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Boyfriend doesn't want me sharing a bed with Bestfriend on trip

434 replies

okiedokieokayy · 26/07/2026 21:47

My best friend of around 8 years (we met at uni) has been living abroad for over two years and is finally coming back to the UK next month. I've been so excited to see her. To mark the occasion and make sure we actually get proper quality time together, we booked a little countryside retreat about 4 hours from where I live. Logistics also played a part, as she's coming from visiting family and then jetting off again, so this was the easiest way to make it work. We've had this trip planned for about four months. She made the booking and I was more than happy for her to sort it.
For context, my friend and I have shared a bed completely platonically loads of times over the years. Drunkenly crashing at uni, travelling together as broke backpackers, visiting each other in different cities. It's just never been a thing. So when she booked the room it genuinely didn't occur to me to ask about the bed situation. I'd have been fine with sharing or a twin, it just wasn't a question that entered my head.
It only came up when I was chatting to my boyfriend of nearly two and a half years about the trip. Not the first conversation we've had about it, like I said I've been excited, but this time the topic of rooms came up. He'd assumed we had separate rooms and when I said no, it's one room with a double, his whole mood changed. He said he wasn't comfortable with me sharing a bed with her. I should mention here that my friend happens to be a lesbian, and he knows this. When I asked why it was suddenly an issue, he said it "just feels different" and that he wouldn't share a bed with someone who could potentially be attracted to him, so he didn't see why I would. I tried to explain that we've shared beds plenty of times before, that she's basically family to me, and that she has never once, in eight years, shown even a hint of interest in me like that. He wasn't having it.
He then asked me to at least check if the hotel had twin rooms. I did check, to keep the peace, and there aren't any available. His response was that I need to book a separate room. It's a lot of money and honestly I'm not sure I can afford it, especially for something I don't think is necessary.
The bit that's really bothering me is that I mentioned it to my friend. I told her what he'd said and after some conversation I floated the idea that maybe I should just book the separate room. She went quiet for a second and then said "erm, yeah, okay, if that's what you think's best." There was a definite tone in her voice, like she was holding something back and trying not to cause drama. And now I feel awful. I can't work out if I'm more upset that my boyfriend doesn't seem to trust my judgement, or worried that she's hurt by the inference, because let's be honest, the implication is that because she's gay she can't be trusted to share a bed with a friend, which feels really unfair on her.
I know some people here will use the "what if she was a guy" or "would you be okay with your boyfriend sharing a bed with a straight female friend" argument, and I get why, but I'm honestly not sure it's the same thing. This is someone I've known for nearly a decade with zero history or hint of anything romantic. I don't know how I feel and I don't know what to do. Do I pay for a room I can't really afford to keep my boyfriend happy, or hold my ground and risk a row? And is it unreasonable of me to feel a bit insulted on my friend's behalf?

OP posts:
DaringQuoter · Today 00:07

A group of female friends go away every year. Some of us want our own room. Others will share if it’s twin beds. I think only me and my bestie don’t mind sharing a bed. It’s down to personal choice. Nobody’s odd!!
P.S. We’re all married divorced or widows - not sure it makes any difference.

Lindtnotlint · Today 00:22

I think you are perfectly normal and sensible bed sharing with your friend and I don’t think anyone is shagging anyone.

however - I also don’t think it is wildly evil and controlling to take a different view. Personally I trust my husband to the moon and back, but I still would prefer he doesn’t share a bed. Ideally with anybody (in my world - which I get is different from yours - I would just think “get a bloody twin room like a normal adult”). I would particularly not like it with a woman, and I wouldn’t really like it with a gay man either. I also wouldn’t personally choose ever to share a bed with anyone except my husband, kid or if necessary my mum. I am not saying I am right and you are wrong - and if anything this thread very much suggests I am in the minority! But I don’t think it is insane to have these type of feelings about bed sharing. For me it absolutely isn’t that I think DH would shag someone (he definitely wouldn’t). It’s more like a discomfort around something that’s special to us - bed sharing (with or without cuddles) is not for other people it’s for me.

I think he wasn’t unreasonable to suggest he would be more comfy with twins. Pushing for a separate room is taking it a bit far - but I think he is being a bit over-demonised here. I guess it depends how he would react if you say that you get it and in general will go for twins, but it isn’t worth lots of cost.

I think I would be a bit hurt if my partner couldn’t be bothered to try to get a twin when one was available. I obviously wouldn’t kick up a massive fuss if one wasn’t - which is where your BF may be crossing a line.

changeme4this · Today 00:47

SleepingStandingUp · Yesterday 23:15

why lie? she's not doing anything wrong.

No she isn’t and normally I’m not a fan for lying either.

however I’m a big fan of not letting relationships get in the way of long term friendships based on the fact that I allowed that to happen to my friendships.

a white lie might have given me breathing space away from the nut job I was with at the time. If this needs to be the case for the OP too, so be it.

Ditchthebitch · Today 01:00

changeme4this · Today 00:47

No she isn’t and normally I’m not a fan for lying either.

however I’m a big fan of not letting relationships get in the way of long term friendships based on the fact that I allowed that to happen to my friendships.

a white lie might have given me breathing space away from the nut job I was with at the time. If this needs to be the case for the OP too, so be it.

A white lie to save important or vital connections. Completely valid form of self preservation!

CamillaMcCauley · Today 01:46

changeme4this · Today 00:47

No she isn’t and normally I’m not a fan for lying either.

however I’m a big fan of not letting relationships get in the way of long term friendships based on the fact that I allowed that to happen to my friendships.

a white lie might have given me breathing space away from the nut job I was with at the time. If this needs to be the case for the OP too, so be it.

Suuuurely the real solution is to ditch the nut job.

SleepingStandingUp · Today 01:55

Ditchthebitch · Today 01:00

A white lie to save important or vital connections. Completely valid form of self preservation!

on the assumption that's she's buying time to keep herself safe as she extricated herself from the relationship? fair enough

to keep the insecure man from throwing a tantrum and continuing this lie into the next 30 years of marriage? not so much

ReadingSoManyThreads · Today 01:55

So it sounds from that phone call with your friend that she has some reservations about your boyfriend/relationship? Has she given any further opinion on this or is she saving it for face-to-face with you?

changeme4this · Today 02:26

CamillaMcCauley · Today 01:46

Suuuurely the real solution is to ditch the nut job.

Maybe OP needs time away with her friend to regroup with her feelings.

Or maybe he just needs a swift reminder it’s not his place to question the arrangement and her friendship… 🙂

Booboobagins · Today 02:34

But what if it was him sharing a bed with his male BF who was gay? I think he has a point. It's not about anything except it presents an unpalatable opportunity in his head.

Why adult friends want to share a bed with each other I've no idea...

Lifeishard2 · Today 02:47

@okiedokieokayy your boyfriend is being ridiculous.

I'm in my 50s and always share a bed with my BFF (who is 40) when we go away as it's cheaper than booking 2 rooms. We don't care whether it's a king or 2 singles, we're happy to sleep in either.

We go away as a group of 5 too, and 2 out of the 5 are gay, and we have no issues getting changed in front of each other, sharing facilities and bunking together if need be. Not everything has to lead to sex/romantic feelings. Like you say, it's more akin to sharing with a sibling.

Anyone who thinks that's weird is odd to me.

Also, at the end of the day, your bf either trusts you or he doesn't. It actually doesn't even matter whether your BFF fancies you or not, as that still doesn't mean something would happen. It takes 2 to tango.

Svelty · Today 06:38

I’ve also slept in a bed with gay male friend and actually that felt more weird to me than sleeping in bed with gay female friend. The chance of anything going on there is laughable but it was just the maleness of him that made me a bit less comfortable.

My dh doesn’t have any close gay friends and if he suddenly got one I would probably find it odd to be sleeping with them. But if it was a very long standing friendship that would be different.

Chickadee001 · Today 06:53

He's obviously not feeling 100% safe and secure with his relationship with you and doesn't trust you not to be attracted to your oldest best friend!

What a silly silly boy, he needs to grow up, not watch so many porn fantasy films and realise that 2 women can have a totally platonic relationship!

ItsOkItsDarkChocolate · Today 07:04

ThatRatBastard · 26/07/2026 21:54

I'd be calling her to apologise for listening to him, and saying of course we can still share. Then I would tell him that any attraction I had to my friend would have come up in the previous 8 years. It hasn't, it won't, and he needs to relax. Otherwise I'd be seriously thinking about ending it with him for being irrationally jealous and controlling.

@okiedokieokayy

This.

I’ve not read all the updates yet though.

ItsOkItsDarkChocolate · Today 07:06

pinkfondu · 26/07/2026 23:24

He’s allowed to feel like that, BUT what he’s actually saying is he doesn’t trust you

@okiedokieokayy

Also this.

ItsOkItsDarkChocolate · Today 07:15

okiedokieokayy · Yesterday 20:34

Quick update. Called her today after work . Not going to type out the whole conversation, it was very long with both of our input and back and forth (we’re actually as a cornerstone of of friendship really good at talking things out if/ when it comes to it - always have been -not one sided) , but here's the gist of the bits relevant to this thread very paraphrased :

I told her I regretted even floating the separate room idea, and that I hadn't pushed back on him as hard as I should have. I said I didn't really know why I'd caved instead of just telling him flat out that treating her like some kind of risk was ridiculous.

She admitted she'd been a little upset, but also added some things : she was Not ‘devastated’ , more caught off guard. She said if it had actually gutted her she'd have said so on the spot or very shortly after, because that's just how she operates with anyone, me included, and she wasn't about to start making an exception now. Her going quiet on the phone was less about hiding hurt and more about not wanting to say something about my relationship that she couldn't take back later in a moment of reactionary hurt (if she ever comments about my relationships it’s respectful) .

She also said the pause was partly because it's so unlike me to suggest something purely to dodge a row with a partner, and partly because she genuinely had thoughts on how he'd reacted but was holding them back on purpose. Didn't want to react in the heat of the moment or make it about her when it wasn't really her issue to carry.

  • she said there's no version of eight years and everything we've been through where she'd think I genuinely doubted her because of her sexuality and this instance did not change that . She got why I said what I said in the moment, tired, ambushed by the topic, trying to keep the peace, and she wasn't holding it against me.

To be clear, I'm not just leaving it there either. I told her I still intend to sort things properly with him, and that she’s an important part of my life and I won’t stand for baseless judgemental assumptions being held about her .

She also said again that she's genuinely fine with whatever I land on for the room and whatever I decide but she was added that that’s only only true if it's actually my call and not me quietly folding when I don’t sound like I want to . Basically she'd rather I made a decision I could stand behind than one that just made the conflict go away. Hearing her put it like that actually settled something for me, and I told her no, we're keeping the original booking, one room, like we planned.

So. Me and her are good. The boyfriend situation is still very much a work in progress, both in my head and in terms of the actual conversation we still need to have and dependant on that conversation

Well done!!

Good luck with the fella!!

foreverafternow · Today 07:37

boyfriend is clearly being ridiculous. this is a friend youve had for 8 years and are clearly very comfortable with. I am straight and I am not attracted to every guy I see. Just because you are attracted to girls doesn't mean now you're going to be weird around all your friends that are girls. And that is clearly what he thinks. He also knows how expensive it will be and to do all that just because he is clearly insecure is ridiculous. honestly i would break up with him and apologize to my friend. she probably knew it was stupid and just didn't wanna start anything. best of luck queen

VointofPiew · Today 07:44

Lindtnotlint · Today 00:22

I think you are perfectly normal and sensible bed sharing with your friend and I don’t think anyone is shagging anyone.

however - I also don’t think it is wildly evil and controlling to take a different view. Personally I trust my husband to the moon and back, but I still would prefer he doesn’t share a bed. Ideally with anybody (in my world - which I get is different from yours - I would just think “get a bloody twin room like a normal adult”). I would particularly not like it with a woman, and I wouldn’t really like it with a gay man either. I also wouldn’t personally choose ever to share a bed with anyone except my husband, kid or if necessary my mum. I am not saying I am right and you are wrong - and if anything this thread very much suggests I am in the minority! But I don’t think it is insane to have these type of feelings about bed sharing. For me it absolutely isn’t that I think DH would shag someone (he definitely wouldn’t). It’s more like a discomfort around something that’s special to us - bed sharing (with or without cuddles) is not for other people it’s for me.

I think he wasn’t unreasonable to suggest he would be more comfy with twins. Pushing for a separate room is taking it a bit far - but I think he is being a bit over-demonised here. I guess it depends how he would react if you say that you get it and in general will go for twins, but it isn’t worth lots of cost.

I think I would be a bit hurt if my partner couldn’t be bothered to try to get a twin when one was available. I obviously wouldn’t kick up a massive fuss if one wasn’t - which is where your BF may be crossing a line.

Nobody here would support a man sharing a bed with his gay friend

VointofPiew · Today 07:51

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/relationships/5554312-is-my-partner-gay

Some comments from the thread:

Why would they push the beds together

It’s not normal to push two twin beds together unless you are in a romantic relationship. I think you need to have a conversation.

My current BF had been single a long time with a life long (married) male BF. I wondered too, as they seemed to be in touch much more than male friends usually are, but I now think that was a habit bourne out of not having had a significant other to share the day to day with, and he does it less now..

OP, obvs it takes all sorts but I am a straight man who has had close gay male friends, we've been away together on work things for weeks and I would never push two single beds together, not even if the other guy wanted it. We got on like a house on fire, lots of camp humour. But no intimacy, because I wasn't interested. I think your guy is probably bisexual. Straight guys sleeping together in a bed is not "normal"

Is my partner gay | Mumsnet

I met a man about 3 months ago. We get on great. He’s out of a relationship 6 years now. He has been very lovey dovey from the start and has said I lo...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/relationships/5554312-is-my-partner-gay

SleepingStandingUp · Today 08:30

Booboobagins · Today 02:34

But what if it was him sharing a bed with his male BF who was gay? I think he has a point. It's not about anything except it presents an unpalatable opportunity in his head.

Why adult friends want to share a bed with each other I've no idea...

op has clearly said it wouldn't bother her

SleepingStandingUp · Today 08:35

Booboobagins · Today 02:34

But what if it was him sharing a bed with his male BF who was gay? I think he has a point. It's not about anything except it presents an unpalatable opportunity in his head.

Why adult friends want to share a bed with each other I've no idea...

me! who can be bothered to try and find a 6 bed rental for a girls weekend ? I don't have any latent sexual feelings towards my friends, I have better things to spend my money on and I don't assume anyone sharing a bed with me secretly wants to have sex with me

SleepingStandingUp · Today 08:45

VointofPiew · Today 07:51

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/relationships/5554312-is-my-partner-gay

Some comments from the thread:

Why would they push the beds together

It’s not normal to push two twin beds together unless you are in a romantic relationship. I think you need to have a conversation.

My current BF had been single a long time with a life long (married) male BF. I wondered too, as they seemed to be in touch much more than male friends usually are, but I now think that was a habit bourne out of not having had a significant other to share the day to day with, and he does it less now..

OP, obvs it takes all sorts but I am a straight man who has had close gay male friends, we've been away together on work things for weeks and I would never push two single beds together, not even if the other guy wanted it. We got on like a house on fire, lots of camp humour. But no intimacy, because I wasn't interested. I think your guy is probably bisexual. Straight guys sleeping together in a bed is not "normal"

I happily share a bed with my female friends, but I wouldn't push the beds together if it was a twin. op has said it was a double bed not twins pushed together. the comparison isn't the same.

would I care if DH shared with a gay man? no. DH isn't gay, he isn't going to randomly try it out just cos the bed is a double, and I don't think he's so irresponsible any gay man must fancy him.

and whilst I might find pushing the beds together odd, I wouldn't assume he was gay.

BunnyLake · Today 08:45

LilySLE · Yesterday 21:58

I think life moves on to a point where it does become more normal to have separate beds with friends. I booked a weekend away for 5 female friends recently and when checking the brief for what I was looking for was told that sharing rooms was fine, sharing a bed was not. I have another group of women that I go away with every year to CenterParcs - that is two double beds and two twins - and it’s acknowledged that not everyone would be comfortable sharing one of the doubles, even though we’ve known each other over 10 years.

It’s really a horses for courses thing. I’ve known my friend for sixty years and wouldn’t share a bed, a room at a push, but not a bed. We’re both straight but it’s just not something that we’ve ever done, even as youngsters. If we went away now we would most likely both want our own rooms.

Hazzaar67 · Today 08:59

Arregaithel · 26/07/2026 22:05

@Pistachiocake it's not really the same thing though is it?

If he was sharing with his male best mate who was gay, that, would be the equivalence, wouldn't it?

So you'd honestly be ok with your man meeting up with a gay man (freind) over a weekend and sharing a bed together?

Velvetandleather · Today 09:26

Hazzaar67 · Today 08:59

So you'd honestly be ok with your man meeting up with a gay man (freind) over a weekend and sharing a bed together?

I think we all know men don’t tend to do that, irrelevant of orientation, it’s more women who share with other women.

Arregaithel · Today 10:55

Hazzaar67 · Today 08:59

So you'd honestly be ok with your man meeting up with a gay man (freind) over a weekend and sharing a bed together?

Absolutely zero problem because @Hazzaar67;

a) I'm not insecure, b) I am not homophobic and c) I have neither control nor trust issues.

Within a relationship, each of us should have equal rights with mutual respect and healthy boundaries, so why on earth would I distrust my partner?

If I became someone who felt the need to "allow" a grown human to do anything, because of my own fear, I'd have to reflect seriously as to why I'd become such a numpty!

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