Hi everyone.
I had what was supposed to be a one-night-stand with my friend's friend. For anonymity, I'll call him Niles. He's a really great guy and we instantly hit it off. We haven't known each other for long but I would have wanted to get to know him better and maybe date sometime? I should probably add that my last relationship ended in 2019 and I've never felt the urge to date anyone until now.
But after the supposed ONS, my friend came up with some lame excuse about why Niles and I can't date. Needless to say, she was furious when she learned something had already happened between us. When she said it shouldn't happen again, I said okay but soon noticed signs that she's attracted to him too. This weekend, Niles visited our shared apartment and spent most of his time trying to flirt with me. This time, I was quite aware of my friend trying to glue herself to him, making suggestive jokes and wearing clothes usually reserved for when her boyfriend visits (yes, she has a boyfriend and that's why I ignored the signs last time)
The most obvious sign was her wanting him to think she's single. She literally shushed me when I teased her about her boyfriend's protectiveness.
So it's clear the reason she doesn't want me dating him (even casually) is because she likes him. Niles texted me about half an hour ago to ask if he did anything to make me uncomfortable since I avoided being alone with him and shut down his flirtations, and I replied telling him we should keep our distance from now on.
The problem is, it's gutting me to stay away from a guy I like, who has shown clear signs as well as told me he likes me. What should I do?
TLDR: I cut off a guy I like because my friend is attracted to him too, but I regret this move. What should I do?