I started seeing a gal two months ago. We knew each other as friends for years. I was always curious about her, but she was with someone, so I did not ask her out. She then broke up with her boyfriend of 3 years when I recently re-contacted her. We met for a beer, and proceeded to mash. Since then, we have been seeing each other, getting closer, but she now is torn. She wants to date other people, that she has always professed. But we, in her mind, took it too far. That is, sexually and emotionally. She says she is not used to dating, that she has always been in monogamous relationships, never really testing different waters.
So now, we seem to be coming to a point where she wants to be true to her wanting, after the last relationship, to see other people. I have said "go for it", but so tell her that it would bother me for her to see others. I just don't want to know about it. She says she feels trapped in the sense she doesn't want to hurt me by seeing others, but feels she needs to, since she promised herself that. I do not want her to regret that.
She now wants to take a step back with me, vis a vi just date, no staying the night, no sex so we are on the same page as her other, would be, dates.
She says she has feelings for me, but is torn in the sense that she may not know if the feelings come from her always giving it all in her monogamous relationships and that she needs to see others to discover to see if that is true. Confusing?
It is hard for me to contain my feelings for her, of which I have said to her she is someone that I have never felt so strongly about, I am falling in love, etc. I do not regret those things being said, but did tell her recently that I took it too far too fast given her situation.
I gave us a break for a week, then contacted her where we had a good conversation, and made a plan to date once or twice a week and see how it goes. She was having a hard time not contacting me, as I wanted for a bit, so it felt good to hear that. She also said it might have driven her to the point that she realized I was someone she could not be without? So maybe I jumped the gun at contacting her, but was distraught and missed her.
I guess my Q is should I try reversing back to dating mode, is that possible given we have taken it to beyond that? I want to give her space, which I think she needs, for herself, to know what she wants in a man even though she says she connects with me more than others in the past. At this point we have said give dating a try and if that doesn't work, then maybe a month or two apart. She, in my eyes, is the one for me, but her saying she needs to date others, so as to not make past mistakes again, bugs me in a selfish way.
So again, what does everyone think? Should I just "date" her until she comfortably wants more, or should I let her go to date others, telling her to call if she wants to continue where we left off, that is, moving forward with a relationship.