I feel heart broken. That is the way a true friend would have handled it. A true friend would not have said he would rather die. Sex can be very healthy before marriage. Some people would say that it is the most sexually vigorous time of their lives.
Marriage has an impact on sex.
A woman might feel much better about the sex in marriage because it feels more secure and the man won't be walking out the door. I believe if you are really serious about someone and you don't have religious aversions about sex before marriage, then it can be very good. Getting over a relationship is very individual. It depends on the depth of the relationship and how it ended. When a spouse dies, we expect a mourning period of 6-12 months.