I Feel in Love with My Best Friend, What Should I Do?
Falling in love with your best friend can leave you feeling a flood of mixed emotions. As well as feeling happy when you’re around them, you may also be feeling awkward and probably a little panicked too. Love is wonderful, and can you make you feel like you’re on Cloud 9. But, when it comes to falling in love with a close friend, it can be really scary. After all, you don’t want to ruin your friendship beyond repair if they don’t feel the same way. When you fall in love with your best friend, it can be all-consuming and you may be in a rush to broach the subject with your friend. However, there are a few things to consider before you proceed…
Make sure your feelings are genuine
It’s important to make sure that your feelings are real before you confess your love for your best friend. It’s possible that you are simply infatuated and will feel differently in a few months. If this is the case, it isn’t fair to share your feelings, as it may lead to your friend being hurt if they possess genuine feelings for you. Do some soul searching and make sure you’re really in love with a close friend before doing anything about it.
Your feelings may not be reciprocated
Unfortunately, being in love with your best friend doesn’t guarantee that they’ll reciprocate your feelings. Whilst this possibility probably isn’t something you want to think about, you really need to. You need to ask yourself how you’ll feel in this instance and if you can still be friends if they don’t feel the same way. You may need some space away from the relationship to decide if it’s worth risking the friendship.
Your friendship may never be the same again
Falling in love with your best friend and telling them how you feel will probably change the friendship forever. Even if your friend returns your feelings, things may never go back to the way they were before. If they don’t feel the same way, hopefully you can move on, but there may always be an elephant in the room! Think about this before you confess your love for them.
Test the waters
If you think that there’s a good chance your friend feels the same way, it’s time to test the waters. When you’re both relaxed, bring up the topic of romance. Talk casually about relationships and ask them questions to find out what you want to know. Does he want to date anyone? Can he ever see himself dating a friend? Chances are he’ll know that you’re hinting at, and if he gives the right answers, you may be in luck. If they seem disinterested, it may be that they don’t feel the same way.
Only you can decide what path to take when you’re falling in the love with your friend. But if you do tell them your feelings and you don’t get the response you want, don’t be too downhearted. It may sting to know your love isn’t reciprocated, but there really are plenty more fish in the sea! If your friend does love you back, congratulations! Enjoy your happy ever after.