Do you think my Ex and I can go back to being just friends?

[Anonymous]

• We childhood friends and our families are very good friends. We always had this connection and flirted but we were just friends. When we got together he had just broken up with his girlfriend of 4 years (he was trying to break up 2 years prior). This happen only after 2 weeks as we started hanging out and kissed. The day after i told him it was a mistake and that its too soon for him to date and left it as friends. A few days after we hung out together and he pulled me in unexpectedly for a kiss as he said he couldn't resist. We dated for almost 6 months and broke up as i found out from other people he had been using tinder while we were together and talking to other people as he said he felt something was missing. When we broke up he told me that he tried to break up with me 2 times before but didn't cause i started crying. I felt like he was going to break up with me but his words didn't indicate that he tried to. The first time (he tried to break up), he told me he needed to be alone as his mental health was going downhill but he said it was because of his family. I also asked him whether he need that we break up but he said no. The second time he asked me whether he was being a good boyfriend as he felt he was working on himself too much and abandoning me. During this talk i also asked whether he is over me and he said no again. He grew distant and i felt it and from time to time he would ask me if he is a good boyfriend. He planned and we went to hotel getaways together and planned trips for us in the future and included me to help him renovate his new home as if i was going to live there in the future. He said he didn't want to break up as it was ME and that he didn't want to ruin our friendship but we agreed in the beginning that we would be mature about it and still be friends if we break up. I was mad because i found out from other people, if not we would probably be still dating. We agreed that we would still be friends

[SueShe]

No, you cannot be just friends with someone that was your partner before.

There will always be something in between and being just friends will never be the same as when you first meet and remain platonic for the entire time you are friends.

If you lower your guard, he will try again to kiss you or to tempt you into something that you don't want. If you want to make a clear cut, then you just don't accept that kind of friendship because it is doomed to fail on the long run.

An ex is an ex for a good reason and being friends with an ex not only will remind you of the past but will prevent you to look into the future.

[Siren777]

What do you want? If he cannot give you what you want and keep his word. This is a major red flag. Screw that type of friendship too, he will always use that as an excuse and to get back with you. This is messy, let him figure out his life but don't wait around.

[Asker]

I want to be friends only because I don't want things to be awkward when we meet, cause I know this is inevitable. The relationship felt easy with him since he already knew my family and I knew his, things just fell in place easily but I know his actions were red flags and that is why I broke up with him when I noticed. regardless, some form of regret still lingers so I don't know how how I'm going to feel when he starts dating other girls (which I think he already is)

[Avicenna]

Maybe. It’s hard to do though.

[Iron_Man]

You’ll have to wait it out but don’t wait too long

[ChiTown33]

Of course!