when i was 17-18 i dated a girl who at the time i most certainly believed i was in love with. i thought she was the coolest girl id ever met, and way easier to be around than most, and was generally a really good match for me. she was also a little bit prude, very innocent, and no clue what to do about sex. she was a virgin when we started didnt have a very good handle on how to be sexy or please a guy. i did my best to show her the ropes, but she was a sweet, innocent, home-girl who didnt pick up on it quick. i dont want to make it sound worse than it was because sex was usually fine, but she wasnt a freak. honestly, that innocence was part of why i liked her so much.
HOWEVER. theres always a however. i knew i was a bit out of her league, and that there were more attractive, sexier girls who wanted me or who would at least go for it. none of them had the same charm as my girlfriend, but i figured i had to make the most of the situation. everyone lives the rest of their adult life wishing they could fuck sexy 18 year old girls, and i didnt want to waste the time in my life when i had the most opportunity to do that. i loved my girlfriend for who she was, and i liked these other girls for what they were.
i was really careful about it, too. i never slept with a girl who knew anyone who knew my girlfriend, and i always explained to them exactly what was happening and the reason why i was sleeping with them. my girl never had the slightest hint that i was cheating, and even when we went through a pretty rough breakup after starting college, i always kept it under wraps. as long as she didnt know about it, it didnt exist. so to this day she thinks of me (probably) as a once loving ex who couldnt keep it up long distance but was always faithful, and i think of her as one of the coolest girls ive ever known, and who i would probably take back if the opportunity presented itself. the fact that i slept with other girl had no affect on my feelings towards her, and was just me, myself, and i, trying to make the most of life.
so am i wrong for cheating? technically, yes. but do i regret it? hell no. will i do it again? circumstances are always subject to change, but as i get older i think the odds of it happen again are steadily decreasing.