How do I know if she likes me?

Pfooo... hard one.

Wow, this is gonna be tough...

Mmmkay, While this might not be a preferable solution(s) (I've thought about this from various angles) It's like this.

A) You ask; she might say no. This probably isn't your fav, but it may be preferable to the alternative. If she's as good a friend as it sounds, she could be very understanding and wouldn't freak. She might tone down the behavior or at least you'd know it was just for fun. This has the advantage of letting you put your mind to rest on the whole thing.

You could explain the situation from your point of view, the way the words and gestures have over time made you wonder. Explain how you just want clarity and if she's an understanding friend she'll give it without judgment.

B)You never ask. If you're gonna do this, you should put your feelings of possibilities to rest, so you're not constantly misinterpreting little gestures and wondering if you should ask. This seems to be your game plan right now, which has the advantages of allowing the friendship to continue as is and is my advice as well. I'm sorry to say it doesn't sound like there's much more there than sisterly love (sans incestous desires, of course) and she's really just a close friend. You'll notice it's all words at this point (at least, that's all you've given me).

That said, if the (percieved) "affections" progress into touching or more then... Watch and wait seems to be the order of the day if you don't want to risk freaking her by asking.

I'd suggest letting it lie, but I've given you a suggestion if you do want to ask.

Hope this helps.

I think she's just doing the bff-joking-around thing. She probably likes you as a friend, but the best way to clarify would probably be to ask her in a way that's subtle but will give you a definite answer.

GL