Last year, I met a guy who seemed really into me. He said he wanted to make me his and that he was serious about a relationship, even though it would be long-distance. We started talking about how to make it work. I told him I needed someone present and emotionally available, especially because between July–September 2024, he’d disappear for 3 days at a time without contact. When he came back, he’d just say he was busy or had “events.”

I often felt like I had to push to get him to talk on the phone to resolve conflicts which was frustrating because I made it clear I preferred calling over texting to avoid misunderstandings. Still, I tried to be understanding.

soon the next day after that convo on call where we discussed long distance, I asked where we stood cause i felt kinda unsure since he didnt ask for exclusivity but claimed he wasnt talking to anyone else. He told me he wanted to be with me and he was sure of that but didn’t know how to make time for a relationship. I told him I understood if he needed to focus on his career, family, etc., and that it was up to him. A few days later, he came back saying he didn’t have the time for a relationship after all. He apologized & admitted he was wearing “rose-tinted glasses” because he wanted me so badly and that "it's not smth i was aware of too, my life in those past months was much diff than it is now and i also developed feelings for you completely but i just dont know if itd be the best idea rn" and called it "right person wrong time" when i asked him "what now?" he suggested being friends for now cause he cant do anything right now but it could change in the near future and that he just didn't know at the moment and didnt wanna make me wait. so i told him that i cant stay friends with someone i feel strongly about because thats unhealthy to me and i wasnt going to stay in a limbo in hopes that it "might" change in the near future either. so i wished him well and told him that i really liked him and that was all i had left to say. then i cut off contact with him by taking him off my socials and his number as well.

Fast forward 5 months: he texts me out of the blue asking how I’ve been. When I asked why he reached out, he said he’d been thinking about me, missed our convos, and had wanted to reach out every month but hesitated cause he was unsure how i'd feel about it. He said: "even though things didn't work out then, i wanted to reconnect and see how you've been- if that's okay with you. sorry if i'm inconveniencing you in any way". then i asked him what he wanted to reconnect for because to me it could've been anything. if he wanted closure, i didnt mind having a convo for that but i made it very clear the last time that i didnt wanna be friends. his response was "i'm not entirely sure what you mean- i just wanted to catch up if you're open to it. i def dont wanna rush or pressure you into anything but id genuinely love the chance for us to talk again". after reading that message at like 4 pm, i left it on seen cause i wasnt sure if i was gonna respond. to me it came off as vague and i was at least expecting an apology and some accountability with clear intentions. I didn’t want to get pulled back into something confusing or emotionally draining again.

Then, around 1 AM that night, he messaged: “no reply? np mb for bothering.” I didn’t see it until the next morning, but it felt like a guilt trip. It brought back anxiety, and reminded me of how he could be a bit emotionally reactive and passive-aggressive in the past. I knew he had abandonment issues, but the message didnt sit right with me, so I deleted his number again.

A week later, I found out he had blocked me. I assume it’s because I didn’t respond.

Now I feel kinda bad. I was planning to respond eventually, but I needed a day to calm my nerves before doing that so that i could process how i felt better. if we were still in contact like before, i would've told him immediately that i needed time to think but i wasnt sure if he even deserved that response now and that if i could wait for 3 days back then when he'd dip, i'm sure he could wait for a day after reaching out after 5 months. But after his last message, I just didn’t like it engaging anymore

So, AITA for leaving him on read and not responding at all?