The Rebound: Not Just for Sex (and Basketball) Anymore

February 15, 2009     Posted in Reality, Sex

rebound.jpgRebound. It’s a common move and it’s not just for basketball. Whether we’re the ones just getting over a breakup or the new partner in our life is getting over an ex, the person intimately involved with an individual immediately post-breakup is oftentimes considered the rebound.


By CC Staff

Everyone understands and supports the need for a little rebound action. That is, if you’re honest about what you’re seeking from the reboundees.

But there’s a gray area in rebounds I’d like to discuss:

The emotional rebound.

We all know about sexual/physical rebounds. This is when your ex does a girl you know he’s not even into after you break up. It’s when you get wasted and have some good ol’ random sex during that trip back home to collect your mind. But does the rebound always have to be physical?

Is there such thing as an emotional rebound? Can an emotional rebound be someone separate from your sexual/physical rebound? So many questions!

I spent the last two months with a guy who had been out of his two year relationship for 5 months. It seemed moderately safe. I already knew of a girl he’d been hooking up with in between his ex gf and myself, so I figured that his ‘rebound’ period was over. And yes, we had sex. Amazing sex. But there was more than that. There was him staying at my apartment for days on end. Cooking me meals. Giving me massages. Introducing me to his mom and old friends. Making plans to travel with me.

We went on, dating in bliss, for two months. He told me he wasn’t sleeping with anyone else and would prefer it if I didn’t. Any girl in this situation, I feel, would have the right to assume that something substantial was developing. But boy was I wrong. I found out he was much further away than I pinned him for. Once sh*t hit the fan, he told me he didn’t see potential in me and was just having fun. In fact, he went as far as to tell me that he always knows ‘immediately’ if he’ll fall in love with a girl (and I wasn’t one of those girls, apparently). So what did he want with me?

It’s easy to say sex. That’s fine. But what about all of the other crap? I can’t help but feel like I was an emotional rebound for him, in addition to a sexual one. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I wanna know what you think!

7 Comments on "The Rebound: Not Just for Sex (and Basketball) Anymore"

  1. Casey says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 200911:05 am 

    Actually, that just sounds like typical rebound play.

    He was on the rebound and was so lonely and heartbroken that he thought you were exactly what he was looking for. But once he came out of the rebound state he realized you really weren't what he was looking for and bailed.

    I've been on the opposite side of your situation.

  2. Gina says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 200912:43 pm 

    I got to be an emotional rebound last summer…it ended badly, and the guy still gets in touch with me when he needs a sympathetic ear.

    Probably shouldn't have lost my v-card to him, huh?

  3. Kelly says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 20092:16 pm 

    Aww what an ass! Every girl in that situation would have thought something was developing.. be kinda lead you on.. How do you get over that?? I get way too upset sometimes with guys :/

  4. Jane says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 20092:48 pm 

    Oh man, I totally went through the same exact thing Devon!! I was really into this guy and I knew he really liked me, he told me so! He was awesome at first and wasn't afraid to make all these long term plans with me so I let my guard down, something I don't often do for fear of getting hurt. It sucks that he decided to take it all back one day because it left me more hurt than I have never been before. Guys are impossible!!

  5. Serena says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 20097:22 pm 

    Something very similar happened to me. Met a great guy at work, had lots of chemistry, became really close really fast. He had broke up with his ex of almost 2 years 5-6 months prior, and had a semester long hook-up that had faded (or so I thought). The semester was winding down, and we began hanging out constantly, especially after finals. I was on campus for the first month of summer, where I spent practically all my free time hanging out with him. The week I go home for the rest of the summer, he goes to the beach with his family. The kicker? He brings his old hook-up with him. I heard him talk plenty on the phone and to me about the beach, but never heard once about him bringing this girl. Typical. And it was over after that. Moral of the story? The old hook-up was his physical rebound, and I was his emotional rebound. It just really sucked that my emotions (and yours) had to get involved too.

  6. C says:
    Sun, 15th Feb 20097:41 pm 

    I just went through something similar… Except it had been a little longer since his breakup, and there was no sex. I fully believe in the "emotional rebound."

  7. cutecapricorn says:
    Mon, 16th Feb 20097:24 am 

    mm this is so scary! lmao im sorry but it is this is a prime example of you just never know how a guy feels inside. sometimes i wish i can just zoom outa college dudes be trippin on that ish! not sayin the older ones are better

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