Should I just give up on him?

Illustration/Uday Mohite

I don't know if this is a problem, but I recently had a great date with my friend. We have known each other for a while and decided to meet for dinner, which somehow turned into something unexpected. I definitely felt something between us and know he felt it, too. It has been two weeks since that evening and I messaged him to ask if he would be interested in meeting again. He replied to say he couldn't meet, and I don't know what to make of it. We are both dating other people at the moment, but we also spoke of how our relationships aren't working out. I don't know if his refusal to meet is a sign that he isn't ready to explore this yet, or if he wants to try and work things out with his partner. Should I just avoid messaging him for a while?
There could be all kinds of reasons for his refusal to meet, starting with how you both interpret what happened that evening at dinner. If you are both dating people, starting anything new is going to be tricky and unnecessarily complicated. If he thinks there is something between you two, chances are he will reach out when he has had time to think about it. Until that happens, it may make more sense for you to focus on the relationship you are in and decide whether it is or isn't working. Messaging him when neither of you is single is presumptuous and doesn't help move this forward. Reach out when you have clarity, or if he arrives at that point first.

Why can't my ex-girlfriend accept that we are not going to get back together? She thinks this is a break, but I am convinced it will not happen. She thinks I just need time to myself. What do I do?
It's possible that you aren't communicating this effectively. If she doesn't get the message now, she presumably will after a while but being direct and consistent will help.

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