One year ago, on New Year’s Eve, I befriended a girl. She was 17 at the time and I was 16. We started by sending each other cat reels on Instagram. I often complained to her about feeling lonely, and she told me that if I ever needed a hug, she’d be there for me. Over the next few months, we became very close. I call her “kitten,” she calls me “good boy,” we talk in person whenever we have a chance, and if not, we text each other daily. I once went to the cinema with her, and she invited me to her birthday party.
She’s comfortable with me resting my head on her shoulder or lying next to each other on a couch, almost cuddling. She’s also okay with me saying “love you” (not “I love you,” which she treats as something different). People around us often assume we’re a couple, but she says she’s bisexual and mainly attracted to women, with the exception of some male celebrities. She also says I’m like a brother to her, or even closer than her actual brother. We’re going to prom together as dance partners which was achived by me after she got rejected by one girl she developed a crush on earlier this year (in october she fell in love with some girl, my girl in her infatuation joined the other girl's amateur dance group and later in november got rejected. She never actually confessed love to that other girl and they still talk to each other but its highly unlikely that that other girl is into women and it looks like my girl gave up on trying to hit on her)
I’m confused about my own feelings. I’m not sure whether I’ve developed romantic feelings for her or if I care about her in a more sibling-like way. She reacts negatively when others say we seem like a couple, and when I call her attractive, unless she initiates it herself. I don’t clearly see how our current dynamic could transition into something different, even though I feel drawn to her.
I’m considering having an honest, low-pressure conversation with her to better understand where we both stand. What is a respectful way to approach such a conversation in this specific situation, so that my feelings are communicated clearly while also minimizing the risk of misunderstanding or hurting the friendship
TL;DR; : im in a weird relationship with my female friend but we are really close, im not sure whether i have romantic feelings to her or love but like between siblings. Im thinking about telling her that i love her but i dont know in what way.