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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

WWYD... Is this man worth waiting for? Very long sorry.

22 replies

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 14:48

We met back in September and there was an attraction straight away, we'd have liked to have gone out for a drink but he was due to spend six weeks working abroad the next week so decided to wait until he got back. The whole time he was away we kept in touch via text and facebook several times a day.

His flight landed at 5pm and 3 hours later he was with me in the pub, we couldn't wait to see each other. We ended up spending the night together, and in a conversation the next morning decided that we would be friends but not have a relationship - I'd just come out of a long one and he had been single for a long time after getting hurt badly.

Our friendship has continued since then, we do sleep together once a month or so but mostly go out as friends or watch a dvd with a take way, always lots of cuddling and he kisses my hair when hes holding me etc, lots of intimacy. We laugh together, have lots in common and want the same things out of life. During this time i've continued to go on dates and live my life, he hasn't been with anyone else.

I knew I was was falling for him and told him in February that I could continue to be his friend but could no longer sleep with him as I was having trouble seperating the two things, which he has been fine with. We are still very emotionally close although I have distanced myself from him recently - self presevation if you like.

I got a message from him yesterday saying that he had been thinking. He said that he saw his friends with their partners and how happy they were and that he wanted that, and that he wanted that with me. He said he'd realised that he'd never felt so comfortable around anyone, never been so honest, and that he saw me as more than a friend. But, that he wasn't ready for a relationship, he said he wants to sort his life out before committing himself to me, he wants to be 100% sure that it was right for him. To be fair he has just recently lost his job and had to move in with family, and its been a long time since he has had a relationship with anyone although has a huge social circle and plenty of female friends. He could have dated a number of woman but has never wanted too, he wanted to wait until it was right.

He is a lovely man, friendly, generous, sweet and he would make me happy and I know I could make him happy too. He said that its only not seeing me lately that has made him realise how much he misses me. I don't think its about sex - he knows thats off the menu. Hes always been very honest with me which I appreciate.

Ive waited 6 months to hear him say he likes me and wants to be with me. I don't want to wait any longer for him to make up his mind (I can't see the big deal about going on a few dates with someone but it obviously means alot to him), I feel like he is deciding whether or not to settle for me. How long am I supposed to wait? Indefinately??

I text him today and said that in my opinon if you meet someone thats right for you, you just know, you don't need months to think about it because something inside you pushes you forward. And, that I didn't think I was the right woman for him because it was taking him so long to decide what he wants so I was going to back off and leave him be, give him chance to forget about me and find someone special.

He replied 'Why are you telling me to forget about you? Just because I haven't cleared my head of everything that is bugging me doesn't mean you're not the one i'm meant to be with. It just means that right at this second i've still got a few things to sort out so couldn't commit to you just yet. But I never said you wern't the one, ok if you want me to forget about you I shall xxx'

and then ' Please don't think i'm mad at you, i'm not. I know you were trying to make my life easier and probably still could when i'm ready. I miss you and I didn't mean to snap. I love you xxx'

(I love you in the friend sense, we've always said it to each other)

I just don't know where I stand. I really like him, he would be great with my kids and we get on so well. I'm 28 and he is 32.

WWYD?

OP posts:
ChickensNeedOpposableThumb · 14/05/2010 14:52

I wouldn't sit about waiting, tbh. Right now, whether he means to or not, he has you dangling. Get on with your life, and if its meant to be, it will be (great motto, that ). Please don't sit about waiting though, that would be a waste.

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 14:55

Thats my motto too

I do date, go out and generally get on with things. I don't text him every day or go to places where I know he'll be - I haven't even seen him since February.

I agree he has me dangling and I did explain that to him, I told him it made me feel insecure and inadequate to sit around waiting for someone to decide if they liked me enough to be with me and he did say he was sorry but was just trying to be honest with me. I get the feeling this is very hard for him.

OP posts:
HerBeatitude · 14/05/2010 14:59

I think he sounds like a manipulative player, whether he means to be or not.

Sorry.

If you like someone, you like them and you want to be with them. You don't fuck about saying "you're the one but I need to do xyz first". You say "you;'re the one, let's get together and I'll sort out xy and z in due course."

"I just don't know where I stand." After 9 months, you bloody well should. He is messing you around and he is incredibly skilled at it.

And to be frank at the risk of sounding slightly neanderthal, I would not want to get involved with a man who has such a lack of interest in sex, that he'd rather play games than be fucking me.

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 15:05

Maybe you're right and I have had phases of thinking that too although I would be very shocked if it was intentional.

Whilst he knows that i'm interested he will be in no rush to have a proper relationship, which is why I haven't seen him for a couple of months. It was only in February I told him I liked him, before that I was always the one making sure he knew it was casual because I didn't want to admit to myself that I was falling for him.

He does have an intrest in sex, if I let him he would be all over me but out of respect for me he doesn't as I told him it wasn't what I wanted.

OP posts:
LoveBeingAHungParliament · 14/05/2010 15:07

What exactly is it he is trying to sort out?

SheWillBeLoved · 14/05/2010 15:08

Completely agree with HerBeatitude.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but I have a very uneasy feeling about him. Don't wait for him. You aren't the one with issues, so don't put your life on hold waiting for somebody to fix theirs. If they even exist.

Lucy85 · 14/05/2010 15:09

I don't understand the prob??

You both like each other, so go for it?
You're lucky, he sounds really nice.

nickelbabe · 14/05/2010 15:10

hmmm.

it sounds like you actually are in a realtionship, he just doesn't want to admit it to himself.

my ex did that. even though we were living together and had been together for 8 years, he still refused to make a commitment to me.

it might be worth pointing that out to your friend before you ditch him completely...

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 16:01

I like him and he likes me but he doesn't feel ready to be in a relationship (such a cop out imo) because he wants to sort out pre exsisting problems and "get his head sorted" I know he has work issues at the moment but I can't understand why it needs to be a big decision, its dating someone not marrying them FFS!

I will point out to him that the only difference between us being a couple and going to see films/going for a drink etc and between us being friends and going to see a film/going for a drink is just words.

I did explain to him today that if he waited much longer then he wouldn't have the option. We are meeting for breakfast on Tuesday so once and for all I am going to ask him what he wants.

OP posts:
LoveBeingAHungParliament · 14/05/2010 16:46

he wants to sort out pre exsisting problems and "get his head sorted" I know he has work issues at the moment but I can't understand why it needs to be a big decision, its dating someone not marrying them FFS!

This is what would worry me, you have been talking for months, meeting up, sleeping together, being in a relationship in all but words and he still isn't ready? UNless there is some big thing that happened i think he is, even without realising, messing you around. It's not fair to keep you hanging on like this so i agree you need to have it out once and for all. By all means give him a timescale but there needs to be one now.

SolidGoldBrass · 14/05/2010 17:12

He's either got a wife in the background that (I suppose) he might be trying to divorce or there's another woman that he wants who isn't interested in him, and he;s trying to decide whether to 'settle' for you or not.
I would suggest binning him, to be honest. Or he will fanny around forever, or he will agree eventually to a commitment and then start screwing around because 'you pushed me into it before I was ready'. He is, basically Not That Into You.

SeasideLil · 14/05/2010 17:25

I agree he's not that into you, otherwise he would be terrified of losing you at the moment. I would stop seeing him, stop any intimacy, chats late at night and so on. Say you just can't cope and will get back in touch in a few months if you feel like it. Let him see what the world looks like without you. If it looks terrible, he'll leap up and come and get you, if it looks actually quite fine, you have your answer.

I also don't like people who are prepared to do relationship things but want the disclaimer of not having a relationship. Why do they need that? The longest I've ever put up with being messed around is about a month and even that was two weeks too long!

As for the happy with sex once a month, perhaps he is, perhaps he isn't. I don't know why sex isn't on your menu, but I don't personally know many men keen on having sexless relationships, especially in their late twenties/early thirties. That all needs much more examination before going forward, and for him to be a lot keener before I would feel reassured about that.

skidoodly · 14/05/2010 17:29

I would give him the timescale of right now - either he's interested or he's not, this is a one-shot deal, if he waits he misses out. And I'd mean it.

PfftThePinkoLeftyDragon · 14/05/2010 17:32

Is he trying to sort out a quickie divorce?

purplepeony · 14/05/2010 18:10

ooooh tricky.

I feel for you really as it sounds as if you have a lot of potential together.

Is he just a commitment phobe?

I can only tell you what worked for me:
my DH ( of 25 years now) and I dated for 2 years long distance. we were your age and both single. One by one all his mates got engaged/married but meantime we were stil driving for 2 hrs each way every weekend. I got fed up. I had had lots of unhappy relationships and didn't want to waste any more time. He just always said he didn't want to get married/commit "yet".

I even "threatened" to work in Botswana just to see his reaction- which was "If that is what you want to do." Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

So I decided to step back- started not coming to see him every weekend and told him I was busy with friends etc. Even met another guy and started dating him casually.

Within weeks my DH was on the phone- and proposing marriage.

Maybe you should try- hard as it is- to just chill and leave him to it? see what he does?

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 18:41

The reason that sex isn't on my menu with him is that I wanted to see if he wanted to be around me for me or just because he knew he would get laid, and although he makes the odd hopeful comment at times he has respected it and seems the same as ever with me. When we have a drink in the pub etc I don't invite him back to mine anymore as I think thats a privilege for a boyfriend.

He is definately not married, i've spent time at his home, he currently lives with his parents due to work drying up but previously had a job travelling to different countries so has never really had the opportunity to settle down with anyone. He has mentioned one girlfriend in the past, they split eventually as she couldn't deal with his job and asked him to leave it which he did, they set up home together and she/they soon realised that being together more often wasn't good for them and they split. This was a long time ago though.

I don't think he is intentually messing me around, I really don't. He is such a lovely man - I know I could call him at any time if I needed anything and he would be round in a shot. I don't see him very often anymore (my choice)

He said he had wanted to be with me early on in our 'relationship' but out of respect for my ex, who is a friend of his, although not close and because he wanted to give me time to adjust to being single, he didn't. Then I started dating other people so he thought I didn't see him that way. I think my big announcement about having feelings for him in February and then backing right off made him think about things.

I probably won't speak to him til Monday night now, and then it'll to be to confirm times for Tuesday, he is never late, never stands me up and is fantastic company.

I agree with the poster that said she couldn't understand it, it's a date not a proposal lol - exactly my thoughts! How much is there to think about

OP posts:
thesouthsbelle · 14/05/2010 19:08

tbh he's keeping his options open,

and i've just spent the last 4 months or so trying to sort my head out after a bloke did this exact same thing to me - his name wouldn't begin with a W would it?

I personally think you shouldn't wait or indeed bother with him at all - he knows where you live, when he's man enough to fight for you he's man enough to be with you. honestly don't put up with a ditherer.

as I say 4 months it's taken to sort my head out again and I was only seeing him for 6 months (if that)

he's playing the manipulation card - and tbh emotional blackmail with his texts.

TeamCarlise · 14/05/2010 19:59

Bugger

I just knew what you were all going to say but sometimes you need to see it in black and white.

I guess I can't even be sure that i'm not one of a few women he is seeing and spinning the same stories too, ah well you win some you lose some.

Still hoping that he all of a sudden appears on my doorstep declaring undying love and carrying dairy milk, a girl can dream

OP posts:
SolidGoldBrass · 14/05/2010 20:45

He may not be intentionally manipulating you, of course. He may really, honestly, simply not be all that bothered about progressing towards moving in/marriage/breeding.
Or he may not be monogamous. Have you discussed exclusivity? (If you haven't discussed it then you're not entitled to it BTW).
But the end result is the same - he's Not That Into You, so your options are either carry on seeing him on a no-strings basis but get on with your life - or bin him and, if a serious commited relationship is what you want, seek it elsewhere.
Waiting for him to commit to you is a very bad idea, because if he was going to, he would have done. SO he basically doesn't want to, however much he 'quite likes' you.

Speckledeggy · 14/05/2010 20:46

Totally agree with everyone on this. Sounds to me as if he is definitely hedging his bets.

He needs to up his game if he wants your affections so I would back right off now. Don't explain yourself, just say you are busy doing other things.

I had the same problem with ex-BF. My lovely DH arrived on the scene and was chomping at the bit to see me. He proposed after 6 months. That's how this young gentleman should be treating you!

There are lots of other fish in the sea to appear on your doorstep declaring undying love and carrying Dairy Milk. Don't fall for a nasty old shark!

Sessypoos · 14/05/2010 23:49

Yep, agree with everyone on here. He sounds like a monumental waste of time. Id probably cancel tuesday (breakfast? wtf?), saying something came up: Bye bye! Next!

Speckledeggy · 15/05/2010 01:14

Definitely cancel breakfast.

You need to stop focusing on what he wants and get clear on what you want. If it's an open and honest relationship with a man who is kind, caring and makes you feel secure then you are looking in the wrong place. Given time, this kind of behaviour will erode your confidence as jump through hoops trying to fit in with what he wants.

You will probably never know the reason why he is faffing about. Just accept that it is just not worth the angst and you deserve far more than he is prepared to offer you.

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