I went through a very bad relationship and he’s asked to try and work things out.

r/

I (22M) was with my ex (21M, bi) for a little over a year. We met on Bumble during a summer when I was doing a show in a nearby town. At first it was just casual, listening to music in the car, talking, but we quickly started falling for each other. Then he told me his ex (a woman) was pregnant. He called me in tears, saying he didn’t want to lose me and was scared he’d be a bad dad. I stayed by his side. He swore he was committed. Then, he blocked me on everything and disappeared for four months. I was crushed. I went off to college for the fall, tried to move on. When I came home for winter break, I redownloaded Grindr (even though I hate it), and there he was. I messaged him, unsure if he’d even reply, but he called me instantly. Said he’d missed me every day, regretted ghosting me, and felt awful for how he treated me. He admitted he was terrified of fatherhood and just shut down. I believed him. We gave it another try. Had a real first date. Declared we were officially together. But it was a long-distance relationship (he lived 3+ hours away), and after that date, I only saw him maybe 6–7 times total. I was always the one traveling or meeting him halfway. He never made the trip. Still, I loved him. I thought he was it. Then it happened again. Out of nowhere, he stopped answering. Two months of radio silence. Then a random Snapchat. I called him sobbing, and he said his phone had been broken and he didn’t have my number memorized. Again, I chose to believe him. Things seemed okay for a while. But recently, he went silent again. After a week, he finally called, yelling at me for not trusting him, saying I overwhelmed him. Told me not to contact him until Friday. I respected that. Friday came, nothing. Monday, he called to say we were done. He said one of my friends messaged him on Grindr, and he was done with the drama. He ended the call with, “Tell your friends they’ve won.” I tried to explain I had no idea that even happened, but he blocked me again. Total silence. I’m left confused, hurt, and angry. I loved this man through everything, his child, his breakdowns, his disappearances. I traveled to him. I forgave him. And he still ghosted me, twice. Now he’s asking to try and make things work. What do I do?

Comments

  1. trishsf Avatar

    Nothing. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Don’t answer. Don’t reach out. If you feel like you might, get a phone a friend. That’s a friend who is there to remind you that he’s the hot stove that will burn you. It works. You already know the answer so what you need is someone to help you stay the course. Value yourself and don’t sign up for more pain. There are so many good men out there who will treat you with kindness and respect and would never purposefully hurt you. He did. He keeps reaching out because you have taught him that you will accept an apology for something that is unacceptable. Change that. Block him. Get a phone a friend.

  2. NegotiationOk4649 Avatar

    Oh I am so sorry, relationships are difficult. He gives me the impression, he didn’t really try. As soon as things got tricky, he bailed on you. You deserve so much better. It’s easier said than done, but don’t fall for his games. There’s somebody better for you. Good luck🩷