Making a Preemptive Strike

 Dear Bitter Single Guy: I've been seeing a guy who's 30 (I'm 22), divorced and a father. His divorce shattered his ideas of relationships and love. We've been together about 3 months and while he's obviously interested and has told me he loves me, he still refers to himself as "single and unattached". I love him too, but I need to know if I'm just wasting my time. What do I do? - Left Out In The Cold

Dear LOITC: The Bitter Single Guy is shaking his head a little and maybe rolling his eyes a little, too. If your Timid Tadpole is still reeling from his messy divorce and he can't imagine himself in a friendly, loving, equitable relationship, well then his time with you is just a rebound thang. If he really received the emotional thrashing you describe, then he still needs time to lick his wounds.

Honestly LOITC, think about it. If Timid Tadpole got emotionally beaten up in his divorce then he's now feeling all dis-empowered and stuff. The best way to get control of his life (perceived or otherwise) when he's been tromped on is to tromp on someone else. You know what this means, LOITC. He may toy with your emotions and maybe even dump you just because he can. Hopeful, eh?

So, the only answer is to hang with Timid Tadpole until he can purge himself of those demons, or deny him his petty grasp at control in his life and dump him before he can dump you.