Did I lead him on?

Sandra from Dublin asks:

This guy I have no interest in has been interested in me for years. About two years ago we became more friendly and he always made me laugh . He chatted me up knowing I have a boyfriend but we never got together . Four months ago his sister accused me of many things that were untrue. He acts like he wants to kill me and gives me dirty looks every time he sees me. It's scary when he looks at me with this evil glare and dirty smirk. His sister and I have had quite a few arguments over the years but he's always keep out of it. Now he's acting weird. Did I hurt his feelings that I was unaware of? It's so out of control please help!

Nancy's Relationship Advice:
By not returning his affections for you, his feelings are hurt. More than likely he looked at your friendliness as a sign that you started to become romantically interested in him. Unfortunately what many of us do is create relationships in our minds and read more into what that other person says and does than is really there. I know it is difficult to be on the receiving end of his dirty looks, but I do encourage you to take a different approach to this situation. If you were in his shoes, I know you would understand his heartbreak by finally realizing (probably through his sister) that you are definitely not interested in him romantically.

Having empathy towards this guy will allow you to put this into perspective. I do not believe he wants to harm you but you may want to keep your distance for a while so he can heal his heart. It is a hard lesson to go through when we realize that not everyone is going to like us. I encourage you to be the bigger person and not try to be extra friendly to him in the hopes that this will blow over. Instead, please give him some space and fill your time with your boyfriend and other pals. It would be the kindest thing you can do at this point.