Was I really that off base?
The next day at work, I noticed Nathan giving me strange glances. Gathering my courage, I decided to confront him.
“Nathan, what did Jake tell you? You know why he left, don’t you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Nathan looked uncomfortable and shifted on his feet.
“You messed it up, Addy,” he said. “Jake… told me you were wasting his time. He wanted something serious.
He was looking for marriage, and you… you weren’t the best person for him. Sorry, I gotta go.”
I couldn’t believe it.
During my lunch break, I called my best friend, Sophie.
“Hey, Addison. How did the date go?” was the first thing she asked.
I sighed, feeling the weight of the evening pressing on me.
“It started great, but then it ended terribly. Jake left abruptly after I talked about my three-year plan, and then he blocked me when I asked him why.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. “He did what?
That’s ridiculous! What exactly happened?”
I recounted every detail, my voice trembling slightly as I relived the evening. When I finished, Sophie shook her head.
“Addison, being honest about your expectations is important. If he couldn’t handle that, it’s his loss.”
“I can’t stop wondering if my three-year rule is really that strange, Sophie,” I admitted, my voice breaking a bit.
“Not at all,” Sophie said firmly. “Everyone has their own timeline and needs.
What matters is that you stay true to yourself. If he couldn’t appreciate that, he wasn’t the right guy for you.”
Her words wrapped around me like a comforting blanket. But it didn’t ease all my worries.
Was I wrong to be upfront about my expectations? Should I have kept it to myself? All I know is that being honest about what I want is important, even if it means losing a date like Jake.
What would you have done?
