I have a big crush on my friend’s girlfriend

My friend met his girlfriend about 4 years ago, and she fit into our friend group immediately. She and my friend are perfect for each other, they’re definitely going to get married someday.

I knew I was attracted to her but didn’t start to develop a crush until I got to know her better. She’s got a great personality and is really funny. She’s always really nice to me and is just fun to be around. 

Here’s the thing. I’m 26 and I’ve never had a girlfriend. No one has ever showed me romantic attention, and I’ve never had a ton of platonic female friends. So I know that I just like the attention that I get from her. It makes me feel really good. She knows my situation and always tells me not to worry about it. She tells me I’m a really good guy and am going to make someone really happy some day. 

Well, I don’t feel like a good guy. I feel really guilty for having this crush. I feel guilty for being jealous of my friend. I feel pathetic that I latch onto any attention given to me from a woman and immediately make it a crush. Sometimes when I’m really lonely I can’t stop thinking about her and it makes me feel even more like shit.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.