Skip the slop: it’s hard enough to be the single side piece for my other friends, and I don’t think I can mentally take that designation in another relationship. I’m not the closest with this person, so I feel as though I should break the relationship off cleanly but would like to be respectful while doing so. How should I do that?

Slop below

spoiler

I have multiple friends (of all different genders) in my life which I am extremely thankful for but who are all partnered. To be quite honest though, I’ve never felt more lonely than hanging out with my partnered friends while tagging along as a single guy and the friendships no longer feel the same. It is always myself asking my friends to hang out and them bringing along their spouses or new partners (which they have the right to do but that doesn’t make it suck any less).

I had originally asked one of my last single friends if she was interested in going to a show with me a few weeks ago-It’s just a breath of fresh air to catch up with someone who is also in your same life position and alleviates the feeling of loneliness that comes with not having a +1 to share shit with. She texts me yesterday and asks if I would like to hang soon again, but then I learn that she is now partnered as well :(

  • Hohsia [he/him]
    ·
    11 months ago

    But I didn’t have a crush on them is the problem, I just didn’t want to be the third wheel to someone’s date ya know?

    This is just happening with all my friends and she was honestly the only person in my life who was not partnered, and we’d mentioned doing things platonically together before. But as luck would have it…

    Idk I’m more pissed off than anything tbh, I probably just need won’t reach out again. Like I said, it’s hard enough to be the third wheel (or just being the only one existing without a partner) in all of my friendships. I genuinely don’t even know any other singles in my life (although I know I’m not alone and others I don’t know are in the same situation ).

    This is made even worse by the fact that I have gotten through life fine without having a romantic relationship and just having close friends, but without that? My idea of fulfillment is having people in my life who are open to sharing thoughts and experiences. I can probably do without the physical and romantic intimacy, though I feel like my life would be a lot easier if I could just want what everyone else has