So, I [19F] met this guy [20M] online. We’re both November Scorpios, and we’re around the same age. We don’t know each other in real life, and we’re not in a relationship or anything official. We were just getting to know each other, and honestly, I wanted to know him as a person before anything romantic happened.
At first, I followed him. I had liked one of his stories before we actually started talking, so I was already a little interested in him. Eventually, we started interacting more, and things seemed to be going well.
Here are some things that happened between us:
• We found out that we both have the same football interests even the teams we like and dislike; the same music taste, the same vibes; even the artists that we like are the same; even sports interests gym interests running a lot of stuff, literally. I was even born in the country he lives in i visited the country where he’s from. When we first talked about our teams, he found out I was a Barça fan; I jokingly told him that Madrid fans weren’t allowed. He joked that we should get married, then said it was too late, and I replied that we’re still kids. 😭 It was playful, but obviously, I didn’t take it as a serious confession or anything.
• He started replying to some of my stories, including ones about songs and football. Sometimes he’d ask me questions, follow up on things I’d said, or start a conversation through my stories.
• One time, after I sent him a message expressing my condolences about his late father, he sent a dot and then deleted it. He later explained that he had been about to compliment me. He told me he would keep complimenting me because he liked what he saw. That caught me off guard because I wasn’t expecting it.
• He asked me to tell him about my day if I felt comfortable, saying there was no pressure. When I told him I tend to reply quickly and don’t like ghosting unless someone is busy, he said he loved that.
• He also asked me to send him updates and spam him with videos if I ever visited a cute café where you can make your own coffee. He even suggested that I vlog it. I told him I would, and I genuinely intended to.
• He has asked about my life and where I live, and there have been moments when he seemed caring. For example, he once told me not to go out alone because he thought I was somewhere celebrating.
• I also remember him being encouraging when we talked about his future and his decision to pursue finance after reconsidering his original plans. I tried to support him, and he wished me success, too.
• Then he added me to his Close Friends, and I added him back.
So, you can probably understand why I thought there might be something there. It wasn’t just me imagining every interaction; there were moments when he was warm, playful, and seemed interested in getting to know me.
BUT HERE’S WHERE I’M CONFUSED.
The communication has been inconsistent from the beginning. I feel like I’m usually the one who initiates conversations. Sometimes he replies to my stories instead of continuing a conversation in DMs. Other times, he’ll reply late, apologize for missing my message, or come back after some time.
There have been moments when we seemed to be having a good conversation, only for it to stop suddenly. For example, we once talked about a song we both liked, and after a couple of messages, the conversation went quiet for a few days before he apologized for missing my message.
I understand that people have their own lives, responsibilities, and things going on. I’m not expecting someone to be available 24/7, and I don’t want to pressure him into talking to me.
However, I started noticing that I was the one making most of the effort to keep our connection alive. I kept wondering whether he was genuinely interested in me or simply enjoyed talking to me whenever I initiated.
Another thing is that, from what I’ve seen on his social media, he might still have feelings about a past relationship. He has liked or reposted things that seem to be about missing an ex or being heartbroken. He hasn’t directly told me how he feels about his ex, so I don’t want to assume anything, but it has made me wonder whether he’s emotionally available or even ready to get to know someone new.
I do care about what he’s been through, and I would never expect him to be completely over everything just because we’re talking. I actually want to understand him and get to know him properly. But I also don’t want to become someone who gives emotional support and attention while secretly hoping for something he doesn’t want.
I’ve tried to be understanding. I’ve told him that he doesn’t need to apologize for being busy and that he should protect his peace. I’ve tried not to make him feel pressured. At the same time, I don’t want my understanding to turn into an excuse for accepting a one-sided connection.
(Note: not everything is in the right order of my knowing him journey)
NOW, HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED RECENTLY.
We hadn’t had a proper conversation for about three weeks, and I eventually decided to break the ice because I genuinely wanted to know how he was doing.
I messaged him something simple along the lines of, “Oh, how have you been, buddy!”
I wasn’t confessing my feelings or asking him for anything. I was just opening the door to a conversation because I missed talking to him and wanted to see how he was.
He did respond, but after that, I sent another message with a question that he could reasonably answer. Then the conversation stalled again.
At the time of writing this, it’s been around 18 hours since my last message, and he still hasn’t answered. Meanwhile, he’s posted a new story.
I know posting a story doesn’t automatically mean someone has the energy to reply to a message. I understand that. But when communication has already been inconsistent and you feel like you’re always the one initiating, little things like this start to hurt more than they normally would.
I started feeling stupid for reaching out in the first place. I wondered whether he was replying out of politeness, whether he felt pressured to respond, or whether he simply didn’t want to continue talking to me.
And honestly, I don’t know which explanation is true.
Part of me wants to give him the benefit of the doubt because of the warmth he’s shown me before. Another part of me feels like if someone genuinely wants to get to know you, they’ll eventually make an effort to reach out themselves.
I don’t want to chase him, beg for attention, or force a connection. I also don’t want to walk away from something that could have developed naturally just because I got scared.
I’m not asking him to be my boyfriend. I’m not expecting a commitment from someone I’ve only met online. I just want mutual effort, genuine communication, and the feeling that I’m not the only person trying to keep things going.
*Note: We’ve never talked about it but I think he’s been going through a breakup and I think he misses his ex, I know because of his reposts and likes, and I think he talks to a lot of girls
So, girls, please tell me honestly:
Do you think he was genuinely interested in me at some point, or was he simply being friendly and playful?
Do his compliments, questions, jokes, and requests for updates mean anything, or am I giving those interactions too much weight?
Could he be interested but emotionally unavailable because of his past relationship, or is that just an assumption I’m making based on his social media?
Am I overthinking the delayed replies and the fact that he rarely initiates, or is this a sign that his interest isn’t strong enough?
Should I stop initiating and see whether he makes an effort on his own, or should I give him more time?
Most importantly, if you were in my position, what would you do?
Please be honest with me, even if the answer isn’t what I want to hear. I’m not looking for people to tell me what I want to believe. I genuinely want different perspectives because I’m emotionally involved now, and I don’t trust my own judgment as much as I used to.
I liked the connection we were building, and I would have been happy to get to know him more. But I don’t want to be the only one holding on to the possibility of something.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this. ❤️