“A guy and a girl can never just be friends, forever” — I’m sure you must’ve come across this cringey saying one way or other. But do you think it’s true? Well, I definitely don’t believe so, simply because, I’ve known long-lasting friendships between people go strong and healthy merely on the grounds of mutual respect, understanding and trust.
Now, that being said, I also believe that majority of the people in friendships end up developing feelings for the other and it’s nothing uncommon considering the amount of time they spend in each other’s company. We’ve seen that happen time to time, with our friends, family, in movies and maybe with yourself at some point, where people just start as friends but end up falling in love with each other.
It’s in fact a good thing since now you both have spent time with each other, know everything about the other person, share a personal connection and still accept them for who they’re, zero filters.
It is said that — The best relationships are built on the foundation of strong friendships. They also last longer and are way healthier as they share a deep understanding and connection.
Are you wondering that your best friend might see you more than friends and is perhaps in love with you? It can be quite hard to tell a difference between romantic and platonic relationship, but here are some tell-tale signs that might prove if they’ve feelings for you or not.
1. Everyone around you thinks you’re already a couple
Your friends and family already believe you two are a thing and it’s just a matter of time before you make it official, no matter how many times you tell them otherwise.
Strangers who see you, already are convinced, s/he’s your girlfriend/boyfriend. Don’t wave it off now, give it a thought. Does their body language change around you? Do they treat you differently from all their other friends? There might be something which everyone sees but you.
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2. They’re always, always available for you
Sure, best friends are always there for each other but did you notice, even being a busy person or having some other important work, their schedule would suddenly be cleared whenever you need them?
Do you see them go that extra mile just to make you happy? They’re always there for you, dropping everything even at the last minute, be it just something you wanna talk about, a meetup, emotional support, or to cheer you up. This might be a very clear sign that they see you more than just a mere friend.
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3. They remember every small detail about you
We tend to forget many things from a conversation, it’s in our nature to tune out of conversations, filter them and only remember the most important details which might come in handy sometime.
S/he, on the other hand, would pay the utmost attention to your every little action and conversation that you’ll be surprised to know the things they remember about you, which you just casually might’ve mentioned to them. This is sure sign to let you know how important you’re to the other person and how much they care about you.
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4. They get Jealous easily
Best friends should be able to discuss their relationships with each other, but you’ll notice how their behaviour changes whenever you bring your romantic life up, they would even go as far as to tell you that s/he isn’t the person for you and you deserve someone better, (yes, they might just be talking about themselves!)
Even when you mention to them that you’re interested in someone, they’ll never approve of them and will find all the reasons — however irrelevant it might be — that the person in question isn’t worthy of you or your time. Now, this change in behaviour shows very clearly that they want you more than just as friends and gets jealous when you bring someone else up [according to Patrick, W.L. (2017). “from friendship to courtship: how friends fall in love”. Psychology today].
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5. They aren’t interested in anyone
Your best friend can be single yes, but have you noticed how since meeting you, they haven’t been in a relationship in a long time or might have broken up (from the time they realised their feelings for you). You might also find them joking that if they don’t find anyone by the time they turn a certain age, they’ll marry you!
You ‘ll also notice them not being interested in anyone at all, and no one has caught their eyes in a long while. They tend to keep their crush a secret at times and wouldn’t tell you about them no matter how much ever you insist. Well, the very clear reason here might be, that the crush is ‘you’ and it’s you they want.
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6. They’re closer to ‘your’ friends and family than you’d expected
They met them through you but now they just chill with you and your friends because they want your friends to like him so they can gently nudge you into falling in love with them if you haven’t already.
You might notice that they make a great effort to get closer to your other friends and family. Well, the case might be they’re seeking their approval, which is quite normal in someone who likes you, as they would want the people close to you, like them too.
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7. They stare at you quite often
You’ll catch them staring at you a lot especially when you least expect it with a peculiar expression like they want to say something but when you ask them about it, they’ll wave it off by saying ‘nothing’ (might also notice a blush).
Often when we’re romantically interested in someone, we can’t help but stare at them in admiration, as they effortlessly command our attention.
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If you think you can relate to the above signs, even if applied in a vice versa scenario, then it might be the time to take a leap of faith.
Falling in love with your best friend might seem quite complicated, with the constant fear of losing this strong bond of friendship over the other fragile bond — relationship.
But sometimes you need to take the chance and see for yourself as there might be one of the most intimate, rewarding, strong and romantic relationship awaiting you ahead of this. And in case you don’t feel the same way towards them, try to let them down as gently as possible. It’s going to be difficult to break their heart but it’s best if you do it sooner, so that they can move ahead with their lives.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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Photo credit: Everton Vila on Unsplash
