Search Results: making promises

1st guy I was in a relationship for 3 years, the relationship started as friends he became my best friend there for me through thick & thin but as time went on he became selfish, not treating me as well he is also bi polar w/adhd , eventually we were off & on the relationship was hurting me & making my depression/anxiety much worse. Long story short him & I decided to part ways when we did we both tried to move on but constantly felt unfulfilled & just thought of each other. He's grown up a lot through all of this (he's a year younger than me) & over the breakup he realized none of the things he put over me was worth it. I am a priority & should come first. He finally sees all he has done wrong and apologized. He wants to be together he's even cut all his friends out to give me his undivided attention. But he's made many promises to do right by me before and didn't stick to it.. so I'm scared. He also doesn't have a job yet and doesn't come from the best environment. But he is loyal to me and I can trust him I'm just not sure if I can rely on him. I also feel nervous/unsettled around him at times. But he has my heart.

2nd guy known him for years through a mutual friend maybe 4 through xbox live? Never really got to talk much because he was always busy with basketball and school. He is a year and a few months older than me. He is in college in texas plays basketball on a scholarship and is the son of a retired nba player. When I'm with him I feel comforted and at peace, he makes me laugh and smile. He's responsible and thoughtful. He wants to take things slow to make sure he can give me what I need while he's making big decisions and busy with basketball. He aspires to be in the nba but has back up plans majoring in engineering. He's got a good head on his shoulders I just feel like a piece of me is missing when I'm "with" him and like that will never go away. I will be happy with him and supported but will always miss my ex. He also has a temper. We haven't met yet.

My boyfriend & I've been together for a little over 3 years & throughout these years we've had our share of rough patches & messy fights. He's lied to me several times & sometimes the lies were so insignificant & unnecessary it baffles me on why he even lied (e. g. I asked him to walk the dog. when I got home I asked if he had & he looks me in the eyes says yes, I even asked him "are you sure you?" & he stuck to his lie even though I knew he was lying because there was no collar on the dog & when I confronted him he finally admitted he lied).
A month ago we had an extremely ugly fight to the point that he packed some of his clothes & stayed at a friend's (we live together). After 2 days with the help of a friend who mediated we talked without fighting & agreed we have so much at stake & it is worth trying to work things out, maybe try couples counseling. Things started to get a bit better & a 2 weeks after on our anniversary he gave me a promise ring. That made us both try to work things out no matter what & he made a promise to me that he won't lie anymore, 100% honesty without white lies our half-truths.
Still, the skeletons in his closet keep popping out & he lied again. I've never lied or been disloyal even though he slept with a girl last year when we were on a break & downloaded 3 dating apps the two nights he stayed at his friend's after our fight. I've taken him back after everything he has done & put me through & hurt me because I just don't want it to end. Im so emotionally deep in this that I can't tell anymore whether its love or I've gotten used to him or its convenient having him be there always or if its that I rather stick through in hopes of making it work, out of dreading to go back to being on my own and having to start dating all over again from square one.
Also ending it would be so messy & painfully heartbreaking as we have so much history, mutual friends, lease contract, a dog, etc.

Have I made a mistake for staying? Why can't I want to leave still?