You may think that you got rid of your ex-boyfriend when the two of you broke up, but if he’s still harboring feelings for you, then it may not be the end of things. If he’s constantly popping back into your life or at least finding reasons why the two of you should stay in contact, it could be a sign that he doesn’t want you to move on. Here’s how you know.
- He didn’t want to break up in the first place. If you were the one that called things off, then the chances are high that your ex still has leftover feelings. In fact, he could be holding out hope that you’ll change your mind, and even more, that the two of you will give things another try eventually.
- He lies about how your relationship ended. While your ex may simply be trying to save his reputation, especially if he was in the wrong when things between you two ended, he may also be trying to paint you in a negative light. He may hope telling lies about your break-up will dissuade your future love interests, particularly if they believe rumors that you cheated or stalked your ex post-break-up. Unfortunately, however, this also decreases the chances you two will ever get back together.
- He’s been trying to get your attention. When someone is moving on from a past relationship, they want to wash their hands clean of their former significant other. So, if your ex just won’t leave you alone – whether that means he’s sliding into your DMs, flaunting his rebound online, or even more, trying to see you in person – it’s a sure-fire sign that he wants you back. Or, at the very least, he wants to stay fresh in your mind in hopes that you won’t move on too soon.
- He keeps asking if you’re seeing anyone. If your ex-boyfriend is directly asking whether you have a new love interest, then you can be sure he’s feeling a bit jealous. He likely can’t get those answers from your social media accounts or your friends, so he has no choice but to bite the bullet and ask you directly. Unless you do want to give things another try between the two of you, the best thing to do is to remind him things are officially over.
- He won’t stay out of your DMs. He doesn’t need to be sending you mushy things in order for it to be apparent he doesn’t want you to move on. He could be sending you angry or sad messages, too. The simple fact that he’s continuing to spend his energy messaging you means he isn’t completely over the relationship, and even more, he probably would be devastated to hear you’ve moved on.
- He sent your new significant other a message. It’s pretty cringy if your ex-boyfriend feels the need to message your new love interest, but it is a clear sign that he doesn’t want you to move on. He’s likely hoping to cause friction between the two of you in hopes it will ruin things, which he may think will give him a chance to win you back. The best thing is for you and your new S.O. to block him on social media to make it clear you want to be left alone.
- He always asks your friends about you. Of course, a good ex-boyfriend will care about your feelings, so it’s not out of place for him to ask your friends how you’re coping with the break-up. But if he’s constantly asking or has asked specific questions like whether you’ve moved on, then he could be hinting that he hopes there’s a chance you two will get back together before you move on.
- He rebounded a bit too quickly. You may take it as a good sign that your ex found someone new right away – but don’t assume that too quickly! If he jumped into something new as soon as possible, it could be a sign he’s hoping it will make you jealous and keep your attention focused on him rather than a new guy.
- He still has your photos up online. This could serve two purposes. On one hand, he may hope you’ll see the pictures on his account and be reminded of all the good times you had together. Similarly, he may hope that it will convey to you that he still hasn’t moved on and is hoping you two can give things another try. Why waste all that time taking photos down if you’ll just get back together, right?
- He just won’t seem to let you go. If your gut is telling you that he hasn’t let you go yet – like if he’s giving you Joe vibes from You – then chances are, that’s the case. Maybe he’s a bit too friendly or he seems to be making up poor excuses for why you need to talk, or even worse, why you keep running into each other in person. The bottom line is that if you feel he doesn’t want you to move on, then you’re likely right. The only thing to do is to figure out whether you’re willing to give things another try or if you truly need to move on, regardless of how your ex feels.
