Uncomfortable after a recent interaction with male “friend”.
This is honestly so stupid, I’m mostly just venting.
I met this man in 2021 when he was hired where I worked at the time. A lot of the people that worked there were similar in age, so we were all pretty friendly with one another. Additionally, I started dating another coworker shortly after this “friend” was hired.
I quit working there about six months after this “friend” was hired, and we remained in contact. It was never excessive, just occasional text messages, updates on jobs, moving, etc. Always very normal and friendly.
My partner and I ended things last November.
I came back to the city I’m from to visit for the holidays, and I met up with this “friend” during that time. He admitted to always having a thing for me, but that he kept that to himself since I was in a relationship for several years. He made a move on me. We kissed a couple times, but I didn’t feel any chemistry at all. It just felt weird and awkward, almost forced. We didn’t physically “mesh”. I made it clear after this happened that I didn’t feel the same, and that I didn’t have interest in pursuing anything physically or romantically with them.
I have since returned to the city I am from more permanently, and I’ve hung out with this “friend” a couple of times. It was incredibly normal and friendly, no mentions of what happened in December, no attempts to make a move on me. I thought everything was good.
Over the last week, they sent me weird text messages about how I “shot them down like old yeller”.
I helped them move a vehicle yesterday, picking them up in a nearby city and driving them back. It’s about a 30 minute drive. During this drive, they said that I was lucky they were okay just being friends with me, because most guys wouldn’t be. Then just repeating that I’d shot them down, that I’d made it clear I didn’t want anything more than a friendship with them. Over and over again, the entire drive.
We hung out for a bit after we got back into town, and they just continued on and on about how I’d shot them down. They seemed to almost be getting angry about it.
It was such a weird shift from the last few months, and it made me really uncomfortable.
I have very few people in my life, and it’s sad that someone I have always felt was a good friend to me would turn like this. I don’t want all of my time spent with someone to be listening to them whine and complain about how I rejected them. I don’t see how I can continue having a friendship with someone who very clearly isn’t accepting that we are and will only ever be friends, despite them insisting they have accepted this.
Edit to add: I’m almost 30 years old, in case that is relevant. This man is in his early 30s.