Maybe I was just a long rebound relationship

[ItsTheDay]

Not sure if I should continue this in my previous topic, but thought it may deserve a new topic....

So about 2 months ago my ex of almost 8 years broke it off between us. She has never really been in a LTR, I believe her longest relationship was close to two years and her other relationships were only for a few months. Her relationship before ours lasted a year, but she told me that her and her ex around the 8 month mark had issues and were on again off again for weeks after that. She said she ended it in March of 2013 with him, but they still were in contact as being somewhat friends. She did keep a journal that was all about him, all the problems and issues. He was very controlling. He would tell her what she could and couldn't do, what she could and couldn't wear, he didn't like her best friend and when he would come over her house, he would take the picture of her and her friend and lay is face down on the table. He didn't like her dancing, told her she had to stop going out to bars to go dancing. She stopped all of that for him but left him because that, but yet in her journal she would still mention that she believes they belong together just not at this time, and that entry was dated in February 2013. Now, I found this journal by mistake and of course I was curious. We did talk about, she said she kept it because it's her way of coping and getting over him. She actually kept a lot of stuff from him and her other ex, and her high school boyfriends. Everything from photos, notes/letters to birthday, Christmas and valentine's day cards, which I found out a couple years ago. All in a big Rubbermaid container in the living room closet.    

So she ended with him in March of 2013, we met in May 2013. Our first date was good, we talked about our "story" and kept it short. She talked about him, how controlling he was and how she's so glad she's over him. She said she's been on a few dates since then but she didn't feel any connection and just left it at that. We never once asked how long has it been or anything like that, but my ex and I broke up a year before her and I met and I didn't find out how recent their break up was until I read her journal. Night goes on and it was really good, two things were planned but she wanted to keep the night going so we then went to get some drinks. The next day she wanted to hang out again, so I brought a movie over to watch at the place she was currently staying at. I continued to visit her just about every day really, we started to go out on dates on the weekend and during the week would we just hang out at her place. Three weeks after our first date, her and her roommates are moving out. I had a truck and offered to help and she said she'd love that, so I helped her move back into her parents. Where she was ranting before was about 40-45 mins from me. Her partners were about an hour sometimes hour an a half depending on traffic, and I mainly came to her. I was also moved back in with my parents at the time, looking for an apartment. I want to say about July was the first time I spent the night with her, with her parents permission. Still haven't had sex yet and I was never pushing her for it, sex didn't happen until around September. The morning after I spent the night, she told me she talked to her ex the night before and told him that they need to stop talking because she found someone she wants to continue with. I have never questioned her if they have been talking all along, but with her telling me that, I'm assuming they have. It was about a couple weeks after that, she told me he has been trying to contact her but she's been ignoring him. She even changed his name in her phone to "DONT ANSWER", I never asked her but I still wonder why she couldn't just block him. 

Fast forward to October 2018, she actually saw him. Not planned, but we were out to ren fest, I was looking at something and she was across from me looking at something else. I then go to walk to her since I was done and I looked at her and it was like she saw a ghost, but she wasn't looking at me. I looked to see what she was looking at, and there was some guy with 2 kids and pushing a baby in a stroller towards her. I didn't pay any mind to it at all since I had no idea what this guy looked like. I get to her, ask her if she's alright and she said that was my ex. I turn back around to look at him, now he's walking the other way. She was shaking a little bit and said she was ready to go. The drive home, she was upset and quite. She was holding back her tears but why, I don't know. I know memories are still there, but 5 years later and she's still not over it/him?

After our break up, she did mention that she jumped into another relationship too soon after him, but why wait 8 years to tell me that?   

She has been seeing someone else, none of my business I know. It was 2 weeks after a break up she met this guy...well not really because she met this guy a couple years ago pre covid when she did her girls night out. So, was I the rebound from her last relationship and this guy isn't?    

Edited May 26, 2021 by ItsTheDay