If I could go back, I wouldn’t try to prove anything to myself by rushing into something I wasn’t ready for. Distraction isn’t healing. You don’t move on faster by forcing yourself into situations you can’t sustain.
Don’t lead someone on just to pass time. Don’t ignore your own limits and then pull away when it gets real. That’s not freedom, it’s avoidance.
Take your own advice and step the fuck back. They’re not the problem right now. Your choices are. It’s not possible to balance distractions within your healing phase. You’re only allowed to choose one or the other. My advice? Choose the one, toss the other.
Trust your gut, even when healing feels slow and uneventful. Progress doesn’t always feel exciting. Stay steady. Protect your time and energy. You’re still becoming someone you haven’t fully met YET - don’t you DARE rush past her.