I (23F) have a friendship-tattoo with my female best friend (April) and my ex-boyfriend (Rory), as the 3 of us were best friends from the moment we saw each other in high school when we were 14. I got together with my ex when we were 17, got the tattoo when we were 18, stayed together with Rory for 3 years, then broke up, and now, after another 3 years, we’re still friends. So it never really occurred to me to do anything about the tattoo, it means a lot to me. (nothing special though, just a triangle with 3 dots inside, representing the 3 of us. No one would ever guess what it is. All of us have it on the back of our legs.)
I got together with my current boyfriend (24M) a few months ago, and I made it clear from the start that I’m still friends with my ex and nothing is going to change that. I see him about 2-3 times per year because he moved to a different country, so it shouldn’t cause much of an issue anyway.
So my boyfriend, let’s call him Edward, was very chill about this, so I agreed to actually get together instead of just dating. Fast forward to a week ago, he noticed the tattoo on the back of my leg and asked if it had any meaning, so I told him the 3 dots are me, April, and Rory, and we all have the same one. Hearing this Edward got super upset, and after a heated argument he told me if I truly loved him I would immediately get it either removed or covered up.
Now there is absolutely no way I’m doing that, and I told him so. We haven’t talked since, and I’m honestly starting to question whether I’m in the right for wanting to keep my only tattoo as it is. I love Edward, but it doesn’t sit right with me to remove something important to me just so he’d stay with me. I also don’t understand why it made him so upset, since he knew I’m still friends with Rory.
He refuses to talk to me now, until I “get that thing removed”. I told him he was being pathetic, and to think this through again. We’re still not talking and it’s either I get an appointment or we break up, he won’t change his mind. AITA?
TDLR: I have a friendship-tattoo with my ex-boyfriend, and my current one wants me to remove it, which I refused to do.