Is AUTHOR wrong in the post ? POST : My friend, who I will call Mike, and I went on an international trip with students from several other colleges. Pretty early on in the trip cliques were formed and after a day or two of flirting it was obvious who was going to be hooking up with who for the duration of the trip. We ended up befriending and hooking up with two girls that also happened to be really close friends. 

The four of us hung out as we travelled around and it become pretty obvious (to me and her at least) that myself and the girl he was hooking up with (let's call her Rachel) were much more compatible than Mike and Rachel. But things were already kind of in place and the trip was only about 10 days long so no sense in rocking the boat. 

Mike and I go to the same school, Rachel and her friend another. Although both universities are only about 3 hours apart. So not inconceivable a relationship could work over that distance. Anyway, Mike and Rachel attempted to pursue something after the trip was over. It fizzled out quickly because Rachel wasn't that into it.
 
However, at this point Rachel and I start talking often and getting close. Everything stayed very friendly because I was weary of being the asshole and pursuing a friend's old flame. But after several months of on again off again communication it's pretty clear we're both into each other. It's been almost a year since the trip and whenever Mike and I reminisce about it he sort of mentions something like "Damn, I wish things would have worked out with Rachel. She was really cool." Don't think he still has feelings for her but more he just wishes things played out differently. 

Last piece of additional context: he has pursued ex girlfriend's of mine. He's always asked respectfully and I've never cared.

So I'm wondering, is there a statue of limitations on pursuing a girl that my friend has been with? WIBTA if I pursued her?

