The most memorable love stories are the ones that were so perfect, all fun, love, and playful games until they weren’t anymore. This doesn’t mean that it all changed overnight or that one betrayed the other in some way overnight. It just means that regardless of how they ended or why they abruptly did, they were great and magical before that.
They make you want to commit, stay with that person until forever, and still hold onto silly and illogical hope when you know that it ended in tragedy.
In the end, love is the most powerful feeling in the world. It can make people do anything, even the unthinkable.
What makes you his “one that got away”, rather than a normal ex:
An intense unforgettable love story is usually a story two compatible people shared and that mainly ended because of an external factor or third party.
This is powerful because the people involved still didn’t have their dose of each other or still didn’t lose interest in the slightest. In fact, they were probably going strong or at the peak of their passion when it all started falling apart. And that’s what makes this one of the most painful types of love.
It is all about the emotional and mental journey the couple shared together, a journey that culminates in their physical union. And, that was put to an end against their will.
In the end, it is all these ingredients that make you “the one that got away” for that special ex-partner, if this is something you have experienced yourself. So let’s dive deeper and see what are the signs that you’re his “one that got away”:
How to know you’re his “one that got away”:
1. He stayed in touch:
It’s not surprising that people who are in relationships stay in touch with their exes, but it becomes problematic when they’re still in love with them.
Some argue that the reason why people do this is that they want to keep their options open, and they would rather have someone as a backup just in case things don’t work out with their current partner. But, that’s a pessimistic and bitter way to look at things.
Sometimes, when there’s truly no way the two can get back with one another, because of factors that are bigger than themselves or very serious, then staying in touch can be a way to show they care.
2. They keep putting themselves in front of your eyes on social media:
It can be frustrating when someone you have tried to break up with continues to contact you, or worse, keeps posting things about you and tagging you on your social media. This is a form of harassment that many people experience. In this case, it is important not to let this person’s behavior affect your mental health and that you take the appropriate steps to protect yourself.
However, this is not what we’re referring to in this section. In case you are his “one that got away” then it is more than luckily that he will keep you at reach by having you on his friends’ list on social media. However, that is not to harass you, make digs at you or do something you won’t like. It’s just to check on you, see what you’re up to, and follow up with what you’re doing with yourself and life ever once in a while.
In this case, your ex may even occasionally like your posts, pictures, location, or whatever it is that you share. They may also try to send you a text here and there every couple of months to ask how you’re doing. However, it is better to avoid this type of behavior, if you genuinely cannot be with one another or give yourselves another chance at love.
That’s because talking, again and again, will prevent you both or one of you for sure from moving on. Or worse, it could result in you two getting back together only to have to call it quits again for the same reasons you did last time.
3. They still talk about you to others, in a good way:
It is natural for your ex to talk about you to others, if he’s not over you or if you have truly left a mark on him. When your ex is with a new partner, he will want to share the good things that happened in your relationship.
Or, maybe if he is a reasonable person he won’t do that because it could hurt his new partner’s feelings but he will still mention you in some way, someday. Either way, the new partner will end up knowing about you and who you are very well.
In other words, it is impossible that someone they have dated after your time for a long enough period doesn’t come to learn about you. His new person will somehow always end up knowing who you were, what you meant, and how you’re his “one that got away”.
So you may run into an ex of his that had a relationship with him after yourself, especially if you live in a small town. And, she will not hesitate to tell you that she knows exactly who you are. Maybe she likes you now that she’s no longer emotionally involved with your common ex. She may even think you’re an incredible woman who knows how to leave her mark on a man.
So this alone could nurture some type of fascination with you and be the start of a beautiful friendship between the two of you, unless she’s the jealous type or not over him fully yet.
4. He looks for a version of you, in the new women he dates:
It doesn’t take too many people to notice this obvious sign and know that a person is not fully over their ex. The obvious sign is: that they will date and take out every single person that looks even slightly like their ex, once they start dating again.
They’re on a mission to find the person with the most similarities to their ex. Be it the haircut, hair color, body type, race of their ex, skin complexion, or even personality; nothing is too hard to simulate or find a carbon copy of. They’re trying to tick all the boxes and find the perfect doppelganger of their “one that got away”.
In the end, they will realize that they may not find someone exactly like you, but their quest to do so would’ve at least pushed them to date again and give love another chance. So, someday down the line, they may find a version of you that may satisfy them enough, or with which they can have a relationship as strong as yours was, if not stronger.
And, that’s how people move on from a “one that got away” they end up forgetting about them a few years down the line, and after having dated new people that all have their own different flavors and magic. That’s because time heals all wounds, and no matter how great your love was, sooner or later it will be replaced in their heart by other feelings they will develop for other people.
The memories will fade and new colorful moments with other people will pile up and replace it all, which is let’s face it: a blessing that humans have! Just imagine if we were to never forget, move on or heal.
In the end, if you decide to stay or become friends with your ex then it may be worth it to check these boundaries for being friends with your ex.