To wonder if he likes me in a romantic sense?

[ILoveAndrew]

My best friend is male. We met three years ago and instantly hit it off and have remained close ever since.

We always start the day with him texting. He texts me about anything and the texts keep up throughout the day. If I stop texting him because I'm busy, he'll find something to text me about. With anyone else, this amount of texting would drive me insane but with him it's fine.

I'm always the first person he tells about important life stuff like work, promotions, his home life, etc.

I used to tell him about dates I had coming up/been on but he asked me to stop but didn't give a reason. I respectfully stopped.

In a new job, his manager was really nice to him and singled him out as a 'shining example' compared to his other colleagues who started the job at the same time as him. He teased me about it, saying how much the manager loved him and really went to town teasing me and trying to make me jealous.

We often go on nights out and have the best fun but I'm usually done and ready to go home quite early. Even though we're with a bunch of other friends, he pleads with me to stay out longer and then pays for a taxi home for me.

Maybe I am looking too deep into things, but can he possibly have feelings for me with the examples I have given?

I think he might. Do you return them?

Yes. Men very rarely do all this stuff for women they don't fancy.

Who knows OP. My best friend and I do this but we're just friends. It's one of those things that is very difficult because truly valuable friendships are hard to come by.

Yes, I'm very nice to him back and text him back all the time. We enjoy each others company through text message.

He might but equally he might not. I had a similar friendship with a man for some years and did develop feelings for him. I plucked up courage to ask him if he felt the same but he didn’t. I am glad I asked as it enabled me to move on. I think you need to have an honest and friendly conversation with your friend so you know where you stand.

I think I might ask him how he feels. I have feelings for him so might be hoping that he does like me a bit too much. How can I not like him when he's so nice to me?!

Did you stay friends?

Word of warning OP.

I have a friend like this. We were both single, both actively dating and each other's 'person' for nearly 2 years. We have acknowledged our strong feelings for each other but we aren't relationship material and we both know that (we want different things from a relationship). Then he met someone. It stung like crazy. I felt lost and was terrified of the dynamic between us changing. He's been amazing about not making me feel any less important to him but I've inevitably seen less of him and I'm no longer the first person he texts when he wakes up. It's felt a bit like a break-up, but he's still at the end of the phone when I need him. It's starting to feel better now (it's been 4 months). I'm grateful that the worst is passing and we're moving to the next stage of our friendship. I value what I have and reassure myself that his relationships may come and go, but our friendship will always be there.

My point is this - sometimes the 'what if' needs to be left there. If your friendship is great, trying to take it to the next level is a risk. It may well pay off but if it doesn't, think about what there is to lose.

@AllSoComplicated I cooled off the friendship a bit after this happened as previously I had been spending a lot of time with him and I realised it was taking time away from potentially meeting a real partner. But we kept in touch and a couple of years after I had moved away he asked me to go on holiday with him! I said no. It would have been just more of the same and would have felt like going backwards in my life.

Sounds like he does have feelings for you. Why else would he ask you to stop telling him about dates that you go on?

Ask yourself how you'd feel if he met someone. Would it bother you? If yes, then talk to him.