Friend zone or something more?
I (male) have been close friends with a girl for several years. We met at the gym, and in the beginning it was a bit unclear what we were. It felt like things were going in a dating direction, but neither of us ever brought it up or defined it.
After a while, it just naturally turned into a friendship without us ever talking about it.
Now like 5-6 years later, we are extremely close — basically best friends. We have deep conversations, support each other in everything, and even tell each other if we’re seeing someone else and support each other through that.
One time we were at the gym with her mom, and she took a picture of us and sent it to their family group chat. Later I found out her grandma commented something like, “oh, what a cute boyfriend she has.”
What confuses me is that we’re not really “typical friends”:
• We call each other “babe”
• We sometimes say “I love you”
• We have a very strong emotional connection
For me, feelings have started to grow again, and now I don’t really know what to do.
I’m afraid of:
• Ruining the friendship if I say something
• Or staying in something that could be more, but never exploring it
It feels even weirder because we kind of started as something more, but never followed through.
My questions:
• Has anyone been in a similar situation?
• Does it sound like she might have feelings too, or could this just be friendship for her?
• Is saying “I love you” a sign of something more, or not necessarily?
• Should I bring it up, or do I risk losing everything?
I don’t want to live with a “what if,” but I also don’t want to lose her.
Any advice is appreciated 🙏