Let’s say you’ve been best friends with Jake for a long time now, and you guys have a great friendship. You’ve dated plenty of guys in the course of your friendship, and he’s dated plenty of girls. You give each other advice, you hang out a lot and you know each other’s families; quite simply, you’re best friends. Over time, you start to develop feelings for Jake. You realize he’s actually everything you want in a guy, but now you don’t know what to do, and you don’t want to ruin the friendship.

When Friends Become Something More

This isn’t a very uncommon situation. In fact, it happens more than you might think, and it makes sense as to why it does. You obviously are friends with this person for a reason. You value their opinions, you have fun together, you have good conversations, etc. And maybe in time, you realize that this person could actually be just the person you’ve been looking for. They’ve been right under your nose all this time.

Here’s the thing, though. If it’s more important to you to keep this friendship alive and well than to explore the possibility of something more, avoid moving into the “more than friends” zone. Because if you do, you have to accept the fact that it might not work out, and then the friendship will likely never be the same. If the friendship is that important to you, don’t risk the possibility of it ending. While it’s not guaranteed it’ll end even if nothing works out in the “more than friends” zone, you just never know. You should really think about if it’s worth the risk to you.

Taking The Leap

If you’re almost positive he has feelings for you as well, then talk about it with him. I’m a straight shooter in these types of situations, so I, personally, would just be honest and bring it up. Don’t be awkward about it. Bring it up in a nonchalant way, and maybe even laugh about it to make him feel comfortable in the situation. Simply tell him that while this isn’t something you ever expected to happen, you can’t help that you have feelings for him. Tell him that you aren’t totally positive on what those feelings are, but wonder if he feels anything on his end. Be prepared for him to not be not be on the same page as you – but hopefully he is.

Be very careful when navigating this situation. Think long and hard before attempting to explore something with your best friend. If you’re both on the same page, then that’s great; maybe it could be a really good relationship that’s already built on a foundation of friendship and trust. However, you both should be prepared that if the relationship doesn’t work out, the friendship may be very different afterward. And if you’re not both on the same page, I think it’s best to keep the friendship as is unless it’s just too hard for you to remain close with him now that you’ve developed feelings. Be honest with yourself and do what’s best for you.

You may also be interested in 6 Steps To Follow If You Want Avoid The Friend Zone