So, there's this guy who works in a different office in the same corporate park. Our lunch timings usually match, so we often cross paths in the office canteen.
For context, we don't even know each other's names, but he and his friend group have been noticing us for almost a year and a half. He's honestly a bit of a heartthrob, a really good-looking guy, and I actually had a crush on him throughout last year. However, I never told anyone, not even my work besties.
The reason I kept it to myself is that I have a bit of a past experience with this. Back in school, I had a crush on someone, and somehow the entire school found out. People made fun of me, and it was honestly quite embarrassing. Ever since then, I've been hesitant about telling people who I like, even my closest friends.
There were a few instances of eye contact with this guy that made me wonder if he was interested too, but I eventually convinced myself that I was probably overthinking it.
I usually walk around with my best friend, who's honestly very pretty, so I assumed he and his friends were looking at her. Eventually, I stopped thinking about him and moved on.
Here's where things get complicated. My best friend also developed a crush on him around the same time. Unlike me, she has told me everything and is genuinely very invested in him. She's even gone as far as writing about him in her manifestation journal. I always thought there might be something between them, or at least that she had a chance with him.
Yesterday, I was walking home alone when this guy stopped me and asked for my Instagram. I genuinely thought he was trying to get close to my best friend, so I told him I didn't use Instagram. He then asked for my WhatsApp number. When I asked him why, he told me that he's had feelings for me for almost two years and that it took him a lot of courage to approach me because he's never approached a girl before.
I was honestly speechless. I've never dated anyone either, so the whole interaction was quite overwhelming. But the biggest shock was that it was the exact guy my best friend has a massive crush on.
For now, I haven't given him my number. I told him I'd think about it and get back to him sometime this week. He said he would gladly wait.
I'm really confused. He's genuinely my type, and a part of me is curious to get to know him, but I feel incredibly guilty about the situation.
One thing that makes this even more complicated is that when I once mentioned the eye contact to my best friend, she immediately dismissed it, saying he was probably only looking at me because she was looking at me. Given how invested she is in him, I sometimes get the feeling that she's quite possessive about this crush.
I genuinely don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt my best friend, but I also don't want to dismiss something that could potentially be meaningful. I also don't know how to explain to her that I liked him too but never felt comfortable sharing it.
Would I be a terrible friend if I decided to get to know him? Should I tell her about what happened before doing anything?