Briefly dated one person at the same time my nesting partner was dating them, thought everything was going well, things were cute.

Found out she'd been lying to us and her nesting partner the entire time and their relationship wasn't Poly. Things never escalated too far but quite easily could have on multiple occasions.

Second person I date, I fall for hard. I set up a date at mine designed specifically to make her feel special, it's the first time we have sex.

I get really overwhelmed afterwards when receiving a phone call from my nesting partner, fuck up and do something which hurt her real bad, she asks for space and two weeks later we meet and talk it out, she understands how I got overwhelmed but doesn't want to continue the relationship, I fight for it in a way I never have before.

She tells me she wants me in her life but later texts telling me she needs space, I text back immediately understanding and ask if we can check in later.

I never hear from her again.

Third person I met at the same time as the second, she's lovely & things are good but it's clear she's pretty overwhelmed in life.

We go in a few dates and eventually have sex and then the next time I see her she breaks up needing space, we text for a little while before I ask if she needs zero contact time. She does.

All of this happening in the midst of a pandemic, all my friends being completely burnt out and I am at a loss.

Meanwhile my nesting partner is seeing two lovely people on the friend of one of the people I was seeing and the other in the same field of work for me. I'm thankful she's got these relationships as it's given her space for herself while I try and recover from my breaking heart.

But it's also hard seeing her so happy with others and feeling so cut off from my own romantic prospects outside this relationship.