• news
  • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 2004 12:00 PM

Torn Between Friends

I've recently fallen in love with one of my best friends. She just happens to be dating one of my other best friends.

To complicate matters, their relationship is on the rocks. He's been fooling around and becoming distant from her and all of his friends (including me). He goes out to the bar with his coworkers (one of whom he had an affair with) and comes home with hickeys from time to time. He's completely neglectful of her most of the time and damn near verbally abusive at others. She started coming to me for advice because we were both worried about the changes in his attitude. I've always told her that I can't give her objective advice because I'm friends with both of them, but, that I'll always be there to listen at the very least.

So, I guess I have two questions:

Should I talk to him about the way he's treating not only her, but all of his friends?

Should I tell her how I feel?

 
Comments
Rocket

Rocket

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

SEP 24, 2004 12:09 PM

i have watched something along these lines happen so many times.. :/ as far as talking to him goes, it could go both ways, he could realize what hes doing and try to change, or he could just resent you for 'claiming' he does wrong.
but with the girl, telling her how you feel could end up in you be the oh so famous and eventually tragic rebound. and thats the last thing you want. for now be her friend and ride it out see how things go. if its meant to work, it will. these things always take time and so on and so forth smile

Lauren

Lauren

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

SEP 24, 2004 02:33 PM

It's more a less a matter of whether or not you feel comfortable talking to him about something like that. It's not should or shouldn't. That's just means to try to separate them, in your mind, for the 'best'.

If you don't have a problem with the possible negative out come of discussing the way you feel he is acting/treating her/has changed go for it.

Telling her how you feel on the other hand...sounds like it would be bad timing. Like Rocket said, the best thing to do would be to stay friends and see if things develop way after this drama has ended. kiss

Midnyte

Midnyte

SUICIDEGIRL

Arizona, USA

SEP 24, 2004 02:59 PM

You can tell the guy he's being a dick, but I don't think it will help. He is going to have to hit his own bottom before he'll change. Telling him will probably end your friendship though.

Before you do anything, you'll have to decide if the friendship with him is worth salvaging. If he is messing around and getting hickies, his relationship with the girl is all but over anyway.

Sounds like she probably needs or thinks she needs him for some reason, (rent, child care, whatever it is) and is afraid to put her foot down. She may be coming to you for "Rescuing" many women will stay in a crap relationship awaiting rescue. So you may risk being a "Rebound" but then again you could be her white knight as well, I believe rebound is kind of a myth sometimes anyway. It depends how emotionally done with him she really is. Many nice guys miss out on nice girls for fear of the "rebound" meanwhile a less afraid guy is getting engaged to her.

So... my advice is... if you are done with him, tell him you and he are no longer friends and why, so that is cut off.

Then, start taking her out and doing stuff with her.

Wait to tell her you love her.

Do let her know you'll be there for her if she needs you.

Tell her how great it is spending time with her, and how fun/sexy/pretty/smart you think she is. Not in some lame production just little complements here and there.

If this guy is really behaving like the dick you say he is, it should not take long for her to decide to leave him for you on her own.

Bailey

Bailey

SUICIDEGIRL

Massachusetts, USA

SEP 24, 2004 04:18 PM

dude...get your own girlfriend.

reguardless of how hes treating her, i'm a strong believer of BROS BEFORE HOS.

Gadget

Gadget

SUICIDEGIRL

New Hampshire, USA

SEP 24, 2004 05:38 PM

my advice?

you can't really do anything. Be supportive of her but she needs to realize that she needs to dump his ass. Of course you can't tell her to do that...cause that shits just fucked up but... you can be there to try to make a move when she does.
If you do talk to him about it, then maybe he'll try to start treating her better but that can't change the shit he's done in the past, plus where would that leave you?

anyway, she needs to dump that asshole.

Synnove

Synnove

SUICIDEGIRL

New Brunswick, Canada

SEP 25, 2004 12:38 AM

i would talk to her about how she's being treated and how the friends are being treated. be supportive, be a good friend, be there for her.

however, i wouldn't tell her how you feel about her... with everything she's going through right now, that would be too much for her to deal with.

does she even know he's cheating on her? i can't tell from what you wrote. if she DOESN'T, please tell her. i was in a relationship before where he was cheating on me with 3 other girls and everyone fucking knew about it, except for me.

just be there for her, but hold back on your feelings for now. don't make the situation more difficult for all of you. she may get really weirded out and then stop talking to you and it'll just be a great big mess.

Ayla

Ayla

Petaluma, CA
February 2004

SEP 25, 2004 01:00 AM

Midnyte said:
You can tell the guy he's being a dick, but I don't think it will help. He is going to have to hit his own bottom before he'll change. Telling him will probably end your friendship though.

Before you do anything, you'll have to decide if the friendship with him is worth salvaging. If he is messing around and getting hickies, his relationship with the girl is all but over anyway.

Sounds like she probably needs or thinks she needs him for some reason, (rent, child care, whatever it is) and is afraid to put her foot down. She may be coming to you for "Rescuing" many women will stay in a crap relationship awaiting rescue. So you may risk being a "Rebound" but then again you could be her white knight as well, I believe rebound is kind of a myth sometimes anyway. It depends how emotionally done with him she really is. Many nice guys miss out on nice girls for fear of the "rebound" meanwhile a less afraid guy is getting engaged to her.

So... my advice is... if you are done with him, tell him you and he are no longer friends and why, so that is cut off.

Then, start taking her out and doing stuff with her.

Wait to tell her you love her.

Do let her know you'll be there for her if she needs you.

Tell her how great it is spending time with her, and how fun/sexy/pretty/smart you think she is. Not in some lame production just little complements here and there.

If this guy is really behaving like the dick you say he is, it should not take long for her to decide to leave him for you on her own.



That's some of the best advice I've ever read.

Nic

Nic

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

SEP 25, 2004 04:13 AM

He sounds like a total dick and I think you should tell him that.

As for the girl, it sounds like she knows exactly what to do (ie leave the douchebag) ut she's just afraid to do it. Let her know that you're there for her, take her out, and then tell her that she should leave him.

Be prepared though, these situations have a tendency to get very, very messy indeed.

Nic

Nic

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

SEP 25, 2004 04:14 AM

Alternatively, you could fight him to the death in a big metal cage.

Tryst

Tryst

SUICIDEGIRL

Virginia, USA

SEP 25, 2004 07:17 PM

I don't think it's your place to go behind his back and tell her what he's doing -- reasons of loyalty -- BUT it is perfectly acceptable for you to tell him that HE needs to tell her or YOU will. Give him a week, and if he decides he's still not going to tell her, then it's all yours. He may be upset, but you gave him the option, therefore you aren't stabbing him in the back.

Also, you do need to make sure you're not providing her with this information with ulterior motives. Your intentions need to be selfless. You may not get the girl, afterall.

Ayres

Ayres

SUICIDEGIRL

Argentina

SEP 27, 2004 10:38 AM

My advice.
You cant do anything. If you tell him, he will tell you that´s his life and he can do anything he want. you will end in a fight with him. If you warn him about the way he is beeing with his gf, he will send you right to hell cause is his gf, and even if she acts like nothing happens (about the hickies) she knows, and in some sort of way shes letting all this happen.
And if you talk to her, probably she will tell him and you will loose 2 friends.
I know what Im saying. I learned to take a step aside and dont involve myself in others couples. You will end bad if you do that.
There are a lots of girls. Search for another. Or wait to this relationship ends. But anyway, I would go with the "forget her" advice.
good luck kiddo.
kiss

Ayres

Ayres

SUICIDEGIRL

Argentina

SEP 27, 2004 10:40 AM

Nic said:
Alternatively, you could fight him to the death in a big metal cage.



Oh. This would work too. And we can be there. And we can sell tickets, tshirts and pieces of the looser´s body.
Yeah. money. Its all about the evil metal.

Lotus

Lotus

SUICIDEGIRL

Ontario, Canada

OCT 01, 2004 09:30 AM

don't tell her how you feel. That'll make things worse. Trust me, the worst thing is when your friend tell you how much they love you.