Feeling jealous? Possessive? I don't know how to deal?
Hi everyone-
I've been with my boyfriend for almost 3 years now and he's always had a couple of friends that are girls that he was close with before I came along. They were all good high school friends from another country and they all met again here in CA. Anyways, I was completely fine with that until one day, I heard one of them (who is the closest to my bf) talk crap about me and him. She was comparing me to his ex-gf and saying how the ex was much more fun and better than me. Then she started talking about him too. After that incident, I stopped hanging out with them and never go to hangouts with my bf whenever she or his group of girl friends come along. What EXTREMELY bothers me about this is that... I told him about this and he never took the time to defend me or US to his friends. He doesn't hang out with them as much anymore and I never forced that on him, but whenever he does hang out with them for their birthdays or occasional hang outs, I feel so annoyed, mad, disappointed, and just fill up with negative emotions. I try not to show this, but I'm not that hard to read. I have had talks with him about this and he just nods and says that he understands, yet doesn't do anything about it. If I could force him, I would want my bf to ditch them as friends. However, I'm not like that with him, he can make his own decisions. It wouldn't be fair to him if he just cuts his close high school friends, but it bothers me so much.... and the feeling of disappointment comes back every.single.time. It drives me crazy.... is this being jealous? Possessive? What to do?
I don't want to break up with him or get another guy over this, so let's not make those suggestions. Everything besides that is wonderful. I just wish he realizes how I feel about this situation and makes me feel better.