Social Question

peanutmilk's avatar

Is it worth it? Does he like me or is he just playing games?

Asked by peanutmilk (37points) May 28th, 2011

I’ve been hanging out with my friend, I’ll call him Joshua, since the beginning of the New Year. He often totes me with the label “best friend” in front of our other friends. We hang out often, but mostly in group settings. We haven’t been physical with one another, but we’ve been very close, and are attracted and flirtatious with one another.

When I’m around he never talks about other girls or brings other girls around, and he always pays for everything. He gives me loads of attention, but I’m not sure if he’s serious, freaked out, or just playing games with my head. We were hanging out last week, I was just hanging with my girlfriends, but he kept sitting next to me and hanging off of me. I told him I was going on a road trip, and he asked me to call him and if would I think of him? I said yes.

It was the end of the night, we both had a few drinks in us, suddenly he acts weird and turns to me and says, “This isn’t a relationship, ” really seriously. I say, “What are you talking about?” because obviously it’s not a relationship. He keeps staring at me, so finally I just say, “Well, fine then, let’s not be friends.” Mostly because I wasn’t into the way he was acting. He then preceded to call me an extremist and stormed off down the street. When I followed him, he told me to stop, so I did. A couple of days later I wrote him apologizing, saying that I didn’t mean what I said about us not being friends, and how much I enjoy our friendship, but how I was reacting to what he said and didn’t want to talk about things when I’m drinking because I can’t think clearly. The next night he texted me back, “Susan….eat me!” Although that is part of his normal sense of humor, I felt kind of angry, like what the hell?

Anyways, not sure if it’s worth pursuing anymore. I really like him, and I want to talk about it with him, but if this is the reaction I get, should I even bother? If I don’t bother, is he going to try to reel me in again? Should I even call him from the road? Is he just freaked out or just really immature? Any suggestions? I haven’t played the dating game for a long time….

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7 Answers

mazingerz88's avatar

It seems Joshua maybe is that nice to hangout with as a friend but seems to be quite the immature one when it comes to tackling more serious issues. My suggestion is leave this be for a while and get busy with something else in your life that recquires your attention. If he calls you and expresses himself with more clarity and possibly with some assertiveness, whether it’s regarding your friendship or something else, then maybe that is the time to put him back again in your thoughts.

zenvelo's avatar

Sounds like he has been unsure of where he has stood with you, and isn’t equipped emotionally to discuss it with you. So his frustration (which he seems to not be able to express well) caused him to say something hurtful.

You’ve been seeing him for over four months. Where did you this going? Four months is a long time for this back and forth.

Who is going on the road trip? Other guys? That would upset him. Maybe he would have liked to go with you. Maybe he would have appreciated your discussing it with him before deciding, rather than just announce it to him.

Maybe the relationship hasn’t been that serious to you, but I think it has been to him. He has treated you well and respectfully.

Might I suggest you think about how you feel about this guy, and if you want something more serious with this guy, or a platonic friendship. And then when you have decided, be nice and write him a hand written letter telling him how you feel.

peanutmilk's avatar

@zenvelo We don’t really talk on the phone or have that kind of relationship. We aren’t committed to one another. Honestly, he’s never even specifically asked me out on a date, slept in my bed, or even invited me over to his place…I don’t know why specifically.

I certainly like him A LOT. I want to be more serious with him, but I feel like he sends me mixed signals, and like this last time, as soon as it feels serious, he seems to push me away or something. I’m just not sure if the relationship is serious to him! I guess it is serious to both of us…

I’m just confused because he hasn’t apologized for storming off and stuff….should I call him when I’m out on the road? I really like him. I’m just confused by some of these mixed signals he gives me. My ex-boyfriend was always very straight-forward with his feelings towards me. Why doesn’t he just tell me how he feels? I think I’ve made it obvious how I feel. I don’t play games. I kiss him on the cheek. I try to hold his hand…

b/t I did invite him on the road trip when i told him about it.

augustlan's avatar

If I were in your shoes, and I was interested in pursuing this relationship further, I’d straight up tell him how I feel about him. Something like, “I really like you. A lot. You said ‘this isn’t a relationship’, but maybe it should be. Are you interested in giving it a try?”

Then you’ll know, and the wondering and game-playing will be over.

marinelife's avatar

Do what @augustlan says. Then you will know.

Why play guessing games?

zenvelo's avatar

@peanutmilk You added a lot in response to my questions, which alters my thoughts considerably. It sounds to me like he does not know what he wants at all. I too think you should follow @augustlan‘s advice.

Communication while on your trip ought to be postcards sent through the mail, and pictures sent from your phone.

BarnacleBill's avatar

If you hang out with a guy, and he pays for you, you’re dating. Whether or not it’s a “relationship” is something else. You wouldn’t expect your girlfriends to pay your way when you hang out with them, would you? When he said “This isn’t a relationship,” perhaps it dawned on him that he was acting like he was dating you, but the relationship didn’t seem to move forward more than friends, and he was expecting it to.

Yes, you need to talk with him about it.

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