My best friend said he liked me. Is our friendship ruined?

So, this summer, I’ve been through a lot. I lost my grandfather to stomach cancer, and my ex-boyfriend, who I was saving myself for, cheated on me. This has all worsened my depression. I also got on new medication, so my mind/feelings have been all over the place. My friends have been my rock through all of this. I feel bad/guilty that they’re dealing with this depressed version of me.

One of my guy best friends has really stepped up in helping me. I feel much better when I’m around him. I’d like to point out that he has never made a move on me before, so it was a shock when he said he liked me romantically for 2 years. He said he didn’t expect me to reciprocate his feelings, but that he just wanted to be honest with me. Now, I’m just lost/confused. I’ve been so stressed out with everything in my life, so this news is literally frying my brain.

The weird thing about it is that I actually liked that he was honest with me. I care about him and our friendship a lot. He’s an amazing guy. He’s funny, smart, loyal, trustworthy, etc. He’d make any girl happy. He makes me happy. He has done so much for me, and I’m so grateful. But, I don’t feel like I’m in the right headspace to accept his feelings (I do like him though). My severe anxiety is also making me afraid of losing him. Is our friendship ruined? :(

Posted Aug 13, 2026, 8:30 PM UTC

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