Dear Prudence,
My best friend (F29) has been dating her boyfriend (M33) for over two years. Their relationship goes back further. She’s been in love with him for a long time and always hoped they’d end up together since he was her brother’s best friend prior to his passing. I’ve (F30) rooted for them, but I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve noticed a pattern.
We’ll go out for dinner and drinks with her boyfriend and friends. At some point, she gets angry and starts berating her boyfriend. It’s uncomfortable to watch and I try to diffuse the situation to little effect. It reaches the point that her boyfriend can’t take it anymore and he leaves to make a point. The issue is, he’ll leave no matter where we are. He pulled over a car and walked away, leaving me to drive us home. Another time, he left her in a city at night to take public transit home alone after he got a ride with a friend (I was not present for this). I’ve spoken to them separately—her about her temper and him about the unsafe circumstances he’s left women in. Both blame their ongoing issues for these outbursts and think they’re each in the right. I will not tell them to break up. It’s not my place, but I can’t be involved in these scenarios when I spend time with them. Where do I go from here?
—At a Loss