Hello,

I've often seen a woman through family that I've always found to be really attractive, though she's around 8 years younger than me in her early 20's. We've recently started chatting first via social media then through text messaging. Suddenly I've started to develop these feelings for her that I don't fully understand, feelings like I did back in my teens. I think about her most of the time and I keep anticipating her responses and texts, even reading some of her stuff sometimes my heart feels like it skips a beat, we often text when I work and I find it hard to concentrate on what I'm doing and even loose the feeling of hunger. These feelings are strange because I'm an adult and often these kind of feelings are associated with younger teens. I find her incredibly stunning, she's very intelligent studying in university and also very independent - attributes I'm really attracted too.

Anyway it sounds pretty nice so far but there's problems that comes with it. In the time we've been texting I know that she's had problems in the past and made mistakes and such, she's been pretty open with some of the things and I get the feeling she wants someone to talk to, I've been pretty open too. I'm not one of those stalker like people who declares my undying love easily but I told her that I generally had feelings for her. She knows I like her and I've even described it when she asked about it, she's pretty level headed and understanding.

But on the whole I'm confused to what she wants, sometimes I get the feeling she just wants a close friend whereas other times I think she may be attracted to me. At the beginning she would talk about guys she likes or things she's done but I'd feel hurt from it, after I described how I feel for her she doesn't as much though sometimes she slips one in like "The guy I like (in work) going home soon which is a bad thing" I find this a bit mean knowing how I feel about her. I haven't sat around doing nothing about this I've offered to take her out but she seems to get hung up on the fact that someone (family related) may see us and it wouldn't look innocent, I told her that it's OK I get the message but then she was quick to point out she didn't say no; Huh?

Earlier when we discussed the feelings I have I explained that I wasn't sure what to do, I mean it's not nice having feelings for someone who doesn't feel the same and weather to stop chatting. She was unaffected by this yet understanding, but each responds is just like she's completely natural, it also seems like she's doing it on purpose to leave me guessing. For example she said "I don't know exactly what you want, I haven't adviced you to stop talking to me and I also wont encourage you. But I'll say this, do what makes you happy, stop thinking the worst, learn to be open. We can chat about anything I wont pass it on. An vice versa. I'm not bothered about your life story but if it helps to talk to me that's ok" ... huh??

We constantly text always having conversations about all kinds; often her that initiates. I enjoy our talks but I just don't know weather I should continue to speak to this person, I've felt like my feelings have increased since we've been speaking and fear it'll end badly for me if I pursue, but I'm clueless weather she's interested and wants a friend, leading me on, playing with me, or just seeing where it goes. I do not often feel this way about a person and I cannot understand why this person, I've simply always felt an attraction to her each time I've seen her.

Can anybody throw some clarity my way? Or am I just being stupid and childish over the whole thing?