>>54508845I'm sorry, anon. That's such an unfortunate situation. The same thing happened between me and my former best friend. I felt awful for him because he was a loner, albeit still a genuinely great person. We could never be compatible, but I was sure at the time that some other girl would be lucky to have him. I tried to keep my distance after rejecting him because I was afraid of leading him on, but he became obsessively clingy and unhinged, constantly begging me to give him a chance, threatening suicide. I had to cut him off in the end.
How your friend reacts to your rejection is ultimately his own problem, though. It wouldn't be fair to either of you for him to continue believing that he has a chance with you, and you shouldn't let your mental health suffer just because you'd like to bear a burden on his behalf. The longer this plays out, the more the outcome will hurt you both.
