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Does anyone think he loves me?

Tagged as: Dating, Troubled relationships<< Previous question   Next question >>
Question - (10 March 2011) 15 Answers - (Newest, 20 March 2011)
A female United States age 51-59, *bbyann123 writes:

ok , so after my divorce in 2004 , me and a long time friend who was divorcing too . started to sleep together the first time once , did not see him for 9 months he called apologized and said i did not deserve that , we got to gather a few times a week for a while , then without warning poof disappeared , a few months later reappeared said he was not ready to settle down ( he had a bad marriage she left him for another man ) and it would be when his kids got grown and he felt like he was wasting my time . I assured him after two failed marriages of my own he was the best man i have ever dated and i could wait . well a while maybe a year later he tells me he does not love me the way i deserve and he feels guilty and yep gone again . we reunited shortly in 2008 then he was gone until feb 2011 . we have talked on the phone a bit and gotten together once an had a few more conversations. i am trying to let him be the caller because he likes to lead , i did ask him if he had an expiration date this time and he laughed saying I dont know . he has told me in the past that when he is about ready to say what i want to hear (the l word ) he runs like a fox being shot at . His kids are almost grown the youngest graduates next year , we dont argue we laugh alot , he does lil things for me like make me coffee or rub my feet . our together time is great . and i am crushed when he leaves. So question is , does anyone think he loves me , or is just useing me . or what ? what do i do ?

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (20 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

Oh yea he did not drop the L word , but he did say he cared very much for me and that he will always come back . It was the way he said it I really felt it.

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (20 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

Well for all who I have been emailing about my quandary . I would like to happily announce I had the BIG talk with my guy , and he agreed that it was not fair for me to feel bad about the security of our relationship and that we are officially together , however he is not ready for marriage until his boys are settled. he did explain that it wasn't there choice to be brought in to this world and he weather anyone thinks is normal he feels he is obliged to see them up and out then it will be his time and no matter how sweet kind or great a woman may be he is gonna wait. I told him i wasn't trying to make him feel bad or rushed , that i just needed to know he would be in this relationship together . That we all have feelings and none were wrong and that i just needed to be heard and know that he understands . And he agreed . Then we laughed and talked about random things and It was just a wonderful night . He even made plans to stay the whole night in two weeks when his boys go on there trip out of state.

I know it all sounds crazy but for us it is a huge milestone. and I want to thank GOD and everyone here for giving me the courage to clear the air , I feel so much better and will keep you all up to date on more milestones ...:)

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A female reader, aunt honesty Ireland +, writes (17 March 2011):

aunt honesty agony auntJust keep being strong and tell him the next time you see him how you feel. Give him a chance to explain why he keeps running away, my guess is he is scared to death to get hurt again and that is why he is keeping you at arms length. But he keeps coming back, that shows a sign that there is something there, he is just not brave enough to do anything about it. I think that yes he may love you, but that he is struggling to figure out if he is actually in love with you and wanting a relationship.

Talk to him and tell him how you feel, be open and honest with each other, but most importantly you need to make it clear to him that he cannot keep doing this to you and that he needs to make up his mind. This is not fair on you and he needs to decide what he wants, he has been running away for long enough now. You need to stand up to him and tell him that yes you want to be with him, but you need to know what he wants and that if he ever runs again you wont welcome him back in to your life. I know that it is harsh but you need to be strong and keep to that promise. Goodluck and all the best. Let us know how it goes with him.

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A male reader, idoneitagain Australia +, writes (17 March 2011):

It seems that you are quite clear on this guy. He is the best guy you have dated, you love him, he treats you well when you are with him. What I am not sure about is the same thing that you are not sure about. Does he love you?

It sounds to me like he is in two minds, that he does love you (and almost managed to say the l word), but then his behaviour says that he either doesn't, or is afraid to get too close so he runs for the hills. This might be his emotional style, when things get too close, too much intimacy, or too much risk, he bolts. This might be due to past experience, and he may be unaware of why he does it.

So, you do need to have a conversation with him, but not really the conversation where you tell him how much you love him and all of the things that you feel. It is important that he know this, but I suspect he probably already does. It is important to tell him how you feel, to spell it out and not be discrete about it in case he doesn't know, but more important for you is, how does he feel, is he able to tell you how he feels, or willing, or ready, and MOST important, is what does he want to do about it.

Does he want to give it a go at having a relationship with you? That means starting slowly but regularly, or it means seeing eachother 3 times a week and going from there, or it means living together, or whatever the two of you agree on.

You need to know what kinds of relationships you are prepared to accept, and what you are not prepared to accept, and you need to find out from him what kind of relationship he wants with you.

Actions speak louder than words. If he can't tell you what he is prepared to give, and follow through by actually doing it, he isn't much use to you.

Good luck.

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A male reader, doublejack United States +, writes (14 March 2011):

After reading all of the OP's posts and the advice given by everyone, I have two things I feel are worth sharing.

First, OP - I know this has been very difficult for you emotionally, but I strongly advise against your plan to share everything with this man. I feel this way because if his intentions are less than honorable, and I'm not saying they necessarily are it is just that this possibility can't be ruled out given the situation, then the more information you give this man the more leverage he will have over you. If he knows he has you hooked to that degree then he may feel comfortable coming and going as he pleases. He has to know already that you love him, does he need to know how deeply your feelings run?

He hasn't opened up to you, so I can understand your logic here - open yourself up and maybe he'll do the same. Unfortunately, I don't feel it is likely to work out that way. At best you'll get him thinking and maybe spur him into action one way or the other. At worst, he'll do as I mentioned and use the info against you.

The second topic I want to address is this - after knowing this man for so long, do you honestly feel he is worth the emotional distress he puts you through? The disappearing act, the excuses to justify his position on not committing, etc. are all games. He's a grown, adult man... not a child. He should know what he wants out of life by now. So, why is he playing games?

I can only guess at what is going through this guy's mind. However, drawing upon my own experiences there are warning signs that he's using you. I do not believe he would treat you in this manner if he truly cherished you. I know I could never do these things to a woman that I would possibly want to get serious with. The fact that he's manipulated you for so long is probably a good indication that it may finally be time to move on from him, although I understand that would not be an easy thing to do.

Whatever you decide, please keep us updated. And I wish you the best!

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A female reader, tillie United Kingdom +, writes (13 March 2011):

HI all

I have a very long story that I will shorten as much as possible. Three years ago I met a man who I have been having an on off relationship with. He has been divorced twice and has a son. The relationship has been on and off becuase whenever we get so far he pushes me away. The reasons for pushing me away have changed in the 3 years but the biggest reason is that whenever the relationship progresses he gets scared and says I am struggling, I can't do this anymore. For example we both have children (from previous relationships) and we got them together. I then hear from him he can't do the family thing, He has never had it before (he has been marrried and divorced twice). He breaks up with or causes an upset that then makes me tell him enough is enough but he keeps coming back. Twice I have changed my number and email but he turns up at my house. He came by last saturday and got his 4 year old son to knock on the door. He tells me he wants a relationship with me in its entirity and knows he has to start bending and I am the one person he will bend for. Tells me he loves me and missses me. We went out for dinner the next day and I gave him a list of things he has to stop doing and do for us to get back together. He then told me he does not want to hurt me again and can't do it. He would always cause an upset for a big event like Xmas and birthdays so they would not happen. I am confused right now. Did he love me on a shallow level? Will he now stay away? He has gone and come back at least 20 in the past 3 years, sometimes after two weeks sometimes longer. He would make promises and not stick to them, dangling a future infront of me and then take it away. What was going on? I hope someone can answer. I do not believe that he would spend this much time on it for 3 years if there were no feelings for me at all. Why would you waste so much time?

Sorry for the essay.

Many thnx

Tillie

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A male reader, Mr Clark United States +, writes (12 March 2011):

It's difficult to know what is on his mind, how he feels. I'm sure you have enough experience to know that relationships are often not black and white, love or hate.

My best guess is that he is experiencing a mixture of emotions. He obviously likes you in some ways or he wouldn't keep coming back. But, if he was head over heals in love, I doubt he'd keep leaving.

It seems to me that what you're left with in terms of explanations for his behavior is that there is something holding him back. It might be external (e.g. he doesn't feel like he wants to get remarried to anyone), or it might be specific to his relationship with you. I've reread your posts several times, but I have not been able to glean enough information to make an aducated guess as to what the primary issue is.

Your only real choice is to try to talk to him and find out how he feels. If he truely loves you, it's unlikely this would scare him away. If he doesn't, at least you will have a good chance of knowing the answer.

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (11 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

Thanks to all , after crying and praying for the past few hours , i have come to the conclusion to spill my guts and let him know every ugly thought i have had and let him know (again) how much i love him . humm i will keep you all posted . i wont see him until my son goes to his dads for the weekend in two weeks so keep the advice coming it is giving me the strength to build up to this conversation.

and it is so putting into words how i feel and cant put my finger on it . so whew hope i dont implode before then lol.

peace have great days everyone .

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (11 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

This has been alot of food for thought . I did tell him the last time not to come back till he was ready for some steady level of commitment . so who knows why he choose now to come back it has been by far the longest time we spent apart and i truly have no desire to be with anyone else i have a full life with several jobs and kids so i just chalked up to never being loved back by anyone because he by far has always accepted me for everything .

i just feel by my comments and such over our first meal back together may have been a bit over the top , but he knows all to well i can be that way . lol.

uhhh . i just wish we could have a day or a night together , our conversations always warm up and if i practice some restraint he does tend to verbally open up more . i am just getting older and tired of putting fluff on my feelings. i want to call him ( i did leave him a message and tell him if he did not get to work today because he works outside and it was rainy last night but pretty today to stop by . but he hasnt called me back yet and i dont want to keep hounding him so soon back .

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (11 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

This has been alot of food for thought . I did tell him the last time not to come back till he was ready for some steady level of commitment . so who knows why he choose now to come back it has been by far the longest time we spent apart and i truly have no desire to be with anyone else i have a full life with several jobs and kids so i just chalked up to never being loved back by anyone because he by far has always accepted me for everything .

i just feel by my comments and such over our first meal back together may have been a bit over the top , but he knows all to well i can be that way . lol.

uhhh . i just wish we could have a day or a night together , our conversations always warm up and if i practice some restraint he does tend to verbally open up more . i am just getting older and tired of putting fluff on my feelings. i want to call him ( i did leave him a message and tell him if he did not get to work today because he works outside and it was rainy last night but pretty today to stop by . but he hasnt called me back yet and i dont want to keep hounding him so soon back .

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A male reader, LovelessAct1 United States +, writes (10 March 2011):

Commitment is a strange thing and is often misconstrued to mean "settling." Both of you have seen the bad ends of marriage in your own ways, and while you may seem ready to find another relationship, that may not be the experience he's looking for after his divorce.

His past has now changed him, and its hard to say if it will ever go back to the way it was. It seems as though every time he realizes that your relationship calls for more commitment it scares him into running. For him, commitment may be the first step in him reliving a bad marriage he's been trying to rid himself of. He spends time disappearing, but always seems to come back.

Why does he come back? Well, for one, no matter what distress we've been through, human beings want to feel loved. After running for a while, he realizes there is no one there to give him the attention and love that one craves from a relationship; however, once things start becoming intense once again he desires freedom and fears being tied down again. To be fair to him, he has told you and apologized for his behavior, but I realize that still doesn't relieve the pain.

Will he ever change and be able to settle? That is seriously up to him. You can wait around all you want, but you need to let him know that YOU aren't going to change. You'll be the same now as you will be and if he wants a new relationship with you, this is person he needs to accept. This is the person he'll be settling with. If he's "waiting" for something else or for it to "feel right," I guarantee its not going to come from you, because you shouldn't be expected to be any different. So the change must come from him. I realize how damaging his previous relationship was, and it may still haunt him, but at this point he needs to receive a wake up slap.

He needs to realize that the things that he want may not be waiting for him, and if he's honestly afraid of settling because their may be something better out there, or he'd rather wait for a moment where there's clarity, it isn't ever going to come. Unfortunately there is little you can do to help him along besides just talk with him.

It starts with being 100% honest about everything you're feeling and sharing it with him. There is no sense in you waiting for him anymore either. You've done that and the story turns out the same time and time again. Confess everything to him and give him your honesty. If he can't match that level of honesty with you and tell you everything he is feeling, then you know that there is still something holding him back and that he isn't worth your committed time for now.

I know you may feel this could compromise the deep friendship you have, but shouldn't knowing his feelings be worth it? I personally think that we spend too much of our time in silence, simply guessing what the other person is feeling, never fully being honest with them or ourselves; never communicating with one another and truly connecting with them. This is what leads to rough relationships, when communication is shaky. He cannot read your mind just as you cannot read his. It is up to verbal communication between the both of you to truly analyze your situation. If he can't give that to you then he's just plainly not cut out for a relationship.

Be honest with him. It may risk leading to some shaky times between you two, but you have the right to know and you're only wasting what could be wonderful times between you two the longer you sit here not knowing. I wish you the best of luck and hope for the best between you. Take care.

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A male reader, C. Grant Canada +, writes (10 March 2011):

C. Grant agony auntHe may love you, in his own way. But he's so damaged by what's gone before that it seems unlikely he'll ever commit -- sounds like the very thought of committment scares him to death, and perhaps reasonably so.

It sounds like you know exactly what you're going to get from this guy. If you can accept half-a-loaf, then fine --- enjoy the time together he's prepared to give you, enjoy the laughter (which I, too, treasure in a relationship). But yes, Cinderella dreams, wedding dress? Not gonna happen.

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A female reader, anonymous, writes (10 March 2011):

The signs are not good. He comes and goes in your life. He obviously likes you but not enough I would say. He probably likes your undemanding style. You are a port in a storm so to speak. But whether he will settle with you is another thing. If you became demanding you may not see him again, he has suggested as much. So what to do - put your life on hold forever waiting for these interludes? Yes you could do that but are you missing out on someone who would committ. Only you can decide.

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A female reader, abbyann123 United States +, writes (10 March 2011):

abbyann123 is verified as being by the original poster of the question

I totally see your point of view CC , however I must add I am an educated RN I have basically raised 5 kids alone , (two bad marriages , they were abusive and used drugs) I ashamedly chased the cinderella dream for way to long .

I have known my friend for 19 years total . I have seen how he is as a friend for so long before . I know how well we click , and laugh I was never able to laugh so in any relationship. He never asked for anything , and gets a tad uneasy when ever i give him anything even for holidays or birthdays . And truthfully for the first on and off two years i wasn't really looking for anything , It wasn't until he dropped all of his work and came to the hospital to hold my hand when he found out i was crying after surgery (nog major but when i woke up i missed my dad who died when i was 12 so he came and helped me compose myself before my kids came up to see me . we both mutually have not had much contact with each others kids due to the fact neither one of us wants any of the kids hurt if it did not work out or while we figure things out.

It is so hard to describe of course what he means to me and i am not being so lala ignorant to the fact this isnt a normal per say relationship. I just get so a head of my self my sister is always telling me PUT THE wedding dress back in the closet lol you will scare him off , I of cours did not realize i was that gaga over him .

I knew that day in the hospital was the day i fell in love . and he said that day he almost said the l word . but that was before a duck and run .

I knew him when his wife rain off got pregnant and then came back to marry another man .

my love is a simple hard working family man and this divorce almost killed him in every way . so i dont know how to give him the walking papers , he has also been my best guy friend since 1993 . we try to keep it straight and platonic but that does not work for us go figure . i just dont know how long it will take him , but i waisted so much of my life on losers abusers and the like , none ever even gave a rats ass . but he did , and does like i said the simple thing that matter . so i dont know if this helps in your opinion or not .

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A female reader, CindyCares Italy +, writes (10 March 2011):

CindyCares agony auntWhat do you do ?- Elementary Watson- you give him his walking papers ! He's sooo wasting your time, and soooo taking advantage of your loneliness and vulnerability. And, to tell the truth, it's not all his fault: he has told you, and most of all shown you clearly, what's the deal- but if you are so eager to play along ,well,what should he do.

I am all for giving people second chances, but you gave him, what, 5th, 6th, 7th chances ?....

Will he ever say th L word and committ to you ? Maybe. And maybe one day Brad Pitt will leave Angelina for me. Because nothing is ever really impossible in life.

But highly improbable, yes.

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