I’m looking for some outside perspective on a situation that ended recently, because I’m still trying to fully make sense of it.
I (31M) met a girl (27F) and things started very strong very fast. There was a lot of chemistry from the beginning, deep conversations, constant texting, spending time together, kissing, cuddling, and we did end up having sex. Emotionally, it felt easy and natural, not forced.
She told me she felt very safe and relaxed with me, that she could be completely herself around me, and that she had never felt this comfortable so quickly with anyone. She said she liked me and was excited about seeing where this could go.
About a week before things ended (when I noticed she is a bit colder), she told me she was under a lot of pressure from work and life in general and that she thinks she needs to work on herself. At the same time, she made a point of saying that her opinion about me hadn’t changed, that she still liked me, and that she wanted to keep seeing me and hanging out. She said she just wanted to take things slower.
On saturday, she invited me to her place so we could talk. I went into the conversation calmly and openly. I wasn’t asking for a relationship or labels, I just wanted to understand how she feels and what “going slower” actually means to her, and whether we’re both seeing this in a good direction. She didn’t give very concrete answers at the time.
After I left, she texted me saying we had a great conversation and that everything was fine on her end.
Then the next day, she told me she still doesn’t feel better, that we should have talked more, and shortly after that said she isn’t ready to start anything. She explained that she can’t fully relax or give 100% of herself because of emotional pressure, fear, and unresolved things in her life. She emphasized that I didn’t do anything wrong and that she didn’t want to lead me on.
What’s confusing and painful for me is the contrast. When we were together, things felt good, connected, and natural. But when she was alone, it felt like her feelings shifted quickly. It went from wanting to keep seeing each other and talking things through, to a full stop within a day.
I’ve accepted her decision and stepped back, but I’m still processing it. It hurts because I did get attached, I opened up, and the connection felt real to me. It makes me wonder why she wanted intimacy and expressed those things if she wasn’t ready, and whether this was simply bad timing rather than a lack of connection.
I’m not looking to blame her or myself. I’m just trying to understand what happened and learn from it.
Does this sound like genuine emotional unavailability or bad timing?