“He said he liked me but stopped texting me. What should I do now?”
If you’ve been in the same situation, then you know how bad it feels when a guy who apparently has feelings for you disappears from your life. Without any warning or explanation, you simply stop getting his text messages.
Last week you felt like you’re living your best life. Now, things have taken a complete turn.
He actually seemed like a good guy and even told you that he’s interested in you. You genuinely believed him – until it hit you that he hasn’t been texting you for a while.
Right now, you’re wondering what went wrong and if there’s a way for you to go a couple of days back in time when everything felt great.
Since you’re in desperate need of dating advice that can help you solve this issue, it’s better for us to start deciphering your guy’s behavior. Let’s find out the real reason he stopped texting you after he said that he likes you.
He said he liked you but stopped texting you: Questions to ask yourself
Maybe this is the first time you’ve experienced ghosting and it doesn’t feel nice at all. There are so many things going through your head that it feels like it’s about to burst.
Before we actually get to the possible reasons he decided to stop messaging you, you should first answer the following questions. That way, it will be easier for you to realize what’s actually going on and how serious your issue is.
1. How long have you been seeing each other?
If you just started dating then you probably have no clue yet what his day looks like. You have no idea when he’s busy and what his daily routine is.
That’s why you may feel like he stopped texting you when in reality, he’s simply been pulled away by all of the things he usually gets done in a day.
But if you’ve been together for some time and you know his routine fairly well, then this new behavior can be a warning sign that something’s off. When before there wasn’t a single day he didn’t text or call you, it becomes suspicious to all of a sudden start receiving radio silence.
2. How long has he been gone?
Okay, so this guy told you that he likes you and then he stopped texting you, but precisely how long has it been since he sent you the last text?
Hours? Days? Or are we talking about months?
If it’s only been hours, then you have nothing to worry about. I know that you’re used to receiving his replies almost right away, but the fact that he hasn’t texted you in hours isn’t necessarily a red flag.
It probably means that you’re still getting to know each other and your relationship is relatively fresh. Maybe you’ve only been on your first date and haven’t yet made plans for a second one.
Despite that, I just want to reassure you that a healthy relationship doesn’t mean you have to text 24/7. As time goes by, your communication will strengthen, and then you’ll figure out that it’s more important to lead a good quality conversation that lasts for 15 minutes than to send meaningless texts back and forth all day long.
However, if you’ve been texting each other daily and he goes missing for days, weeks, or even months, then it’s obvious that something’s wrong. When the convo abruptly stops and you don’t hear back from him for an extended period, then it could be a big deal.
3. Have you told him that you like him as well?
Okay, so, he said he liked you and then stopped texting you. But have you said anything to him?
Have you told him that you feel the same way about him? If not, then maybe that’s why you’re not hearing back from him anymore.
Maybe he figured you don’t want to have anything with him and decided to stop before he develops strong feelings for you.
If he wanted to take things to the next level and you didn’t show him you’re interested in the same, he could’ve decided to stop reaching out to you. He may have seen that as you not wanting a relationship with him, so he simply gave up and saved himself from the unnecessary pain of rejection.
Possible reasons you haven’t heard back from him
Maybe you sensed that he could be the one for you. You liked him a lot and then he told you that he likes you too.
Everything feels like a dream until recently, you stop hearing back from him. There are no text messages, he’s stopped calling you completely, and meeting face-to-face is now a thing of the past.
You’re worried about what’s going on, I get it. So I understand why you’d want to know all of the possible reasons a guy would decide to cut contact when everything seemed to be going fine.
So, here are some of the explanations for his sudden change of behavior.
1. He’s no longer interested in you
The last thing you want to hear right now is that a guy who’s told you he likes you and who you’ve started to catch feelings for is no longer interested in you.
That’s some painful info that isn’t easy to process. I know that this doesn’t seem possible, but it is.
You’ll probably try to convince yourself that this isn’t your case and that he still wants to keep things going between the two of you, but right now, you need to be objective if you want to save yourself from heartbreak.
Think about things this way.
The last time you saw him, you had a great time together. He was showing signs that he likes you and you couldn’t stop smiling the whole time you were hanging out.
Right now, things are completely different and you see a complete change in his behavior. He hasn’t been texting you and even when you reach out to him, he either replies with a brief one-liner or flat-out ignores you.
This doesn’t feel right and the reason could be because he simply isn’t into you anymore. His feelings have obviously changed and there’s not much you can do about it.
2. He’s not ready for a relationship
If he said that he liked you but stopped texting you, it could be that he’s simply not ready for a relationship quite yet.
Maybe he’s just gone through a bad breakup and doesn’t feel like he can quickly commit to someone again. Or he’s been hurt in all of his past relationships and is afraid to relive that pain.
To save himself from heartbreak, he doesn’t think that it’s a good idea to keep talking to you, especially if things have been moving fast.
He’s probably a good guy who’s suffered through a lot and doesn’t think that he’s ready to have his heart broken again. But also, if this is why he stopped texting you, then he should’ve told you as much.
One simple message to explain how he feels would save you all of the unnecessary hours of overthinking in the first place.
3. He likes you but is already dating someone else
Have you been communicating only via text? Have you ever met with him face-to-face or are you only online dating?
If the latter, then maybe he already has someone else and he’s not prepared to break up with them.
He told you that he likes you, but if his girlfriend had to find out about you, that would spell the end of the texting between the two of you.
Maybe she got suspicious that he was talking to someone else and that’s why he decided to stop chatting with you.
He didn’t want to risk his real-life relationship for the sake of an online one. So, he stopped texting you without even giving it a second thought.
4. He wants to keep you as an option
“He said he liked me but stopped texting me all of a sudden. But he never said to me that we’re over.”
If you’re in the same situation, then your guy may be keeping you as an option.
He’s not very interested in you right now, but he still doesn’t want to cut you off completely. Maybe at some point, he’ll get bored and he needs to know that he has someone to go back to.
He’ll come up with an excuse as to why he went missing and it’ll all be like in the good old days.
If this sounds like a situation you’re in, then you should delete his number right away. Realize your self-worth and cross him out for good – it’s the only right thing you can do.
5. He’s playing games with you
Another possible reason a guy says that he likes you and then stops texting you is that he’s trying to play games with you.
Maybe he wants you to chase after him or he’s giving you the silent treatment to boost his ego. The idea that someone’s doing their best to get in touch with him fuels his self-esteem and that’s why he’s acting like a teenage boy.
But remember, you’re not in high school anymore. You deserve more respect than that.
No matter how much you like him, if you realize that he’s trying to play games with you, there’s only one thing left to do. Leave him before he ruins your confidence and makes you feel like you’re not good enough.
6. He doesn’t see you as a challenge anymore
Guys can be weird. You must seem like a challenge in order for them to keep their attention on you.
The moment they realize they don’t need to fight to have you, that’s when they lose interest in you.
He could tell you one day that he’s really into you, but the moment you show him that you feel the same way about him and that he doesn’t have to chase after you to have you, he changes his behavior completely.
From a man who was obsessed with you, he becomes a man who doesn’t give a damn.
7. He’s taking you for granted
If a guy said that he liked you but stopped texting you right after, it could be because he’s taking you for granted.
If you showed him that you’re interested in him, then he might have realized that he can have you whenever he wants. He thinks that you’ll always be there for him and that’s why he’s gone missing from your life.
This behavior is cruel and, frankly speaking, it’s much less than you deserve.
If he really thinks that you’ll keep on waiting for him even when he gives you no reason to do so, then he’s seriously wrong. He doesn’t even deserve a second date from you if this is his actual state of mind.
8. He’s busy with work
Maybe your guy is legitimately busy with work and doesn’t have time to reach out to you. This could be why he’s been missing, but only if you haven’t heard back from him for a few days.
If it’s any longer than that, then this isn’t the scenario.
You can give him some time. Wait a week, but if there’s still no sound from him, then cross him out and move on.
9. His phone died
If he just told you that he likes you and then stopped texting you, maybe his phone died in the meantime. If he’s not close to a charger, then he won’t be able to reply to your last message.
However, similar to the previous sign, this behavior is suitable only if he’s been missing for a couple of hours. It makes no sense that he disappears for days and then uses the excuse of how his phone died.
C’mon, you and I both know that’s one big fat lie.
10. You said something offensive
He said he liked you but for some reason stopped texting you. Perhaps you should try to remember if you said anything that could’ve offended him.
Maybe you mentioned something that hurt his feelings even though you thought it wasn’t a big deal.
Can you recall if he changed his behavior all of a sudden, mid-conversation? Do you remember his facial expression going weird after you said something?
If the answer is yes, then maybe you said something that really offended him and that’s why he doesn’t want to text you.
What to do when he says he likes you but stops texting you
You finally met someone you thought would make your love life better. It turns out that he liked you as well and you instantly hoped that he’d be the one for you.
But after some time, he simply stopped texting you, without giving you any reasons. From the guy who sent you good morning messages the moment he opened his eyes, he turned into one who doesn’t text you at all.
It’s not easy when you find yourself in such a situation. You have no idea what action to take, if any.
Well, here are some things you should do when he tells you that he likes you but then stops texting you altogether.
1. Play it cool
I know that it doesn’t feel good when one day, you feel like you’ve met your dream man, and the next, he’s not replying to your messages and you no longer hear from him.
But you must play it cool and act like it doesn’t bother you. That’s the only way he’ll realize what he’s lost.
If you start chasing after him, bombarding him with calls, texts, and pics, you’ll only push him away even further. He’ll then start to think that he can have you whenever he wants and that’s when you’re screwed.
You must show him that you won’t be running after him, no matter what. Let him see that he’ll lose you if he doesn’t do something.
2. Don’t text him first
I know that you feel this uncontrollable urge to text him. You desperately want to know what’s going on and if the story between you two is over.
You need an explanation so you can give yourself closure.
But in this case, listen to your best friend and put all of your energy into NOT texting him.
He’s the one who stopped reaching out to you, so it’s on him to be the first one to text. Especially if the last message was sent by you.
I know you want an explanation, but if he won’t give it to you, then you shouldn’t beg for one either.
If his feelings were real, he would come clean to you and tell you whatever’s on his mind. He’d explain to you why he went MIA and then, you’d have to decide if you want to take him back.
Until then, don’t even think about texting him first. After all, you’re not the one who pulled away from him.
3. Don’t immediately vent to him when he finally texts back
If he actually decides to text you, take things slow. One step at a time.
Don’t nag to him right away and welcome him with this giant text message about how wrong it was of him to ghost you. If you do that, he’ll immediately disappear from your life again.
The first texts after he comes back should be short and simple. And as time goes by, you should then ask for an explanation why he went missing.
That way, you’ll show him that you haven’t been that affected by the fact that he stopped texting you all of a sudden. But you’ll also show him that you’re aware of his behavior and you won’t let him treat you that way ever again.
4. Know when it’s time to walk away
When a guy stops texting you, you should know the right time to walk away. He might have told you that he likes you, but you still need to have boundaries you’re not willing to overstep.
If you allow him to walk in and out of your life as he pleases, you’ll only be doing yourself an injustice. Also, once you realize that his actions don’t match his words, it becomes obvious that there’s nothing to fight for.
It’s the little things that matter the most in any relationship. And if he can’t be consistent, then he really doesn’t deserve you.
5. Stop blaming yourself
HE said he liked you and then HE stopped texting you. HE treated you in a way you don’t deserve and that’s why you shouldn’t blame yourself for anything that happened.
Don’t make things hard for yourself as you had nothing to do with his rude behavior. He’s a grown human being and he knows what he wants. He also knows how he should treat a woman who he apparently likes.
So, it’s him who’ll lose you and not the other way round. Don’t ever forget that and please, stop blaming yourself.
I hope you’re able to figure out what went wrong after you finish reading this article. Hopefully, it will help you gain a clear perspective on your man’s behavior and make you realize when to stop fighting for him.
Good luck and don’t ever forget your worth. If you do, guys will get the idea that they can treat you however they like, and that’s something you should never let happen.
