Do you keep convincing yourself that the elusive, non-committal guy you say you’re just “talking to” is just playing hard-to-get? Well, maybe he’s actually impossible to get. Maybe he’s just hanging on to you as a back-up plan until he finds someone else. Then again, maybe he’s just been burned in the past and is trying to play it cool so he doesn’t get hurt. If you’re wondering what his true intentions are, take a look at these hints he’s just leading you on:
- He doesn’t immediately respond to your texts. You can see that he read it. Doesn’t he know that you can see that he read it? Sure he does, but he doesn’t want to interrupt whatever he’s doing to write back. He also doesn’t want you to get the message that he’s willing to drop everything for you, because he’s not.
- He hardly ever calls. Calling takes time, effort, and concentration. He just wants to coast by on the bare minimum he can get away with; he’d rather text. Just add it to the list of awful communication habits.
- When he does contact you, it tends to be late at night. Stop convincing yourself that it’s just a coincidence. It’s not: it’s a booty call. He’s texting you because he’s hoping you’ll be up for some Netflix and chill, not because he suddenly turns into a romantic at midnight.
- His suggestions for going out always involve groups of people. Instead of one-on-one dates, he’ll usually tell you where he and his group are planning to go out for the night, and invites you to come along. This way, he can still have you around, but gets to keep you and your relationship at a distance instead of getting in deeper.
- When you start to pull away, he suddenly draws you in closer. It’s almost as if he knows that he’s about to cross a line, and realizes that he needs to do more if he wants to keep you. He’s willing to do just enough, but then the patterns appear all over again.
- He won’t introduce you to his friends as his girlfriend. This is one of the surest signals that you may be stuck in a non-relationship LINK. He should be willing to name the relationship, or at least say that you’re dating. If he isn’t, he’s doing that on purpose. Beware.
- He hasn’t told his parents about you. If a guy is serious about a girl, he’ll usually tell his parents pretty quickly that he’s met someone. If he intends to keep you around for the long run, it would be weird if he didn’t at least mention your name to them. If he’s keeping you a secret, it may be because he doesn’t think the two of you have a future.
- You’re usually the one to suggest dates. He never seems to have any ideas, and he’s never the one to offer to take you out. This might be a sign that he doesn’t have much confidence in the relationship, but that you make it so easy for him that he might as well hang on.
- He never wants to take pictures with you. This is an important one to look out for. If there’s no photographic evidence, there’s nothing to peg him to you on Facebook. That might mean he’s trying to send out single signals and doesn’t want to look like he’s tied down.
- He hasn’t brought you to any formal events. If he’s serious about your relationship, he should be taking you as his guest to weddings, company holiday parties, and other events.
