Just a little while back I moved back in with my dad and my stepmother. They introduced me to their friend's son, Anthony. He became my best friend, and I'm glad to have him as that, and unwilling to do anything that might make me lose him as a friend. And my problem is, I've fallen in love with him. And I'm not sure how he really feels about me.

He knows that I do care for him as more than just friends, although he doesn't know how strongly I do. Likewise, he has told me that he would like to give a relationship a try with me, but he's hesitant for several reasons. First is that he still loves his ex. Second is that he knows I'm in a fairly fragile state right now, and doesn't want to end up hurting me. I'm trying to wait and let him figure out his feelings before making a move on him. I'm waiting for him to make a move, actually. And he has, in a way.

I've starting hinting to him that I would like to give a relationship a try (quite clumsily, seeing as I've no relationship experience to speak of). And we've sat down and talked about what is keeping us back, and why it shouldn't matter. But even after that, he seems very uncomfortable when I say something that shows my feelings. And I am also hesitant, and very obviously nervous when he does things like hold my hand, tell me I'm beautiful, and nibbled on me a little bit. (For the last, I giggled in a way that is very not sexy to say the very least.)

I'm tired of just waiting for him, so I've started trying to show him how I feel (talk's cheap, I say). But every time I start, I stop, because I'm afraid that I might lose him. Last night I dreamed that he and I were with our mothers, and we were going shopping. We wandered around and bought little toys for my little syblings, and little snacks for ourselves, all the while I was doing little things to show him how I felt. But in the car he turned to me and said that he didn't like the things I was doing, and he wanted me only as a friend, and that if I tried anything more, he would leave and I would never see him again. And then he disappeared and I never saw him again.

I really don't know what to do, and any advice or comfort would be appreciated.

I think the dream reflects your legitimate fears that if you push too hard to make the relationship anything more than friendship, you will lose him as a friend altogether.

I personally think that if the relationship is meant to go to the next level, you will both know it.

Why don't you just take your time and let things evolve naturally?