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Relationships

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Was he never really available, or was he just not that into me?

148 replies

CheeryGreenBear · 17/07/2026 10:41

I (33F) started seeing a man (43M). Right from the beginning, he told me he was going through a divorce. I knew he was still living with his wife and that they had a son (I'd rather not say his age, but he's under 10), and they hadn't told him yet that they were separating. Still, he told me he was single.
We agreed to get to know each other and see where things would go. He said he wasn't ready for a serious relationship. During the almost two months we were seeing each other, a lot happened, and it was really wonderful. We'd sit together on park benches, go for walks, have dinner together—the usual things. We'd spend hours talking, kissing, cuddling, and texting (sometimes about sex, but mostly just everyday things). We first slept together after about three weeks. It was amazing, and afterward he texted me saying that what had happened that day was really beautiful, that it had been an incredible way to relax, and that it had filled him with positive energy.
Things kept progressing. We opened up to each other, and in my opinion, it went far beyond flirting or something casual. We were genuinely happy together, and you could tell he felt the same way. One example: we'd spend two hours cuddling and kissing in bed, then he'd get up because he had to leave, only to say, "But I want one more kiss." :)
The only "issue" was that during the third time we had sex, he lost his erection. He told me he had a lot on his mind, couldn't relax, and was nervous about disappointing me. I told him he didn't have to prove anything to me, that I loved being with him, and that we'd just try to help him relax. He sincerely thanked me, and we moved on.
Then, about a week ago, everything changed. He took me out for dinner, and afterward we spent a long time kissing in the car, holding hands, and cuddling (he had no problem getting an erection just from that). Then we went back to my place. We had amazing oral sex, but when we were about to have intercourse, the same thing happened again.
This time, though, he said he didn't feel butterflies in his stomach anymore and that he didn't feel passion or excitement. Right there, in my bed, he ended things with me. It was a huge shock.
The next day we talked, and he opened up completely. He told me that he had been filling out the divorce papers that very day and had cried while doing it. He said he doesn't actually want the divorce, that he desperately wants his wife to come back so they can be a family again. He told me that almost two years ago, she said she didn't love him anymore, didn't want to be with him, and had already been seeing another man for quite some time—but he still hasn't given up hope.
He also told me that he didn't feel the same way with me as he had felt with his wife when they first got together 16 years ago, so he thought there was no point continuing. He didn't change his mind and walked away.
So my question is: was he telling the truth when he implied that he just wasn't attracted to me? Or is the real issue that he was emotionally unavailable because he still wasn't over his marriage?
Thanks for your thoughts.

OP posts:
Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 18/07/2026 09:14

pouletvous · 18/07/2026 09:04

He sounds like an arsehole. A nasty, user
move on. Thefe are better people out there

Definitely. If he was still in love with his wife he wouldn’t have started things with you. Sorry to say but he used you for companionship and sex. To be fair, if he’s got an ex wife and a child it could be difficult seeing him anyway. Which is why I steered clear of men in his situation. Even with young children.

FlibbertyGibbitt · 18/07/2026 10:13

He said” he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship “ and he proved he wasn’t.

Sorry op, he was a proper arsehole to you. Head up, forget his bs.

wrongthinker · 18/07/2026 17:41

Fiendishandfiery · 17/07/2026 22:34

This is so bitter, look he wasn’t feeling it with the op. Not every relationship goes the distance, if you’ve never been with someone a few weeks and ended it you’re a rare person. I’ve certainly had many boyfriends I felt I has a connection with and a few weeks later I thought nah and ended it. This isnt some weird conspiracy it’s just a relationship that didn’t work,

How is it bitter? Lol. Raise your standards. There are decent men out there who don't cheat, lie, and blame their ED on their affair partners. You don't have to settle for men like this, you know.

Beccahm · 18/07/2026 23:35

CheeryGreenBear · 17/07/2026 10:59

Thanks. It's just that I had no idea he was that messed up. If I'd known, I'd never have given it a chance. He knew I wanted a relationship one day, I told him. I fell in love with hime and now I'm heartbroken and thinking 'I just wasn't enough'.

Please OP you can waste years of your life thinking you aren't good enough generally, simply because one specific man didn't feel emotionally connected with you. Believe me.

You are enough, more than enough, for many other men. Not him, and I know that hurts right now but don't let this one specific case make you believe something is generally true about yourself. It is not. I wish you a future filled with love with the right guy x

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 08:10

wrongthinker · 18/07/2026 17:41

How is it bitter? Lol. Raise your standards. There are decent men out there who don't cheat, lie, and blame their ED on their affair partners. You don't have to settle for men like this, you know.

Are you posting on the wrong thread, he didn’t lie cheat or blame it on her, he said he wasn’t feeling it which is fine. If he’s not he’s not.

JJkate · 19/07/2026 08:30

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 08:10

Are you posting on the wrong thread, he didn’t lie cheat or blame it on her, he said he wasn’t feeling it which is fine. If he’s not he’s not.

"not feeling it" is often trotted out by users and blokes who feel entitled to mess women about. It's an updated, romanticised "I can't be arsed anymore and I don't respect you enough to be decent about it".

OriginalSkang · 19/07/2026 08:33

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 08:10

Are you posting on the wrong thread, he didn’t lie cheat or blame it on her, he said he wasn’t feeling it which is fine. If he’s not he’s not.

The OP had another thread

RopaVieja · 19/07/2026 08:36

I know it's painful but at the same time, I don't think it's worth analysing to any degree. You're incompatible. You're young, you've got nothing to lose by moving on.

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:19

'not feeling it' is the hardest thing for me to hear. If only he'd said anything else - you're a pain in the ass, you're boring, you're not attractive... you see, if there had been some kind of a 'flaw', at least I'd know what I was doing wrong and I could learn a lesson or change my behaviour or I could tell myself he's an idiot... not feeling it is something that you just can't argue with. And he knows it. I just can't imagine myself spending two months with someone who I have absolutely no feelings for.

OP posts:
Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 12:29

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:19

'not feeling it' is the hardest thing for me to hear. If only he'd said anything else - you're a pain in the ass, you're boring, you're not attractive... you see, if there had been some kind of a 'flaw', at least I'd know what I was doing wrong and I could learn a lesson or change my behaviour or I could tell myself he's an idiot... not feeling it is something that you just can't argue with. And he knows it. I just can't imagine myself spending two months with someone who I have absolutely no feelings for.

Edited

Really? 2 years maybe, but I’ve had plenty of boyfriends where ir was a few months like this, decided I wasn’t feeling it and ended it. The first few months are getting to know the person.

its quite normal. I understand you fall in love within weeks, but that’s not normal. Most people a few weeks in are still getting to know the person.

you write 2 months like it was 2 years. You barely knew the guy.

Minasama · 19/07/2026 12:33

A man who is interested makes the time and wants to be with you. In my experience when it works you are living together within a year or two, barring complicating circumstances like both owning property and having teenagers needing their own rooms.

Draw a line under this and move on. You won’t know but the simple truth is usually he was less bothered than you were, but gave out interested signals regularly so that he could get sex. Men know how to play women.

BuckChuckets · 19/07/2026 12:36

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:19

'not feeling it' is the hardest thing for me to hear. If only he'd said anything else - you're a pain in the ass, you're boring, you're not attractive... you see, if there had been some kind of a 'flaw', at least I'd know what I was doing wrong and I could learn a lesson or change my behaviour or I could tell myself he's an idiot... not feeling it is something that you just can't argue with. And he knows it. I just can't imagine myself spending two months with someone who I have absolutely no feelings for.

Edited

Two months is nothing. Surely at 33 you've realised that by now?

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:41

So you're saying that's it's normal to have no feelings for a person after two months. And it's not normal to have them. Ok, I just wish I had been given a chance.

OP posts:
BuckChuckets · 19/07/2026 12:43

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:41

So you're saying that's it's normal to have no feelings for a person after two months. And it's not normal to have them. Ok, I just wish I had been given a chance.

Yes, if you're casually dating and seeing if things develop, two months is nothing. Especially from his point of view when he was obviously not ready/looking for anything serious.

I'm assuming you haven't dated much and don't have much relationship experience?

BuckChuckets · 19/07/2026 12:44

It's not nice if you've developed feelings, and I'm not saying you should toughen up or anything like that - just be aware of how you're different to many other people going into dating, and try to protect your feelings a bit more.

JJkate · 19/07/2026 13:02

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 12:29

Really? 2 years maybe, but I’ve had plenty of boyfriends where ir was a few months like this, decided I wasn’t feeling it and ended it. The first few months are getting to know the person.

its quite normal. I understand you fall in love within weeks, but that’s not normal. Most people a few weeks in are still getting to know the person.

you write 2 months like it was 2 years. You barely knew the guy.

That's all well and good if both parties are on the same page and are open about it being early days and seeing where things go. What often happens is men in particular will put on a show of being all in and then suddenly ditch a woman under the guise of "not feeling it" which is a really underhand way of getting company and sex without being honest. It's not on and it is treating women like an object.

JJkate · 19/07/2026 13:05

But they know that if they were honest and said from the beginning, this is just casual for me, I don't want anything else, most women would say no. So they lie and manipulate to get what they want for a while.

Frillysweetpea · 19/07/2026 13:06

You were love bombed and ditched - be angry. You don't need to change to suit men but it would be helpful to develop your resilience. You need to value yourself more.

Bunny65 · 19/07/2026 13:30

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:41

So you're saying that's it's normal to have no feelings for a person after two months. And it's not normal to have them. Ok, I just wish I had been given a chance.

He was not really free. What you’re feeling is the bonding hormone oxytocin. Once that had worn off you would have been irritated by his lack of commitment and confusion. This has nothing to do with you or what you did or didn’t do. He obviously enjoyed the sex and I’m sure he likes you but he was essentially leading a double life.

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 13:45

Frillysweetpea · 19/07/2026 13:06

You were love bombed and ditched - be angry. You don't need to change to suit men but it would be helpful to develop your resilience. You need to value yourself more.

He didn’t love bomb her good grief. It was just like any other short relationship that didn’t work out.

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 13:47

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 12:41

So you're saying that's it's normal to have no feelings for a person after two months. And it's not normal to have them. Ok, I just wish I had been given a chance.

Yes, it’s normal to like them, want to get to know them better, it’s very unhealthy to be thinking you’re in love after 8 weeks, and this experience shows just how unhealthy as this man was not feeling it and you didn’t see that, you were so wrapped up in whay you wanted this to be.

it was a short relationship, very brief, it didn’t work out, he found he wasn’t feeling the excitement or desire to be wit you he’d wish. So ended it. It is totally normal. Not every relationship ends in marriage or goes a long time,most just last weeks or months. That’s whay dating is.

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 13:48

It doesn’t mean you did anything wrong, just sometimes the chemistry isn’t there.

Frillysweetpea · 19/07/2026 14:07

Fiendishandfiery · 19/07/2026 13:45

He didn’t love bomb her good grief. It was just like any other short relationship that didn’t work out.

Well, you're definitely in a minority of people who think he did nothing wrong. He gave OP a lot of intense affection and then abruptly withdrew. Call it what you like but it was selfish, manipulative and unfair. My point is she needs to stop looking for a rectifiable problem within herself in the hope it will make her more desirable - that's not what's going on here.

CheeryGreenBear · 19/07/2026 14:37

Frillysweetpea · 19/07/2026 14:07

Well, you're definitely in a minority of people who think he did nothing wrong. He gave OP a lot of intense affection and then abruptly withdrew. Call it what you like but it was selfish, manipulative and unfair. My point is she needs to stop looking for a rectifiable problem within herself in the hope it will make her more desirable - that's not what's going on here.

Thank you. I also don't think this is fair. My point is that if you don't feel it after two months, you probably never did. And that's the part I can't imagine - you know from the very beginning the person doesn't stand a chance, yet you keep seeing them anyway.

OP posts:
Pinkissmart · 19/07/2026 14:49

Massive red flag that he was pursuing someone before he’d even officially separated.

You know who does that? People who are weak and need to sap someone else’s energy to get them through.

This was not a good man. Scrub him from your mind and move on