You hate when they talk about crushes
As a general rule, friends like hearing about each other’s lives, and that includes their romantic interests and exploits. So if you find yourself feeling irritated, cagey or even straight-up jealous when your bestie talks about potential dates or new crushes, then it could be because you wish you were actually the object of their affection.
You’ve no interest in dating anyone else
Are you always saying to your best friend that you’re looking for love but just weirdly unlucky, while also never putting yourself out there and declining every beautiful stranger who approaches you at a bar? If that’s the case, it could be because you’re subconsciously closed off from seeing people as potential romantic interests, because your heart has already decided on the one for you.
You call them when you’re in trouble
It’s one thing to always call your bestie with juicy gossip, funny memes or proud work accomplishments. However, it’s even more meaningful if, when sad, stressful or overwhelming events occur, it’s your friend whom you call to help you calm down, be comforted or work through the problem. If you’re not worried about their judgement, it could be because they know you better than anyone.
People always ask if you’re dating
Do you act all irritated whenever strangers assume you and your bestie are an item, but also feel secretly thrilled every time? There’s only one possible explanation for that: you would actually be very happy to date your friend, but you’re terrified of letting them know that you see them as a possible romantic partner, so you overcompensate in the other direction.
You spend every minute of the day together
Love is very important in a romantic relationship, but liking your partner is also pretty crucial. If you call your bestie to go grocery shopping, accompany you to the doctor or just hang out on the sofa because they make the most mundane tasks feel more fun, then that’s a sign you could easily build a life with them.
You can’t help but talk about them
Everyone knows that one of the surest signs of a crush is being unable to stop talking about the person. What’s difficult to accept is that this applies when you’re in love with your bestie too. If your friends are sick of hearing about your supposedly platonic exploits and are secretly betting on when you’ll confess or realise your feelings, then you’re probably smitten.
They accompany you to social events
Normally, a partner or spouse would be the person you turn to whenever you need a date to a family dinner, friend’s wedding or charity gala. If your cousins are on a first-name basis with your bestie and your parents have long since stopped asking when you’ll bring a date to the summer barbeque, then chances are your pal is a partner in all but name.
You dream about them constantly
You might be able to deny it in your waking hours, but dreams have the uncanny ability to reveal someone’s true desires. If you’re constantly arm in arm with your best friend in your dreams, going on dates, getting married or even having children, then that’s a sign that you already know what you want, you’re just afraid to go after it.
You overthink all your physical contact
When you have a crush, even the smallest brush of shoulders can send electricity down your whole arm, and every hug can seem to both flash by and last an age. If an embrace from your so-called pal makes you blush hours later, and you question what their arm being around you during car rides could possibly mean, then you’re for sure in love.
You’re each other’s backup
This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out for those who are deep in denial. If you have any kind of pact or plan to marry your best friend if you don’t find spouses before a certain age, then you should almost definitely just skip the middle man and start dating. You wouldn’t joke about spending a life together if you didn’t want to!
