Plunged on the dating scene and confused...

Hey,

I broke up with an ex early last year and until I met this new guy at christmas I never thought Id find anyone else, ever.

This new guy I met was a bit older than me and when I first met him I didn't think he was my type so I guess I was seeing him as more than a friend (my ex was blonde with blue eyes and he's got dark hair and brown eyes). We went out on a few dates tho and met up a couple of times at the bar we met in, and we got on really well, but because I was so nervous about getting hurt I was a little withdrawn. On refection I think it might have looked like I was playing hard to get, which wasn't the case at all! He was such a gentleman and so mature that i started to become really attracted to him.

As the story goes, he cooled things off with a bunch of excuses (I'm not bitter!!! hehe) and then maybe a few weeks later I saw him with another girl so figured he'd decided to go with someone else. He ran away from me sheepishly - which was annoying! - and I did text him and say, it's okay you don't have to run away I think I can mange a friendship with you! He text back saying he did genuinely like me, that the girl he was with was just a friend but he reckons there's something more and that he's confused...bla bla bla. I saved him the effort of making a decision by not texting him back.

My issue is, I now think about him all the time. I even dream about him and it's driving me crazy! I know it can't go anywhere but I seem to be fixated on him. I think it's because I have a few regrets on how I handled 'us' at the start - even tho im aware the outcome would have probably been the same. I feel he took the easy route, because he feels i was playing 'hard to get' and that irritates me!

I guess my point is....when meeting someone new, isnt it going to scare a man off more with someone that's very forward and confident about what they want? I don't want to appear desperate, because I'm not.

I tried being myself and tried to keep things slow to protect my own heart, and now I've ended up completely falling for someone I'll never have. I've only ever been in one relationship which lasted 4 years - I'm 25 by the way.

Any advice would be great. x