Does my close female friend like me or am I misreading the signs?

So, a girl I am friends with for about a year and a half is becoming different. I think she likes me.

In the past few months, she's always been sending me selfies, talking the best convos, and when I told her I'm studying German she's always sent me memes in German and believed in me. She occasionally sends goofy selfies.

We had a trip with friends and she insisted I pick her up and only us go there with my car, sat near me, threw the cutest anger phase for something that happened a year ago and wanted to know why I did despite it being a year ago.

Recently, I got her a zippo lighter so I snuck it by her, and she pretended not to know how, so I can hold it and she held my hand while holding it.

I got her a birthday gift and she stated that she wanted to unpack it with me. Said she loved it.

When I messaged her happy birthday, she sent this:

Does my close female friend like me or am I misreading the signs?

So gave me a nickname and a lot of hearts which is uncommon. Also, below is her when she got the gift.

Does my close female friend like me or am I misreading the signs?

I really want to ask her out but don't want to do it unless it's absolutely safe as she's a very close friend and I don’t want to lose her. What do you think? She likes me?

Does my close female friend like me or am I misreading the signs?
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