The better thing to say than “you choose me or them” is to say “let me know when you’ve got your situation figured out and we can talk, not sure where I’ll stand by then, but I shouldn’t stand in your way.”

Cuz that’s the truth. If someone is gonna wander, they are gonna do it regardless of what you do. You want a partner, a companion. Not a contractual obligation. Squeezing tighter just causes more damage.

Be thankful you found this out early.