I rejected a guy because he was too feminine for my taste.
He was sweet, funny, emotionally available, and made it obvious that he liked me. But I wanted someone more masculine, so I told him we weren't compatible.
He accepted it gracefully and moved on.
A year later, I saw him again at a mutual friend's birthday party. He had a boyfriend, and the two of them looked genuinely happy.
I won't lie. I felt jealous.
I started paying more attention to him, messaging him, and finding excuses to be around him.
Eventually, he pulled me aside and asked, βWhy do you suddenly want me now that someone else does?β
I had no answer.
But then he told me something about the way he'd felt after I rejected him, and I realized I might have hurt him more than I ever understood.
Was I wrong for wanting him now, or did I simply realize what I'd lost too late?