Advice Please!! What are your thoughts?

Sorry to post this really long thread, however I would gladly appreciate for you taking the time to read this and giving back good advice or feedback. Thank You.

Here is my situation.... I got this girl named Catherine who I have know for like 9 months. I met her this past year in college. We met in this class that we had together, and she was the one who approached me first. She would always smile at me, every time I would walk by for example. I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. I finally asked and got her number. At the beginning of our friendship/relationship she was just getting over a breakup. I told her in the beginning of the relationship that I liked her more than a friend, and was sick and tired of being the "guy friend" to girls. She told me that she just needed to have fun, and said.. "Who knows what will happen in the future?" From ages 8- 16 I had a childhood best girl. We try dating, but it just never worked out. We just remained as best friends. Now we have no contact what so ever. However, this girl is different. I would be the one where she would cry on my shoulder over her ex. I liked her since day one, I always had a thing for her. I know that the last thing I want is to be the rebound guy.

Furthermore, we became in-separtable at school, we go to lunch, dinner together. We cuddle together, and watch movies. We would party together, get drunk. We would act like a couple, even though we weren't going out. A few months down the line we are lying down in my bed and we finally made out. We French kissed, but we had been drinking that night. I went to bed later that night after she left to go back to her dorm, and questioned did this happen just because of the booze? She comes over the next afternoon, and is sitting on my bed and asks me if it was weird that we made out? I said no.. and she agreed. Then we made out again for a little bit, before class that we had at the same time. A few days later on your typical Saturday night, we had sex. That caught me by surprise, because she was the one that horny that night. She was the one that insisted, and it was great.

Now the school year comes to an end and we say goodbye to each other. She is only affectionate with me when we are alone together. However, after I finished helping her pack and loading up her car we had to say our goodbyes. She comes over and sits on my lap and starts crying. Then we kissed on the lips in front of her roommate and my roommate. We've only kissed in private, so a couple of weeks later she comes down to my hometown to spend the weekend for my birthday. We finally had the conversation about what is the deal with us. Meaning are we a couple? Friends with benefits? Or just best friends? She said some words that I never heard her say. She said that she can see herself dating me for a long time and being with me. She said she likes me, likes me. She is afraid of something was to go wrong she wanted want the friendship ruined. But when I dropped her at the bus station we not only hugged, but kissed each other goodbye. The thing is that we are not official. The situation is complicated.

The problem is every so often her Ex will call her, and every time she talks to him she cries. She always fucking cries. The guy is 27 and has nothing to show for it. He is a drug dealer, and addict. He goes to concerts and festivals every weekend, and works a minimum wage job. He doesn't have a driver's license, and is just a big loser. The worst part is that he has a bachelor's degree in communications I believe. He used to go to same college, and the college that Catherine and I attend is a $30,000 dollar tuition. When your all set and done it's a $120,000 education, and this guy threw it all away.

They broke up because the Ex cheated on Catherine with one of her friends I think from what I remember. But anyways... every time when she feels like shit or if something is wrong I know what it's about, and it's the same old bullshit every time. So, I don't have to worry about the relationship between them rekindling. The Ex still wants to be friends with her, but she can't do it, and always puts her on a guilt trip, about how it was his fault that they broke up. She did everything for him. The good news is that the Ex is happy with the girl that he cheated on with. Catherine cries to me saying why does he get to be happy, and I'm alone? Does she forget that she has me? I really get sick and tired hearing about the Ex. The thing is that they were best friends before they went out, and went out for 2 1/2 years. But the reality is that the break up happened 9 months ago. I mean she is the one that was betrayed, and hurt. She needs let that shit go, and cut ties. We talked on the phone and she was honest with me about picking up his phone call that day and talking to him for a while. It's not what I wanted hear, and my heart just sank.

Catherine is everything to me, and I care about her tremendously. She says stuff to me like a girlfriend would say, and we talk on the phone every night before we go to bed. I'm the first nice guy that she has met, and I come from a good family. I live in a upper-middle class suburban neighborhood on Cape Cod. I have a plan in life already at 21 as far as career wise is concerned. Not that all of this should matter, but the right guy for her is right in front of her. She knows this, and it's not fair to me. We've only had sex once with each other, but that meant something to me. However, I still try to keep a positive attitude. We got another year of school left together, and all of our inner circle friends say that we would make the perfect couple. Catherine knows this too. I just can't let her go and it feels like I'm in a relationship, even though we're official. She has very low self-esteem and every when she gets fucked up, or when she's down she question's why do you like me? I really wonder what I mean to her? I feel like she is holding back, but why? She really wants to visit me bad again in a couple of weeks. I really hope we have sex this time, and the relationship goes further. I know sex is not everything, and there to a relationship. I'm crazy about her, but at the same time I know how to keep myself grounded. It's tough, and I don't know what to do.

 

Dude split this into paragraphs.

 

You have to talk to her about this.

 

she just wants to attention and the satisfaction of knowing when she needs to feel wanted or pretty she has you, trust me she doesn't forget. So basically so no one gets hurt anymore tell her that you want to date her or you want to remain strickly friends no friends with benifits, thats when things get complicated. and if you cant handle that then maybe the friendship has to come to an end or you have to get over it.