'I love you'

Those words can be breathtaking - in more ways than one.  When my ex first reiterated them a few months ago I was so grateful.  I was going through a hard time and he was there as a friend.  What he actually said was, "I love you and I trust you."  It made everything okay.  He trusted me to be there for my friend whose mother had just passed.  He was saying that I was strong enough.  Back then our friendship was good and it was pure.  I helped him, he helped me - no romantic clutter.

Then we started getting closer.  When one late night on Skype after a long talk about the past he said 'I love you' I was speechless. He loved me.  After all this time.  I was the person he turned to when he needed someone.

We've been chatting since and somehow I've agreed to fly out to meet him after I've sent this manuscript into the publishers.  Somewhere along the line his emotional need has become more and more apparent.  When we first met I was his emotional stabilizer.  We became each other's stabilizers.  I needed him emotionally for so long, but recently I've found my feet.  I'm standing alone and I like it.  I wouldn't mind a romp with him - for that I'd fly out to see him.  But I don't want him as a partner - he can keep his current girlfriend for that.  I feel bad for her.  They met when he and I were friend w/benefits.  It stopped for a time, but he has cheated on her multiple times with me.  That finally stopped when they moved to the west coast.

He was talking about all of the things that could have been when we were together the first time.  In reality they couldn't have been.  Things happened the way they did because we were young and naive.

His 'I love you' from last night stirred nothing.  If I let this go too long he may irrevocably damage what he has with her and I can't pick up the pieces without losing some of my footing.

I want to go back to that time when we weren't cluttered with lust.  The relationship was exactly what I needed and what would help me now.  Its nice to know that he desires after me, but I'd like an actual friendship.