Is this a big deal? Can a guy be best friends with a girl?

[flamingo]

So I've been dating this guy for about 7 months now. Most of the time everything is great and I feel like we have a really close relationship. However, his best friend is a girl who he told me he has liked in the past. I told myself it wasn't a big deal and that I wasn't the jealous type, but even after all this time I don't feel like he is completely over her. They send each other hearts in messages, Skype all the time, and he saves letters from her under his bed. They're not love letters.. (I read some..). Recently they got matching tattoos and they always refer to each other as best friends. He gets notifications on his phone whenever she does anything on Facebook or twitter.
I have approached him about the subject before and even told him I was feeling jealous. He got very defensive about it and told me that I didn't know what it was like to have a best friend. I do believe that he loves me, but this situation is getting to be too much for me. He's told me that I just don't understand their relationship but that he loves me now, not her. I told him I need a break for a little while (2 weeks) to think things over. I know he's very attached to both her and me. What should I do? Is taking a break a stupid thing to do? Should I just get over the fact that they are best friends and try to act like thats okay with me?

[topgun032]

This is soo weird!! Haha! I'm laughing at this guy ... sure, guys can be friends with girls, but this? I mean, facebook and chatting are one thing, but letters under his bed and matching tattoos? Really?... Come on...

Alright, so there are one of 3 things going on here:

1. they used to be in a relationship, but things fell through becus of the gender issue and the love-dovey crap that happened between the two
2. he is emotionally damaged, and needs the reassurance he once felt from her to stay sane-even if it means holding on to her and a gf at the same time
3. there's something fishy with this whole relationship.. somethings odd here- and i mean by, what if shes a lesbo, or maybe refuses to have a bf, but ur bf needs one to get out his loving nature...

Either way, this is a weird predicament, and you should take a break to see how he reacts, and too see if he'll still take you back

Good luck!... man, this is weird!

[Gorgeous]

being best friend doesnt mean you need to be so absorbed with your friend that you end up ignoring your gf/bf//..seriously if you ask me,,it seems to me that hes still not over her,,( why would he keep her letters under his bed??) seems fishy,,i think taking break was good idea,,you will get the time to think ,,and if he genuinely loves you he can wait