Emily:

I was seeing this girl (27) for a little over a year and, although we were very compatible and happy, I was an asshole at times and cheated on her (no sex, though, if that matters). The first 2 times I confessed, and tried to prove my contrition through loving gestures. The last time, we broke up as a result, and I was slowly winning her back, when suddenly she decided she "can't forgive and forget" and started semi-dating some other guy. My question is: I can't even look at other women right now, I'm so obsessed with her; how can she immediately start dating someone else? Does that mean she doesn't care about me, and wants to use something that was my fault as a way to assuage her guilt for breaking my heart? I realized (too late) that I really loved her all along and was just afraid to commit. What can I do?

---------------------------Miss Emily's advice----------------------------

Wait it out. You laid the groundwork for this, so you can't really blame her for building on it. Maybe the old "you don't know what you've got til' it's gone" holds true in this case, but maybe not. I think your ego has taken a real hit, and sometimes that overrides the reality of the situation -- and can be misconstrued as a broken heart. Maybe you are a bit of a commitment-phobe, but that's a sorry excuse. Whether you slept with the other girls, or not, it shows a lack of respect (an understatement), and she wanted a serious commitment with a mature guy. If you are truly sincere, and capable of being faithful, I hope this turns around for you. But if it doesn't, lick your wounds and consider this a rather harsh learning experience.