📝 AITA for pursuing my feelings for my friend's ex?

By orange_snapdragon • Score: 0 • April 15, 2025 7:05 AM


So it's a long story but I will try to break it down, English is not my native language, sorry for any mistakes.

I (F27) am studying with Tom (M22) and Emma (F23). I knew Tom first, we both met Emma in our second semester and developed a friendship with her. Two months into that, Tom and Emma developed feelings for another, although Emma was still in a relationship with her girlfriend. They broke up eventually and her and Tom started dating in May, but not being official until November.

Now I had a long-term girlfriend, we were in an open relationship. I knew the moment I met Emma that I found her attractive and developed a crush. In the time that the two were not a couple yet, Emma and me came close to a kiss but I knew I would be bending the rules of my relationship because feelings were involved. I told Emma that, and until November, we remained friends and I respected their developing relationship as well as my own. Unfortunately, in November, when Tom, Emma and me went out drinking, Emma got drunk and kissed me. It was a very short kiss, but of course when Tom found out, he was very hurt and took a long time to trust us both again.

Nevertheless, in the next summer, half a year later, Emma told me that she has feelings for me as well. We spent a lot of time together and nothing happened, but we knew we had to talk to our partners. The result of this was that again, Tom felt betrayed and they paused their relationship for a while. I realized that my feelings for Emma were impacting my relationship and broke up with my girlfriend, who I stayed friends with and who understood how I felt. Tom and Emma's relationship never really recovered, but Tom chose to stay with her although knowing she had feelings for me and her not wanting to go no contact with me. They both spent the semester in another city, so things cooled down, but Emma and me stayed in contact and I knew that the feelings were still there. I respected their relationship and tried to go no contact for a while, but I couldn't. In that time, Tom and be basically stopped being friends and weren't in much contact.

Now back in college, they broke up. It was for another reason, for which they didn't find a compromise, but also because the relationship was just conflicts and talks and exhausted both of them.

I have to admit that I wasn't surprised at all, and Emma seemed relieved more than sad to me. I was there for her and we met up a few times. We both knew what the elephant in the room was. That we were now both single and that our feelings were still there. And I have to admit that it happened rather fast, but we kissed approximately 3 weeks after their break up.

Now Tom is still in a project with us and wanted to initially remain friends with Emma, so he found out about it. He accused me of cheating, as if they were still together, and is furious with both of us. Emma feels sad for their relationship but is sure that they can't get back together.

Am I the asshole for pursuing my feelings that are still there after 2 years?

TLDR: In a love triangle, a guy and me both fell in love with the same woman. He dated her first but she and her also got closer a few times, while he knew. They broke up now and her and me now pursue our feelings for another.

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