I (21M) was talking with a girl (22) for the past two weeks or so, and things were going pretty well. A conversation about looks came up today after she said that she wasn't good looking to which I replied, "I wouldn't be talking to you if I didn't find you attractive."

I added that I probably would have stopped talking to her slowly (considering I hadn't seen her prior to the first conversation) not deliberately but subconsciously I would want to initiate fewer conversations with her, if I didn't find her attractive. And that being attracted to your partner is an important criterion while dating.

But she completely took this in a negative way and started calling me disgusting. She said that I was a shallow person who would ghost someone cause they don't look good. She also kept saying that looks were my "top priority" even when I repeatedly clarified that it wasn't; it's just the first barrier of entry.

And then she said that we shouldn't talk anymore, effectively ending things.

Am I really an asshole for wanting to be with someone that I find beautiful?

Also, I didn't mean that I would breadcrumb until we stopped talking. There wasn't any serious establishment of romantic interest at first just some banter. So if I hadn't found her attractive I would have drawn a boundary in our conversations from going into the flirtatious zone. I thought this would have been better than outright ghosting. But since I wasn't looking for new friends the conversations would obviously be few and far between. I had clarified all of this to her as well.