She doesn’t accept one-sided love anymore. She is not going to keep texting you if it takes you days to answer and you never initiate the conversation yourself. She isn’t going to force herself into your life. She isn’t going to chase after you. She has too much dignity for that. She doesn’t want to insert herself into your world if you don’t have room for her. She only wants to be around people who want to be around her.
She doesn’t put in effort when it is unappreciated anymore. She can tell whether you are excited about hearing from her or annoyed by her. She isn’t stupid. She isn’t blind. She sees your mixed signals and she knows what they mean. They mean that you like her a little bit, but you don’t like her enough. They mean you are interested in seeing her casually, but not in dating her seriously. They mean you are going to give her some of what she wants, but not all of it.
She doesn’t misinterpret fuckboy moves as sweet gestures anymore. Texting her after midnight isn’t enough. Liking her Instagram photos isn’t enough. Claiming that you miss her isn’t enough. If you really missed her, then you would make plans with her. You would be there for her. Physically. In person. Not only in theory.
She doesn’t put her heart on the line for just anyone anymore. If she is going to exert her energy on you, she wants to make sure you are worth it first. You have to be as interested in creating a concrete, stable relationship as she is. You have to be on the same page from day one, because she is sick of getting excited about the future and then randomly finding out you aren’t ready for a relationship. She is tired of unmet expectations.
She doesn’t let herself get her hopes up anymore. It doesn’t matter how much she likes you. She isn’t going to accept excuses about how your last relationship fucked you up and how you aren’t ready to love again. She isn’t going to convince herself that it’s only a matter of time until she changes your mind, until you decide to put a label on her. She is going to accept your words at face value. And then she is going to move on, because there is no sense in sticking around when you are at two different places in your life.
She doesn’t deal with less than she deserves anymore. She wants a real relationship, not an almost relationship where the lines are unclear. Not a friend with benefits relationship where sex is the only thing that matters. Not a texting relationship where the flirting only happens over the phone. She wants a committed relationship, a forever relationship — and she is not going to settle for less anymore. She is not going to put herself through heartbreak on purpose. She is going to hold out for someone who meets her highest standards.
By Holly Riordan for ThoughtCatalog