Catherine reconnected with Nicky, her old high school boyfriend whose role models appear to be Houdini and Peter Pan. He said he'd call, but he didn't. Then at a barbecue, he stayed by her side all night.

After the barbecue, Catherine didn't hear from Nicky for several weeks. She sent him a message through Facebook, and he responded.

"We spent a week flirting through Facebook and text messages," she said. "He asked me to dinner that Friday night and I went and had a wonderful time. I sent him a text the next day, thanking him. Then, I didn't hear from him."

A week later, Nicky sent Catherine a text asking her out to dinner again. "I went, but the whole time we were out, he kept getting alerts on his phone and checking his messages. I asked him who was texting him so much, and he said he had a Zoosk account and was checking his flirts! What?"

It was after this dinner when Catherine realized that not much had really changed from high school. "Our conversations were basically about him and he still craved a lot of female attention. He's never grown up. I think that's sad. One day his looks will be gone and he won't know how to have a real relationship.

"Seeing him again was exciting at first, but it wasn't long before I was reliving all the heartache of my teen years that he had caused."

She decided not to see him again. "I agonized over that decision because he was the one I dreamed about and thought 'if only.' I was glad I was able to break it off with him before I was in too deep. It took a couple of sleepless nights and a few tears because I had really loved him in my youth and I wanted that feeling again.

"I wrote him a note and told him that it was great seeing him, but I didn't think it was a good idea for me to get involved with him again. He never asked why. It's been almost a year since I decided not to see him anymore."

Well, what do you know? Nicky has started texting Catherine again, asking to see her, saying, "I really miss you and can we get together?"

Catherine's response?

No, thanks.

"He'll always hold a place in my heart but I'm not interested in seeing him again. I'm in a wonderful relationship now with a man who gives me — and just me — attention and I couldn't be happier.

"I'm really glad I got to reconnect with Nicky because it put an end to all those 'what if?' fantasies I've been tormented with all those years. It was such a burden. I think it affected every relationship I've had since. What a waste of a lot of years. Reconnecting has been so freeing. I don't live in the past anymore and I'm loving my future. The one that got away — sometimes that's a good thing."

Have you reconnected with an old love? How did it work out? Send your tale, along with your questions, problems and rants to [email protected]. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not."

Photo credit: at Pixabay