When someone is interested in you, it shouldn’t feel akin to solving a crossword puzzle to figure out whether they like you back.

It should be obvious and clear.

When you are unsure, especially in the midst of mixed signals, it is a no.

Sadly, this is someone who is solely keeping you around to revel in the attention and get an ego boost.

He knows that you like him, and that makes him feel good.

So he seeks out this good feeling whenever he is hungry for it by calling and texting you.

Nonetheless, there are days where he would much rather give his attention to another woman or a new video game.

These are the days he isn’t all that hungry for your attention and has been inspired by someone or something more desirable.

It doesn’t matter that he talked to you for hours a few days ago.

You were serving a purpose at the time.

The purpose of fulfilling a desire for attention and an ego boost.

But he is switching gears, making you almost nonexistent in his headspace.

He is more concerned about flirting with a pretty girl he just matched with on a dating app or a pretty girl who just followed him back on social media and liked several of his posts.

This is exciting to him.

Finally, someone who makes him feel those butterflies effortlessly.

However, as it would so happen, the interaction with said girl doesn’t go anywhere.

She ghosts him, having lost interest after realizing that he wasn’t as interesting as she had hoped he would be.

This is crushing.

A hot girl who chose to ghost him after he had turned on the charm and put out his best representative.

As usual, his self-esteem takes a massive hit in these moments, and no amount of videogame playing after the fact is enough to make him feel whole again.

So what does he do?

He chooses to come back.

The same guy who was all hot and bothered over you a week ago and disappeared out of nowhere is sending you text messages again.

At first, you are upset about his absence and might have the strength to ignore his first message.

But a guy like this has an ego the size of a mountain.

He doesn’t give up.

Finally, you give in and reply to his messages.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before you are seduced right back into his web.

He has a way with words, and those words make your heart flutter.

But this is a cycle.

Although it feels like he genuinely likes you and is about to woo you properly this time around, he disappears again.

All of a sudden, he is taking hours to reply to a text message or conveniently rescheduling video chats.

Your heart plummets.

This feels all too familiar.

Not again.

But alas, it is happening again.

As long as you keep letting him back into your life whenever he gets bored or requires an ego boost, the cycle is certain to persist.

And no, it won’t get any better.

Eventually, he is bound to connect with a prettier girl who is actually smitten by his charm and chooses to date seriously, leaving you empty-handed.

No reward for all the time you allowed him back into your life.

Mixed signals are a no, and you should never allow things to go this far with any guy who treats you with such inconsistency and selfish disregard.