Dear Rina,

I have been dating the same boy for two years, with the exception of a three-month break. I do love him very much, but he’s not the one for me. At the same time, I really don’t think I can leave him. I love having his arms wrapped around me and I love curling up with my head on his chest.

I can’t imagine not having that and I don’t want to hurt him, but there are some times when I really can’t stand him. We get along fine as friends in our group of three without any major problems, but most of the time it can’t be just the two of us because I feel awkward about it. 

What do you think I should do? Should I stay with him? Or should I break up with him? If you think I should break things off, do you have any advice on how to do it so that I don’t lose him?

– Love Stuck

Dear Love Stuck,

Okay, time to get real! You most definitely need to break things off with him because what you are doing is selfish. You’re stringing him along for your own satisfaction, knowing deep down that you do not want to be with him, while he is believing that what the two of you have is real.

There comes a time in our lives when we have to learn to function alone. We as humans are not going to have a companion 24/7, and that is just something that we have to accept.

To be completely honest, there is a nice possibility of you losing him because this has been going on for a while now and his feelings are too deeply involved. Two years is quite a bit of time and when time is invested, hearts can be broken.

Now, if you do decide to stay with him, you have to learn to make it work, because when you’re in a relationship with someone, and you truly love them, you have to accept them for their flaws and all. If you guys are arguing a lot, you should work on actually listening to each other and communicating effectively. I am not a love expert, but I have been through some things in relationships to be able to give you sound advice. Also, if you keep stringing him along with no intent to change that, remember that karma does exist.

– Rina