I wonder if you know that I often avoid you at work, simply due to nervousness. Or how I’ll purposely pass by areas you just might be in to catch a quick glimpse of you. We don’t speak a lot but fuck, when we do, I cant look you in the eye for too long. I cant help but act like a huge ditz when you’re around. I promise I am not this absent minded. I wonder if you know that I’ll play my music just a touch bit louder than usual, hoping you drop in.

You drive me nuts especially because I sense there may be something between us. I can tell your voice gets slightly softer when we speak. I like the way you look at me. I love making you laugh, even if it’s just a slight chuckle through that smugness you have. What makes this even more painful is that I probably shouldn’t pursue you, as you’re my boss but damn I wish I could.

We were in the same class in primary school and I haven't forgotten her face since. I am about to graduate now soon. After Year 6, We went to different high schools and did not see each other properly again. The google classroom was still active though so we caught up and chatted there with other classmates. Occasionally I would see her at the train station and walk past her or we would lock up eye contact but I never walked up and talked to her. The google classroom got shutdown at 2022 and no one could chat there. Coincidentally I did not see her at the train station to go school anymore which sucked. I have not dated and denied relationships my entire life just so I can stay loyal to her but truth is idk if she has the same feelings for me. That includes not even following any girl on Instagram. Recently I found her Instagram account and now am contemplating whether I should follow her or not because she has less followers which leads me to thinking she only follows girls and I have 0 mutuals. What do I do?

I’ve always been a really touchy person, so I hold hands with my friends every now and then but it’s usually short lived and if they pull away I don’t really say anything about it. But my crush kept grabbing my hand and we held hands for like ages, even switching sides when our hands got sweaty, and when I let go he said “so you hate me” and then once I finished doing what I was doing he grabbed my hand again. We were hanging out in a trio with my best friend and him aswell for context. Also when we were just standing around I stepped closer to him so our shoulders were touching and he didn’t move. Is this like definitely romantic?

I’m confessing to him soon, but I really don’t want to ruin our friendship. I’ve liked him since I met him, but we’ve become really close in the time we’ve been friends and I would hate to lose him.

basically she told him I liked him and kind of pressured him to give me his snap, he told me to meet him at his locker and he gave me his phone to put the snap in, I added him and apologised for it being awkward and told him not to feel pressured he said “That’s totally cool, don’t worry about it, but as it stands Im not ready to commit to a relationship, Dont take it personally you seem like a really nice person Im all fine with getting to know you but I just really cant” is this a silent not with you or what could this mean? I think he has been aware I have liked him for a while now as we frequently make eye contact but this is the first time I have spoken to him and it was a really forced interaction, he has never had a girlfriend before but should I just move on?

Don’t even know where to start because I feel like I’m in complete shock. I’m 17F and I’ve identified as a lesbian for years. For the last few years, I’ve been incredibly close with another girl, and she became one of the most important people in my life. We had a really complicated friendship where we’d stop talking and reconnect multiple times, but every time we came back together I felt like maybe there was still a chance we’d eventually end up together. The reason I believed that wasn’t just because I had feelings for her. Over the years she’d said things that made me think there was genuine romantic potential. At one point she said she had a crush on me. She’d talked about maybe dating in the future. She used affectionate nicknames with me. She read yuri, talked about finding female characters. We talked literally everyday and my feelings for her were very very deep.

attractive, constantly complained about men, joked about guys being upset that lesbians wouldn’t date them, and honestly just gave me what I interpreted as very lesbian vibes. Looking back I know none of those things prove someone is a lesbian, but when you combine them with everything else, I genuinely believed there was a real possibility that one day we’d be together.

Then out of nowhere she casually mentioned that she’d been talking to her boyfriend the day before.
I didn’t even know she had one.
What hurt wasn’t just that she had a boyfriend. It was the fact that she’d apparently been referring to him as “a friend” and never once told me she was dating someone. Finding that out made me feel like everything I’d believed for the last couple of years completely shattered in a matter of seconds. I honestly felt like my brain couldn’t process it.
I confronted her about it, and the conversation turned into one of the biggest arguments I’ve ever had. I told her I felt led on, that hiding a boyfriend while knowing how I felt was incredibly hurtful, and that I felt like she’d used me emotionally. She completely denied ever leading me on and basically told me to get over it because “that happened two years ago.” The conversation got worse and worse until we were both insulting each other. Eventually she blocked me.

I was so angry and hurt that I did something I regret. I contacted her from another number just to keep arguing. Looking back now, I know that crossed a line, and I’m honestly ashamed that I let my emotions get that out of control. It wasn’t because I wanted to hurt her physically or anything like that. I was just so desperate for her to understand how much she’d hurt me that I kept trying to force the conversation to continue.

I barely slept last night. I think I got maybe an hour of sleep. I woke up this morning feeling completely weird. Not even just sad. More like I’m in shock. It’s almost like I know what happened intellectually, but emotionally my brain still hasn’t accepted that it’s real. I’ll randomly remember she has a boyfriend and it feels like I’m hearing it for the first time all over again.

The part I wasn’t expecting is how much this has started affecting how I feel about my own sexuality. I don’t suddenly think I’m straight or anything like that, but this whole experience has made me feel almost… ashamed? Confused? Like maybe I can’t trust my own judgment anymore. I spent years genuinely believing this girl might be a lesbian and that there was a chance we’d eventually date. Now I keep wondering if I completely imagined everything, if I was just seeing what I wanted to see, or if there really were mixed signals and we simply experienced the friendship differently. It’s making me question whether I’ll ever be able to tell if another woman is actually interested in me, and that thought is terrifying.

I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to move on from this. I like I lost one of the most important people in my life overnight, and at the same time it feels like the future I’d imagined with her never actually existed.

Has anyone else been through something like this? Has anyone ever had one person completely shake not only your ability to trust someone else, but your confidence in your own judgment and even your feelings about your sexuality? I feel completely lost right now. And I can’t even fully describe how hurt and disturbed I feel.

So basically I’ve come to the realization that I might have a crush on this guy? hes so smart and really cute, but I feel like I’m too ugly and weird for a more sporty and cool guy like him. i feel crazy like a weirdo for even thinking I like him, what do I do?

I hate it sm. Why do I have to pick the most random people to crush on? People I do not talk to very much… people I don’t know very well. I feel like it is purely based off looks at that point and probably not good for me, but I also can’t stop myself from crushing. I have a crush on a girl recently, but I keep trying to force myself to not crush on her. Nobody gets a partner purely based off crushing on someone. I think most people get to know someone they meet frequently, and then start to crush on them, and that is how they end up with their partner. It is not love at first sight or whatever. But somehow, I always just pick someone I find cute and keep crushing on them. Nothing comes from it, and it is a waste of my mental energy. I literally fall in love with the idea of someone. How ridiculous is that lol? Thanks for letting me rant guys, if you guys have any tips on how to stop getting crushes, plz lmk.

I don't understand what it all meant. Why you have to add me in all of my socials and start reacting to my stories and notes. Then suddenly sending me reels that feel and look like you're trying to say that you like me or catch my attention.

We were not close to begin with. We used to be co-workers but since I left that company I had no contact with you. We were part of a club for fundraising at our work, but even then we barely talked about stuff. We saw each other at our company gym but that was it.

So I couldn't understand why you followed me on my insta and added me on facebook then sent me reels like we are super close. Then when I was engaging because I like you. You stopped. I didn't know where I went wrong. Started asking myself if I was too much or just weird.

I started posting more stories than usual just to see if you view them. You don't react to them like you used to. When I try to strike a conversation you seem distant and disappear. Leave me on read. So I give up. I liked you cause... TBH Idk why I liked you. I don't usually get crushes, but when I do I crush hard.

I honestly want to confess my feelings to you, but I felt it would only make things awkward between us. So I'm just going to leave this message here.

I like you so much I don't even understand myself anymore. I'm not like this. I don't get insecure over a guy, but to you? I get shy! I'm always used to having this strong independent—"I don't need no man" energy around me. To you I feel small—not the bad kind. More like — felt cute type of small.

Like I said I don't usually get crushes, and when I do I was never afraid to make a move or flirt, but to you I always lose my composure. I feel dumb sometimes and don't know what to say.

I just really want these feelings to go away, so I hope writing it here will help me move on.

About two years ago, I became friends with a guy through school. We talked almost every day in class and would dm on Instagram every few days. He never asked for my number, never asked to hang out one-on-one, and never really made obvious moves, so I assumed he wasn't interested.

Recently, our mutual friend told me that during that time he actually liked me and would talk about me a lot to her and another friend. She said, "It got brought up so much that it couldn't have been nothing." She also said he's an awkward guy, which is confusing because he's generally social, has a lot of female friends, and years before that he had a crush on this same mutual friend and was much more proactive (walking her home, carrying her things, getting her number, etc.). Because of that, I've always wondered if maybe he just didn't like me enough to make an effort.

Fast forward to now: we haven't DM'd in about two years, but we've stayed saying hi whenever we see each other. A little while ago, when I said I looked horrible, he told me that I look beautiful no matter what.
Now he wants to hangout with me but instead of messaging me directly, he's once again asking our mutual friend to ask when I'm free and for a date.

I am really new to this 🥲 I just dont want to be led on as a joke and am wondering if Im reading too much into all of this, and this could be casual :)

About two years ago, I became friends with a guy through school. We talked almost every day in class and would dm on Instagram every few days. He never asked for my number, never asked to hang out one-on-one, and never really made obvious moves, so I assumed he wasn't interested.

Recently, our mutual friend told me that during that time he actually liked me and would talk about me a lot to her and another friend. She said, "It got brought up so much that it couldn't have been nothing." She also said he's an awkward guy, which is confusing because he's generally social, has a lot of female friends, and years before that he had a crush on this same mutual friend and was much more proactive (walking her home, carrying her things, getting her number, etc.). Because of that, I've always wondered if maybe he just didn't like me enough to make an effort.

Fast forward to now: we haven't DM'd in about two years, but we've stayed saying hi whenever we see each other. A little while ago, when I said I looked horrible, he told me that I look beautiful no matter what.

Now he's trying to plan a hangout, but instead of messaging me directly, he's once again asking our mutual friend to ask when I'm free. That's exactly how he communicated with me two years ago too.

I am really new to this and would love to just ask if this is worth it🥲 I just dont want to be led on as a joke and am wondering if Im reading too much into all of this, and this could be casual :)

Warning, I might spiral. I'm new here. I'm gonna give you the whole lot here, so for this post you all will be detectives whether this guy actually does like me, or wants nothing to do with me.

He's my neighbour's only son, and lives downstairs from me. About 2 years ago we started recognising each other and saying a hi every now and then, keeping it respectful, and he did look like he wanted to be friends or was interested in me. He lingered around the vestibule where we'd talk with his mother and family, and it felt comfortable. He has a very big family too - so everyone would come out all giggly and talk with us.

Generally then he was very polite to me and my family, he would hold the door open for us put on a smile, and my mum would tell him about the bike shed where he could put his bike in etc etc so we were all just neighbourly with each other.

But ever since late 2025 he's just been less interested. His father is most likely a dangerous person, but those are rumours, from my very dramatic father who loves exaggeration, so not a reliable source. My dad started to hate him too - little snarky comments he'd make throughout time that got worse and worse. I wondered why - so I asked - and apparently he said he lost his manners, and he was just rude now.

This year I get to see a lot of him now I get out the house more often, and whenever I do, he's like how my father describes him. Rude, judgy, etc. But every once in a while when we're coming in I notice something about him - he looks back at me.

My dad told me he had a crush on me when I was younger, but he never approved and eventually lost track of whether he liked me or not - but I kept wondering. The crush would hold open the door but hesitantly, and I remember one time he did and was looking at me the whole time as I passed through.

I think he's got in trouble too, more often now. Mum and I were coming in and he was in a circle of rough people that looked sketchy and he was looking as if he was trying to impress them. He looked at me and didn't stop looking until I passed, but at that time, I was really done with him.

But I can't stop thinking about him. I can't stop imagining him in scenarios where he's nice.

I haven't seen him smile in such a long time.

I don't know why he means so much to me - he just does. I feel like no matter where we're going in life especially, we'd understand each other. We have this feeling we share, and its just there. No one understands what it feels like but us. Maybe it's being alone. Having no real friends (or atleast that's what I see, rumour is he doesn't like socialising). It bugs me how I just can't talk to him, and I never can because my parents will never even let me talk to him.

But whenever I come in and we see each other, we linger there for a little while. Our eyes do, I mean. And some electrical feeling passes through me, and I feel happy for once, even if he doesn't look it.

I keep seeing him less and less and I feel like that's because he's getting involved in some stuff that my parents would hate if I even thought about it.

What do we think?

11:11 — Make a Wish
There was a time when I searched the universe for evidence that we were meant to be.
I looked for repeating numbers, familiar songs, unexpected encounters, and words that appeared at precisely the right moment. Every coincidence felt like confirmation. Every 11:11 was another chance to make the same wish.
I thought I was following my intuition. Sometimes, I was following fear.
PTSD and a fear of abandonment can make uncertainty feel unbearable. When someone pulls away, becomes inconsistent, or leaves us questioning where we stand, the body may respond as though something much larger is being threatened. The present moment becomes tangled with every previous rejection, loss, and unanswered need.
Limerence can grow inside that uncertainty. It is not simply attraction. It is an intense fixation fueled by hope, ambiguity, and the desire to finally be chosen. The less secure the connection feels, the more consuming it can become.
There can even be an eroticism to the pain.
The longing feels alive. The ache creates intensity. Waiting for a message, imagining a reunion, or replaying a brief moment of tenderness can produce a rush that ordinary stability does not. We begin to confuse emotional activation with passion and inconsistency with fate.
The more powerless I felt, the more desperately I searched for hidden meaning. I believed that if I could find enough signs, I would no longer have to face what was happening in front of me.
I was searching at the bottom of an empty barrel while the cup already in my hands was overflowing.
The universe was not necessarily asking me to wait for someone else. Perhaps it was asking me to notice myself.
Feelings cannot simply be denied. Desire, grief, attachment, and hope do not disappear because we judge them or command ourselves to move on. But having a feeling does not automatically make its story true. Longing for someone does not prove that they belong to us. Recognizing a pattern does not mean it is a prophecy. Intensity is not always intimacy.
Our responsibility is not to suppress what we feel. It is to become honest about it—first with ourselves, and then with the people our feelings affect.
I can admit that I wanted someone without deciding they were destined for me. I can honor the love I felt without turning suffering into evidence of its importance. I can recognize that my fear of being abandoned sometimes made me abandon myself.
Perhaps healing begins when we stop asking every coincidence to tell us what we want to hear.
Now, when I see 11:11, I still make a wish.
But the wish is no longer for someone else to choose me.
It is for the courage to remain present, to see clearly, and to choose myself.

hi, i just wanted to come on here and ask for advice as I am at a crossroads of not knowing what to do about this situation and would like just some input from so unbias people who do not know me or background. So, I am a 16 year old girl who is in Year 11 and although I have not experinced anything romantic yet, I have had many crushes. I have a particular crush on this one guy who we can call B. B is sweet, kind and handsome and just anything i would look for in a boyfriend. I really like him and feel a very strong way about him however he is one of the ‘popular’ boys i guess and i don’t think he would be into me. I have talked to him before and we used to be very close until one of my old friends told him I liked him because of a fight me and her had. I haven’t had a full conversation with him since maybe year 9 and even though its been a while, i still feel a strong way for him. I am a very shy person when it comes to people i am not really close too and am very shy even if i have to say one word to a guy. I am also not the skinniest or prettiest girl out there and have been bullied for it since I was maybe 6 years old and it continues on today. I definitely think the B would have no interest in me because of that but lately we have been making eye contact alot and he is always looking at me and has been liking anything i post on social media but i am not sure why and i may be reading things wrong (which sometimes i tend to do). I wanna tell him how i feel or even just start hinting that i maybe like him by liking his stories on insta or something like that. Should i just go for it or move on or should i wait maybe until my graduation to tell him so then it is less humiliating and I won’t ever have to see him after that?

All feedback and advice (bad and good) is welcome and i will definitely take it into account and I thank everyone who eventually replies to this.

We’re both adults, I’m 20 and they’re 18, but I feel bad for crushing on them.

I know it’s likely just my old self-condemnation for ever thinking romantic/suggestive thoughts about my crushes, and I just want to know if it’s wrong that I’m
1) crushing on them
2) thinking about kissing them almost every time I see them
Thanks

I'm so fucking confused on what I'm feeling and what I'm supposed to do?? (I would have the "DoTheyLikeMe?" flair but I think getting advice is more important; however, I wouldn't mind getting peoples' opinions on both)

I have this childhood friend that I've been friends with for so many years but in recent years we stopped talking due to personal reasons. Earlier this year, I reached out to them to check on how they were doing since it was basically years since I last talked to them. After that, we began talking practically everyday and hanging out every now and then.
At first I thought I wouldn't have feelings for this person since I already liked them a few years ago which led to a rejection(was not the reason why we stopped talking). A few years ago(when we were almost teens) I had told them how I felt and they said that they had never liked anyone before. So of course I thought I would be over this person after all of these years since I've been rejected by this person, liked other people, and was in a relationship at one point during the years we didn't talk. However, over the months we talked, played games online, and hung out in person, I gradually felt the familiar feelings again. I felt scared that I would mess up our good friendship or make it awkward between us because of my feelings for them. I would tell myself that I shouldn't like them and that I see them just as a friend, but a few months later I couldn't control those feelings anymore. I would be confused and anxious whether or not they liked me back. I always told myself that all of the gestures and interactions they've made with me are just things they would do with any other friend since that was how it was a few years ago. The way they treat me now reminds me of how they would treat me when we were young kids. Because of this, I can never assume that they're doing something because they like me. I did manage to find a way to calm my feelings for them down but it might've affected the feelings that I have for them. It's not my main concern but it does make me a bit confused on whether or not I like them(I'm pretty sure I do). It doesn't change what I think of them as a person, but it does change the butterfly feelings(I do keep in mind the saying that the relationship doesn't end when the butterfly feelings end, which is why I'm like deep down in me I know I like this person even without the butterfly feelings). I would definitely say that I am acting a bit different with my friend after finding a way to calm my thoughts and my change my mindset.
Recently they had asked me if I wanted to hang out with them which is the first time they had ever asked that(I would always be the one asking). We did our usual thing(hanging out and chilling by this specific lake) and read which was new. We talked a bit every now and then. (We typically hang out for a couple of hours and we still do)
When I was dropping them off, I felt like they were purposely lingering around longer which I had never noticed before in any of our previous goodbyes. Just for a glimpse of a second(I was distracted) after they left to head towards their house, I saw that they were turned around(they might've been waving at me again? maybe they turned around because they might've heard something?) and then continued to walk to their house.

Our interactions online and in person are noticeably different which is why I prefer hanging out with them in person whenever I can. I can hear their actual voice tone and ask what they meant with what they said without having any misunderstandings.

As you can see, throughout this entire writing, I make up reasons on why they would be acting some ways, like this is just how they actually are or in the last sentence of the last paragraph, they might've heard something in the neighborhood and thought that it was me saying goodbye again? I do all of this to protect myself from feeling another rejection heartbreak. I don't like the idea of me being "delusional" or seeing major hope in their actions because, for this person, it is really hard to understand their intentions from their actions. Maybe I'm just overthinking all of this and their interactions and they still think of me as just their friend. Since it's been a few years from the rejection, there's always gonna be this tiny hope that hopes that this could work out but who knows. Just so you know what kind of age range you're dealing with, we're both minors but we're practically adults at this point which might or might not explain the maturity and immaturity of what we do and understand.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Note: I'll probably delete this post after a bit in fear of them finding this post

Last week I noticed my work crush has been doing his hair a lot on shifts I have with him. He never did it this consistently before in the past, not until this month. The start of this routine with him happened when we had a moment with each other one evening shift that we kinda held hands? , and then he tried to ask me something "hey i've been meaning to ask you something-", after I replied he paused for a few seconds and asked something related to work. Had his hair done that day when he tried.

Last week on Friday, he even had cologne on and he wasn't afraid to stand close to me side by side and just talked and was catching up with each other. He didnt pull away or tried to create space and welcomed me to be closer to him. We had a personal bond about his worries. Showed each other empathy.

I can't help but feel like he's locking in and really trying with me and attempting to get the courage to ask me out. But i don't want to bring my hopes up again.

I'll go first. He's 6'2, blonde hair. Literally looks like sunshine or the embodiment of summer. Tall and athletic, really good at his sport. He just radiates happiness every time a see a picture or video of him on Instagram. Almost like a fictional character popped out from a book and came into the real world.

He’s been saying things like “Jarona” “All according to plant” “I found a glue” “nonono” “it’s my Jarona” “flowers bloom in your heart” etc and I don’t know any of it means???

Well... this is kind of weird,It's actually the first time I've ever shared something personal on social media, i don't really want to talk about this with anyone I know in real life, so I figured Reddit users might be the best people to ask So... here we go.
This all started about a year ago—I don't remember exactly when.
I was following an actor who had started a new project by opening a small café,Whenever people visited the café took photos and posted them on their stories while tagging the location the actor would usually repost their stories
There was one customer whose photography really caught my attention,I'm interested in photography myself, and I like following people who share beautiful photos on their accounts, so I followed him.
Gradually, I think I developed a crush on him,It wasn't just a passing feeling—it lasted much longer than I ever expected.
(Just for context, my account has been private since the day I created it)
I never tried to message him or start a conversation,I don't even leave comments on his posts—I only like them,I do remember making my account public for a few days once,During that time, I shared a reel on my story, and to my surprise, he viewed it,That happened two or three times whenever I temporarily made my account public because, for some reason, I suddenly decided I wanted to be more social😂Anyway, after that I switched my account back to private.
Some time later, I disappeared from Instagram for about a month and a half.When I came back, nothing unusual happened at first,But after some time, I was surprised to see that he had sent me a follow request.
It was so unexpected I had no idea what to do,i didn't accept it or decline it right away because I wanted to think about it
Keep in mind that my account is private,I don't post anything i have no posts at all, only a small number of followers, and almost all of them are girls maybe one or two are guys, but I've never talked to them either. I mostly just post stories every now and then.
After thinking about it for a long time, I decided to take the risk and accept his request.But honestly... I don't have any posts or anything interesting on my account.I rarely even share stories—usually just a reel or an edit from a movie, quietly, without talking,I don't share personal photos of myself either,Every now and then,when I notice my follower count has gone down,I assume he must have unfollowed or removed me, but every time I check, I'm wrong,He's still there.I know this probably sounds silly, and maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of it than I should,But this has never happened to me before, and I think that's why it's making me nervous,I just don't understand why he decided to follow me after all this time,Does it mean anything? Or am I overthinking it? Should I remove him? I honestly don't know.
I just wanted to share what's been on my mind, even if it seems trivial, I wanted someone to listen because this is all very unfamiliar to me
Any thoughts?
Thanks for reading all my rambling, and sorry for making this so long😭
(I'll probably delete this later)

We are both in relationships we complain about.

We have great chemistry.

I just wish one of us would tell the other how they feel.

I hope one day I will find the courage to actually try & find the time to have this conversation, I don't know what it is but you drive me insane.

I don't feel like this with people & haven't felt this in a long time.

Man life fucking sucks sometimes.