It’s an old platitude, but it’s true: Breaking up is hard to do.
You know what’s even harder? Breaking up with someone you aren’t even really dating, technically. In today’s weird, disjointed, dating/hookup/whatever culture, it’s increasingly common to find yourself in some kind of nebulous non-relationship, whether it’s a friends with benefits situation or a “just hooking up and we don’t want to talk about what’s really happening” kind of deal. If you’re both on page with this, it’s great. If not, well, it can get a little awkward. Particularly if you want to end things–after all, breaking up is, by most people’s definition, the act of ending a relationship. How can you break up with someone if you aren’t even officially dating them?