Once an avoidant friend zones you, is there coming back from it? (30F) and (31F)
I've been dating R for 3 months. We're both bi, and she's in a relationship with another man who lives 2 hours away in Philly, that's been going on for about a year. She didn't tell me about him until our 3rd date, because she didn't want to scare me off. At the time, I was okay with it because I wanted to just be sexual and explore being with a woman. But then I caught feelings, and I felt she did too from her actions around me (deep eye gazing, making time to prioritize me, amazing sex, deep intimacy and sharing).
She identifies as avoidant (she revealed this early on, and told me she's getting help for it). Last week, I shared a poem (which she said 'made her feel seen') and a romantic playlist a few days after that. After this, she went silent for a few days (she was with her other partner).
When I followed up, asking nicely for her to just validate that she was still invested in us, she said she "doesn’t have the emotional capacity for another serious relationship right now, in a way that's fair to me" but cares about me and wants to keep hooking up, as long as it doesn’t affect building a "meaningful friendship." All over text.
This frustrated me because all I wanted was clarity about her feelings, NOT a commitment. And instead she said we're 'friends'. She came over last night and revealed the reason she dropped off: she’s pregnant with her other partner’s baby and having an abortion on Thursday. She apologized for going silent and admitted she struggles to express emotions. I told her I’d have preferred if she’d just said she needed space.
When I brought up her calling us “friends,” she clarified, “of course we’re not just friends.” I suggested we take things slow and call each other “lovers” or say we’re “dating casually,” but she deflected. Later, we had a passionate make-out, cuddled, and spent a romantic evening holding hands at a jazz bar.
Her actions and words don’t align, and I’m confused. Am I being friend-zoned or treated as a FWB?