It’s been a year now, and things are great between us. Our marriages are both pretty disconnected—like, I've already told my husband it’s over, we just still share a house. On his side, though, his wife has no idea. He says he wants to be with me, but needs time to figure out the logistics because they run a business together. So, I’m waiting... but sometimes I wonder if I’m being naive.

Am I still the "other woman" even though I’m also still married? Should I sort out my stuff completely before asking him to do the same? This whole situation just feels like such a cliche, and I’m not sure if I’m being selfish or realistic here.

My girlfriend and I are young teens in a long-distance relationship. She recently told me she feels like she's not mature enough for a relationship, but she still wants to be with me.

How can I help her (or us both) grow to be a bit more mature about this? Any advice would be great. Thanks!

I met this amazing girl, let’s call her K. We clicked instantly. We met online in October 2019, and for a couple of months, things were amazing. We talked every day, and it felt like the best time of my life.

After a while, she told me she liked me, but I wasn’t ready for a relationship—I was just out of a breakup. So I got awkward and started avoiding those "relationship" talks. In January 2020, we had a fight (I don’t even remember why) and stopped talking for a month. We eventually made up, but things were different—drier, colder. By June, she started dating someone else, and we lost touch.

Months later, I missed her a lot and wrote her a long letter to say sorry and thank her for everything. She reached out in October, said she read it and was moved, but stopped texting soon after. We tried talking a few more times, but it was always short-lived. Then, in June 2021, she messaged me, telling me she was struggling after a recent breakup. We started talking again every day, and she said her feelings for me were back. We even said “I love you” again. It felt like maybe we could have something real.

We met in July for the first time—things were good, just a bit shy, but that’s normal, right? I was happy. A few days later, we planned to meet again, and I drove almost 400 km to see her. I brought flowers, but she seemed distant. She didn’t want to hug, even though she’d said before she wanted to cuddle. She was tense, and it felt off. I was supposed to stay for five days, but when her cousin came back early, I offered to leave, and she didn’t object at all. That hurt, honestly.

After I left, I messaged her, apologizing for being a burden, for not being who she expected. She said she wasn’t ready for a relationship, and it all felt too weird for her. I could feel her pulling away after that. When I asked her directly, she admitted she still wasn’t over her ex, and my attempts to be affectionate felt too fast for her. She said she couldn’t be around any guy without thinking about her ex. But then she also said she wanted to use her phone less, even though I can see she’s online all the time.

I don’t know what to do. Should I give her space? Should I just move on? I really care about her and want this to work, but she feels so distant, and it’s tearing me apart. I don’t want to be pushy, but I also don’t want to keep feeling like I’m unwanted or in the wrong. I’m really scared of losing her, but I also can’t take much more of this feeling.

Thanks for listening—I really appreciate any advice you might have. ❤️

How do I break out of this mindset that “this girl is too hot for me”? Or should I just lower my standards again? 😅

I'm a 30-year-old guy, pretty introverted and new to all this. I’ve never dated before, and now I’m in this unusual situation that feels like something out of a movie, honestly.

Long story short, an online friend set me up with a girl for what was supposed to be "dating practice." She apparently wanted to help me get comfortable with dating. We met up and ended up spending eight hours together—from morning until evening! It was honestly a great time, and we even went back to my place to watch a movie. She sat really close to me, and I had no idea if we were still in "practice" mode or if there was more to it. I didn’t make a move because… well, I was nervous and didn’t want to misread things.

She asked me a lot of personal questions about my life, family, hobbies, etc., which I guess could be part of “dating practice,” but it also felt real, if that makes sense. When we said goodbye, she even suggested meeting up again, which I thought was just her being polite. But after a few days, I texted her to ask if she actually wanted to meet again, and she said yes.

Now I’m confused—am I still just “practicing,” or could there actually be something here? I think I might be into her, but I have no clue what her intentions are or if she’s interested in me like that. Would it come off as desperate if I told her I liked her, or am I overthinking this?

Has anyone been in a situation like this? Is it weird to start catching feelings for someone who was supposed to just be helping me get dating experience? Any advice would be really appreciated!

I'm a guy in my early 50s, and I've been messaging with a woman (also in her early 50s) on a dating platform for about a month now. Our conversations have been great, and I really felt like we were connecting. After a month of messaging, I thought it might be nice to take the next step and talk on the phone, so I asked if I could give her a call.

But after I mentioned it, she suddenly went quiet. She responded to part of my message but didn’t say anything about the phone call. I sent another message asking if I could call her sometime, and she didn’t respond at all.

I didn’t think asking to talk on the phone after a month of messages would be too much. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but a phone call feels like a good way to get to know each other better. Now I’m worried that I may have pushed too soon and driven her away.

Did I move too fast by asking to call? Or am I overthinking this? Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks!

I met this girl online a few weeks ago, and we’ve been on five dates now. We get along really well—she initiates texts, calls, and even plans dates sometimes. She’s fully engaged when we’re together, doesn’t check her phone, and we usually end up extending our dates. I really like her and want to see where this goes, but there are a couple of things that are throwing me off.

First, she seems a bit secretive. For example, she’s going out of town for work, and when I asked which city she was going to, she wouldn’t tell me, just said it was for “client work.” Another time, she wouldn’t let me see her last name on a waiver form. Plus, anytime we take photos together, it has to be on her phone, and she only sends me pictures where it’s just me, not us together. It makes me wonder if she’s hiding something… or hiding me.

Then there’s the physical side. Despite five dates, we haven’t held hands, kissed, or really had any physical contact beyond hugs. I’ve tried to initiate small things like putting my arm around her or high-fiving, but she usually pulls away. It’s confusing, though, because sometimes she’ll turn around and hug me a second time after we say goodbye, or she’ll reach out in little ways—only to pull back again. I know she was in an abusive relationship before, and she told me upfront that it takes her a while to warm up, so I’m trying to be patient. But I’m also putting off dating other people to see where this goes, and my patience isn’t unlimited.

So, here’s my question: Should I give it a couple more dates and then have a conversation about where we stand? Or am I right to start questioning things now? Do you think her behavior means she’s just scared or could it be a sign of disinterest? Any advice would be really helpful!

I met this guy from my university back in October. We clicked right away, spent a lot of time together, and I thought things were going well. We even had a really intimate moment, and he told me he liked me and knew things were moving fast. But right after that, he started pulling away—barely texting, not making plans, even ignoring me on campus. It hurt, especially because it felt like he lost interest right after we got close.

Since then, we’ve had a few run-ins. He’s been friendly when we see each other, and recently he even apologized, saying he tends to ghost people when he starts catching real feelings. I accepted his apology, and we’ve kept in touch on Snapchat, but nothing really meaningful. Sometimes he’ll snap me 15 times a day without saying anything, and it’s just confusing and frustrating.

I’ve tried to move on, but I can’t seem to get over him. My 20th birthday is on Friday, and I’m pretty sure he’ll text me. I’m considering telling him that I miss talking to him and would like to really clear the air, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea or if I should just let it go.

Part of me thinks life is too short to hold back, but I’m also scared of getting hurt again. Should I be honest about how I feel, or is it time to close this chapter for good? Any advice would be appreciated.

Same goes for friendships—anytime I start to get close to someone, I find ways to push them away.

Is there a name for this? Has anyone else been through something similar?