Search Results: how to read body language

For example. In Grade 11 of High School. My friend Laura, who was an international student from Columbia, sent me a text message saying "There's something I need to tell you, but I'm kinda scared to do it." I still hadn't realized what she meant at that moment since I was extremely dense but I kinda figured it out at 1am, when she turned me around to face her on the sofa and told it to my face: "I love you".

That's when she gave me my first kiss and I realized that I had been holding back my feelings out of a fear that she would tell me we were only friends. Laura, unfortunately for me I suppose, ended up back with her ex the next week, and eventually with a close friend of mine-- a decision I supported because I believed he could make her happy. Which seems to have been the right one as they just passed their 2 year anniversary and are happily in love.

Although-- back onto topic, I wonder still, since she took the lead in that situation, whether I should try not to read into things too much and start presuming things BEFORE someone lays out to me their feelings loud and clear. Like even in the less incognito cases such as: if a girl finds reasons to kiss my cheek a lot, or makes flirty jokes at me about joining her in the shower over text, or goes straight to me when she gets drunk to try to kiss me, they can be acting friendly or romantic, but it feels rude to assume they like me before they expressly say it.

So Really I guess I'm asking, do you think I should take things at face value and not read for hidden meanings and watch body language too carefully to understand how a girl I like feels toward me? Or should I be reading into everything extra hard in order to make an "educated guess" of sorts, since people still say "Men need to make the first move to seem competent."?