She can now say:
A: "I want you. I know that now. It was a mistake to hang out with them, it won't happen again."
B: "I want you, but there's nothing wrong with continuing to hang out with these guys."
C: "You're right, let's break it off."
If you hear A, then I guess you can give it another shot. If B or C, you thank her for the great times you've had together, and tell her sorry, but you need to move on with your life. Wish her the best (even if you don't mean it) and make arrangements for getting all your stuff. It will feel like **** at first, but I guarantee you will look back at this event as a change for the better years from now.