Can this friendship become love?

Karstens from Moline, IL asks:

"There is a guy I've known for not quite two years that I share a fairly deep friendship with. We met through our older brothers, who are good friends, and through school activities. I really like him but am not sure whether love is the right word because I've never had feelings like this before. He has a girlfriend that he's been with for a couple of years, so I don't want to make a move and ruin the relationship. What can I do?"

Nancy's Relationship Advice Reply:

Dear Karstens,

I believe one can have strong feelings of brotherly type love towards people we consider friends.  Because you have never had feelings like this before, it is understandable that you may not know how to categorize it.  You shared that this young man has a girlfriend, so he is not romantically available.  When you establish a deepen emotional connection with someone of the opposite sex, you are walking a fine line.  Many times those lines get blurred and intimate feelings are shared which should not be. 

Please do not make a move which will not only ruin his relationship, but also the friendship you have with each other.  If you are finding yourself wanting more than friendship with him, then I encourage you to broaden your social network and start spending time with a variety of people. 

Do you have a relationship issue you are trying to work though?   

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