I have recently meet another girl who gives me feelings I don't feel with my current girlfriend. We have been talking for 6 months as friends but I can tell she wants something more and I want to pursue it. But I am currently in a relationship that has lasted 5 years. I feel like its just not going the same direction it was before and the "magic" we once had is going away. I'm only worried because I know I would like to remain friends with my girlfriend. But I want to let her down easy. I know its not going to be because we currently live together. That is kind of the big thing I am worried about. I don't want her to feel like I am breaking her heart but I know its going to seem that way.

I'm not in the position to tell you whether you should or should not break up, because here are something you should bear in mind:-

1. You are going to break her heart if you break up her, no doubt, especially if she still loves you.
2. After being together for 5 years, the "magic" is normally no longer there but you two should have progressed into something more than just the "feelings"?
3. If you no longer love your girlfriend, let her go.
4. If you decide to break up with her and pursue this new girl, then make it a clean cut. Don't have hope that your girlfriend will remain friends with you. If she can, that's good. But leave her alone.
5. Before you do anything, make sure you know what you want.

Might I add that if you decide to break up with her and pursue this new interest, don't offer your ex anything which may leave her with false hope that you may be back with her. That is unfair to her, and she may be so blinded by the breakup that she cannot think clearly enough to see how detrimental false hope is.

After 5 years if the magic is gone, its because you let it die. Sorry, your head was not into it in the first place. Sad. There is no way you can let your g/f down easy and your wish to be friends is selfish on your part, as you know she will be in no emotional state to be a friend to some one who has wandered away with no warning and broken her heart. I think you let someone else in, as a way to avoid working on a relationship that was already in place, so leave this new girl alone until you break up with your current G/f.

No matter what happens here it's going to be devastating to your current girlfriend. She invested 5 years of her life with you and you live together so that's only going to make it worse.

I have to give a little credit, you didn't physically cheat on her and do want to end this relationship before you start the other one but you have been emotionally cheating on her for the last 6 months by following this other girl.

If you don't have feelings for your current girlfriend you need to end it for her. But you should also consider this. If you start something with this other girl over this infatuation, and that's all it is at this point it might only last a few months or so. If that's the case you've just lost everything. I can't tell you if it's worth it, only you can decide for yourself but it just seems like your gambling a whole lot with no upside at this point.

Try having 2 girlfriends at the same time your not married

You have only one life. Nobody but you can tell you how to live it and you may be risking it all here.

You cannot expect someone to be friends with you after breaking their heart - as others have said. Is it infatuation or love for this new person? Perhaps you could work on your current relationship... there are pltny of ways to do this.

listen to your heart... if you want to keep your girl try to cut off comunication with the girl your recently like... it just seems to me that if you do date this girl... and all of a sudden you feel for your x, she might not be there to take you back...

whatever you do its okay to feel with your heart but just think with your brain.