My Casually Complicated Dating Situation
Anonymous Insatiable Deviant #884 · General
I'm a first-year law student, and I've been dating casually since the beginning of the school year. No serious relationships yet, just meeting up with different people to see who clicks. There's this one girl, let’s call her Lily, that I’ve really enjoyed spending time with. We clicked on our first date at a coffee shop and ended up talking for hours without even realizing how late it was getting. After a few more dates, things felt comfortable enough that we agreed to see each other again pretty regularly. It wasn’t exclusive by any means, both of us are keeping options open in case someone else comes along, but there's an understanding between us that we're prioritizing each other for now. Last week, I ran into another girl from my class, let’s call her Emma. She was looking for some help with a tricky legal concept, and after spending about an hour working through the problem together, we ended up at a bar nearby just to chat more. There was definitely some attraction there; she seemed pretty interested in me as well. I’ve been struggling internally since then. I like both Lily and Emma for different reasons, Lily is warm and thoughtful, while Emma is smart and quick-witted, and it's hard deciding what to do next with either of them. This week, I was supposed to meet up with Lily again, but part of me kept wanting to wait until after my upcoming dinner with Emma. It’s not like I’m planning on being dishonest or anything, I’ve always been upfront about our open relationship status, but it still feels wrong somehow. Part of me thinks maybe I should pick one and go all-in, but that seems counter to everything we agreed upon from the start. I want both girls, but I also feel guilty for potentially leading them on. I guess what I’m trying to say is... am I being a terrible person by keeping my options open? Is there any way to navigate this situation without hurting anyone’s feelings? Right now, all I know is that it feels wrong and confusing, even though both of these women seem to genuinely like me as well.