Am I Immature or a Blind-Fool in Love?
I (24F) have been with my boyfriend (28M) for a year. We met at my old job shortly after he ended a long-term relationship. In the beginning, he pursued me hard, constantly texting, calling, and making plans. I was cautious because I worried I was a rebound, but over time he reassured me.
Things became confusing after we slept together. He treated me like a girlfriend but avoided labeling the relationship for months. He said things like he did not want to get too attached, told me to pursue other people if I wanted, and even said he would tell others he was not seeing anyone. Eventually he called me his girlfriend, introduced me to family, and treats me like one now, but that period left me insecure.
The biggest issue has been his relationship with his ex. They stayed in near-daily contact for most of our relationship, and at times it felt like she knew more about his life than I did. He shared personal struggles, career updates, and even his depression with her while I often felt left out. He agreed not to mention me to protect her feelings after she reacted negatively to hearing about me, which hurt deeply. There were also moments that felt dishonest or dismissive. He had dinner with her and did not tell me until later, worked on a project with her despite originally involving me, and spent time alone with her after I met his family for Thanksgiving, staying together until late at night. Before leaving town, he met up with her again and only admitted later that he had been at her house until almost 2 a.m. I fully trust him that there was nothing else besides catching up due to the fact that he has been fully honest with me about him never being sexually attracted to her which was also a nail in the coffin in their relationship. While traveling, he texted her more than me and kept her updated on his days. After I finally told him I was considering ending the relationship over it, he stopped speaking to her regularly. However, she still reaches out occasionally, especially recently she was out of the country and often hinted how she wished he was there and what he would’ve liked to see if he was there. He kept communication minimal and showed no interested and it was obvious she upset about this but he didn’t feed into it or placate her like he would in the past. I fear the cycle will begin again because he insists they will always remain friends and says he will always love her “as a friend.” I struggle to trust the situation because it has repeatedly made me feel secondary.
Another major issue was that he admitted to a long-term porn addiction and later sexted someone from his past while we were together. He says it was habit, did not consider it cheating at first, and blamed poor judgment during a depressive period. Since then, he has changed, been transparent, and says my reaction pushed him to stop, but trust has been hard to rebuild. Though the biggest proof I had that his addiction is gone is the bruise that he always had downstairs since we first started being intimate is now gone and has been gone for six months.
He also puts very little effort into planning or prioritizing our relationship. I plan everything. Early on, spending time together mostly meant sitting while he played video games. He rarely plans dates, struggles with communication, and openly says his career comes first. I have noticed he seemed to put more effort into his past relationship than ours, which hurts.
At the same time, he has been loving, supportive, encouraging, and present during difficult moments in my life. He includes me with his family, talks about me often, and says he cares deeply about me. However, he plans to leave soon to pursue his career, and we both know the relationship will end when he moves.
I am exhausted and confused. I love him, but I often feel hurt, unimportant, and emotionally drained. I struggle with jealousy over his past relationship and wonder if I am asking for too much, being immature, or staying in something that is not giving me what I need. Am I ignoring too many red flags, or am I being unfair?
Posted Jun 8, 2026, 10:12 PM UTC