A guy I’ve been friends with for a long time (10+ years) told me out of nowhere that he doesn’t want more our from our friendship because he can’t hurt me if it stays the way it is. I’ve never told him I have feelings for him (even though I do) so there have never been any declarations of love on my end. I’ve spent years ignoring how I feel about him so as to not ruin a friendships that I really value. To add to it, he was very good friends with my ex husband - they no longer talk to each other but he and I spend time together pretty regularly. So he likes me enough to still see me after cutting ties with my ex who he was friends with first. My ex also immediately became suspicious that he was going to try and date me post-divorce. But I’ve never thought he had feelings of any sort for me.
So it was a heck of a surprise when we were hanging up (after talking for 2 hrs) he ends the call with “I love you, (name).” Which has never ever come out of his mouth to me before. He doesn’t even say that to long term girlfriends which he’s had very few of. Which confused the hell out of me. First it’s “definitely never want more than friendship” followed by “I love you”. I am pretty casual with the those words, with my female friends. I’ve always been under the impression that guys don’t toss that around with people they consider just friends.
Maybe I’m reading way too much in to this? Does he he mean this as just a friend? I don’t want to let what I’m hoping for cloud my judgement here.
