Mr. Mixed Messages... What Went Wrong?

Hot Mama,

I need your help! I have started to become one of those girls that I completely despise. Things have been all over the place recently with Mr. Mixed Messages. We have been seeing each other for about 2 and 1/2 months, but nothing too serious, and definitely not exclusively. After I questioned him about whether or not we were free to see other people, he became super weird and kind of distant, and I didn't know what to do. Well he went on vacation for a couple of weeks, and then I was out of town for business. When we were both back in the same place, we started hanging out again. But it has been so different. Before he was all about texting me every five minutes and wanting to hang out with me all the time and telling me how wonderful and beautiful I was. Now he doesn't text me as much, and his sweetness has seemed to virtually disappear. You would think that this would be a major turn-off and that I would just walk away (especially since I don't have a strong emotional connection to him and the sex is alright, but not stellar). But I can't! The more distant he becomes or the less interested he seems, the harder I want to push to see him or be with him. This is totally unlike me, and I don't know what I am doing. I never am the first one to text guys or initiate hang outs, but with him, I want to. What is wrong with me?? I know I should be a strong independent woman and let him come to me if he wants me, but I am having such a problem doing that. When he wanted me all the time, I couldn't care less about him. And now I obsess over the fact that he hasn't returned my texts in three days. Am I going crazy?
-Eager Beaver

Eager Beaver,

You're behaving exactly the way these men want you to. They're game players and suck you in with their good looks, charming personality and divine attention! You think to yourself, “Wow, how am I the lucky one to land such a great guy?" We all want to believe that we're special (and we are!) and we're so thankful that someone, finally, recognizes our specialness and wants us even more than a dieter jonesing for a warm Krispy Kreme fresh from the oven. It's so intoxicating. Like a drug. Because it is… And then, when even the toughest among us, becomes used to this shower of attention, the player turns it off because he finally got the mouse into the trap so now it's time to set a fresh trap for the next vulnerable mouse. And on and on it will go. Even if this type of jerk gets married he'll continue the game playing during his marriage because he really can't help himself.

I'm so sorry one of these guys got to you. And I know you think, "Oh, but he has so much potential and he was so sweet and thoughtful, he must have a good side and maybe I'll be the one to bring his inner angel out fulltime.” I mean you did once already. Well, yes, but that was at the beginning when he was playing his cat and mouse game. And you were a big challenge for him, how much more exciting it must have been for him to chase you! I also know you and you'd love to find a way to re-hook him so you can be the one who says when it ends. But it was, no matter what he said, or says, to you, a game for him. Please send this predatory cat back to the jungle where he belongs and hold out for a real man...not the illusion of one.
-Hot Mama