I think I accidentally led my guy friend on?

[Anonymous]

I feel really bad.. I'm just worried I led him on because he started showing a lot of signs of interest... Like complimenting me a lot and even talking about the two of us dating hypothetically... My friends think he likes me and I'm worried its my fault, he's a very good friend and I don't want to hurt him.

We do talk a lot, and sometimes I initiate it, but he initiates it a lot of the time too.

We have also gone out to eat and stuff, but I always paid for myself.. I didn't let him pay for me.

When he gives me really nice compliments I smile and say thanks, but maybe that will make him think I like it or something? Idk

I don't think I've flirted with him, definitely not intentionally. I just talk to him like I would anyone else, but we do talk a lot so maybe that gave him ideas.. Not sure

He did offer to buy me coffee and I asked him to bring me one because he was going anyways.. But I probably shouldn't have done that

I tried to show him how different we are (we are from different cultural backgrounds so hopefully that helped)

I did my best to show him I don't want a relationship at all atm.. I said it wasn't a priority

I told my friends about him and I think he read into it :/

Idk what can I do to not lead him on? I feel like a jerk. I also want to be friends with him still If that's possible

[Flatmanlewis]

I have had several close female friends in life. A few were strictly platonic, so I qualify my response by saying that first. Here's the point of it though. My female friends were that. Friends. We did stuff in group settings. Both openly said we were friends and had no intentions of crossing lines. We agreed to "adjust" our friendship as needed when either of us were seeing somebody else. (No 2am phone calls, trips to Vegas together, stay overs, etc.). Also, I did nothing more or less than any of my friends. Each of us understood our place in life with each other and there was no confusion about it. I'm strongly suspecting your guy-friend is probably a "nice guy" and he would do anything for you. He cares about you so much that there is no room for a woman in his life and you would be uncomfortable telling him about the good looking guy you are going out with this weekend. This complicated issue has a complicated response. As simply put as it can be: it sounds like you have a guy who may have thought if he was a genuine and good friend it may grow into a relationship with a woman he admired. If this is true (and you know the answer already) then there is no way to keep the friendship as it is and move forward. It ends with you being with him (you won't) or him having to accept that he can't have the girl he wants. (It'll hurt). If you guys really are "just friends" then you wouldn't be asking this to begin with.