So, you are in love with this guy, or rather that is an understatement, as you are obsessed with him, but it is hard for you to notice whether he likes you back.
He is sending you mixed signals that confuse your mind and now you don’t know what to do.
Fear not, because there are signs he is pretending not to like you, because actually, he really does.
You have this gut feeling that he likes you, but you are unsure. This inner voice tells you the truth, but you don’t know whether or not you can trust it.
Maybe you’ve been friends with this guy for a long time and now you like him.
However, it is not about that, but you have this inner feeling that he is pretending not to like you for some reason.
You feel the attraction between the two of you every time you hang out and you know those feelings are not made up.
Luckily, there are signs he is pretending not to like you, because he actually does.
You are unsure of the reasons why he is suppressing his feelings but anyhow, you are on a mission to figure it out.
But first, you have to figure out whether he is really not into you or he’s pretending not to like you. Don’t worry, it happens to everyone, even the best of us.
I’ve been in tons of situations where I liked someone, but for some reason, the girl did not show her genuine emotions and the opportunity slipped away.
The reason why he is hiding his feelings could be one of many.
Maybe he thinks you are taken, maybe he is shy, or maybe he is not ready for a relationship yet.
Later in the article, I will focus on those things but for now, it is probably for the best to let you know about the signs he is pretending not to like you.
These are some of the telltale signs your crush likes you but is pretending not to:
1. He wants to get to know you better
When you are interested in a person, you are on a mission to find out as many details about them as you can, or you simply want to get to know them better.
Well, that is the case here.
A guy who pretends not to like you, but actually does, will ask you lots of personal questions because he wants to know things about you and he will do that subtly.
Maybe he will ask you a question just to keep you talking.
He might bounce from one question to the next, but as you continue chatting, he will ask you deeper questions.
You won’t even notice how deep the conversation gets. So, if he does that, he probably likes you but is pretending not to.
If he acts like a private investigator, going around asking your friends about you, then he likes you.
Sometimes it’s hard for guys to let their emotions be known due to social norms.
Sometimes they just like to protect their feelings and be completely sure that a relationship will work out before making the first move.
Whatever the case may be, asking someone deep and personal questions means you want to get to know them better and that’s what he’s doing.
2. He gazes at you
If you are unsure of whether a guy likes you or not, then you should focus on his eyes, or rather his eye contact.
The eyes are the windows to your soul.
A guy will naturally keep eye contact with a girl he likes. He is just pretending not to like you, but his eyes tell the truth.
Maybe you’re in a coffee shop, and you stumble upon him.
If you feel like he is gazing at you, then you can be sure that he likes you, even if he pretends not to.
Maybe he is shy and turns away every time you glance over his way. It doesn’t matter, as long as you catch him looking at you.
This subtle but unquestionable sign is a great indication that he likes you.
If you have a conversation with that guy, focus on how he looks at you. Maybe you will see a subtle smile or puppy dog eyes every time you talk.
A guy is genuinely in love with you if he does this, but sometimes he will pretend not to like you.
As I said, he might look away when you catch him looking at you because he is scared of his feelings.
3. He jokes a lot
Sometimes guys are insecure. They try to hide that insecurity of theirs by cracking jokes about things.
Despite believing that women want a guy who is confident and secure, sometimes guys have anxiety over approaching a woman.
It’s completely natural to feel that way. If you think he is pretending not to like you, but he actually does, then observe him while he is talking.
Maybe he talks and then jokes around and pretends like it was nothing, like it was a dare from his friend.
Maybe he asks you a couple of questions and then suddenly makes an excuse and says he needs to be somewhere else.
You see and feel the attraction between the two of you, but you are still unsure of whether he likes you or not.
He might crack a few jokes just to hide his feelings.
He worries about how the conversation will go, so he tries to feel safe again by telling jokes and suddenly disappearing.
Despite that, you can feel it in your gut that he is into you.
4. He is interested in your dating life
When a guy likes you but pretends not to, he will try to find out as much as he possibly can about your dating life, but he won’t talk about his.
If he wants to know what type of guys you like, how your last date went, where you went, and suchlike, then you can be sure that he likes you.
Maybe he wants to know whether you’re currently single or whether you’re going to be single anytime soon.
A guy who likes you but pretends not to will be interested in your love life.
He might ask about the things you are looking for in a relationship just to know for future reference and you can be sure that he likes you if he doesn’t talk about his dating life.
Maybe he says that he’s not seeing anyone, or maybe he uses jokes to hide his genuine feelings, as I mentioned above.
However, he subtly asks you questions about your love life because he wants you to know that he is available if you feel the same way.
Another reason why he never talks about his dating life could be that he is a player and then it is probably for the best to move on and let him go.
If you’re afraid that he is a player, but you are unsure, then focus on the other signs that I mention in this article.
5. He has a hard time talking to you in person
This happens to a lot of guys who are shy. Maybe he talks a lot online, but when you see him face-to-face, he simply freezes.
He is super reserved and doesn’t know how to initiate a proper conversation.
You have this feeling like he is a stranger, even if you were talking for two hours straight just last night.
The reason why he acts this way is that he is afraid. He pretends not to like you because he is unsure about your feelings.
He doesn’t want to mess things up, but at the same time, he doesn’t know how to initiate a face-to-face conversation.
The best way to help him overcome his fear is to make him comfortable around you. Trust me, even a simple, “Hi,” will mean a lot.
6. He shows jealousy
Guys are very protective. They may not come clean about their feelings, but that doesn’t stop them from being protective of someone.
If a guy pretends not to like you, but actually does, he will become uneasy when someone mentions other men in your life.
Maybe someone in your group mentions your ex or a past crush, and he won’t be too pleased to hear about it, trust me.
Perhaps the jealousy that he is showing is pointed toward your male best friend. It doesn’t matter to him, because everyone is a threat to him now.
People can hide certain things from others, but jealousy is definitely not one of them, as it is hard to conceal.
If you are unsure of whether he likes you or not, then take a closer look at how he behaves around you.
Maybe he will say he is your boyfriend just to save you from an annoying guy.
You don’t have to listen to the words he says to see if he is pretending not to like you. You can see from his body language that it is quite the opposite.
The death stares and the uneasiness that he feels will tell you a lot more than his words.
7. His body language changes
Positive body language is an actual sign that a guy likes you. It is very hard not to notice it, and it is tough for a guy to hide it.
So the next time you see the guy you are unsure about, notice his posture, his feet, and how close he is to you.
If he straightens his posture and leans toward you when you are talking, then you can be sure that he likes you, but he is just pretending not to.
His posture and him leaning in are subconscious actions, and he cannot influence them.
He wants to appear more masculine when he straightens up and he wants to absorb every word of yours when he leans into you.
He does both of these things without being aware of them.
The next time that you think he is pretending not to like you, notice his body language, because it will reveal his genuine feelings for you.
8. He acts like a hero around you
Certain signs that he is pretending not to like you are tough to notice, but this one is not.
Remember that time when you had an argument with someone else, and this guy came in and tried to save the day?
Even though you might have been wrong, he naturally took your side.
Well, he didn’t do that because he doesn’t like you, he did that because he does, but he is afraid to show his genuine feelings for you.
He might try to hide his feelings about you for some unknown reason, but he won’t be able to control the need to protect you and be your hero.
As I said, guys are very protective human beings. They want their loved one to be safe and secure, and they care about their well-being.
Naturally, a man wants to be a woman’s hero.
He wants to show a woman he can provide security and he can protect her, which is actually deeply rooted in male biology.
Sometimes you will see this as the hero instinct. If he likes or loves you, he will care about your safety.
Maybe he is shy and doesn’t want to show his feelings toward you, but if you are in danger, his biological instincts will kick in.
9. He is cautious around you
When a guy is cautious around you and watches every word he says, it means that he likes you.
He pretends not to like you for his own reasons, but being overcautious around you is a sign that means quite the opposite.
Maybe he had a terrible experience with some girl and doesn’t want to be burned again, but if he avoids flirting with you or has deep conversations with you about a topic that he holds dear, then you can be sure that he likes you.
You should not immediately give up on such a guy.
If you give him time and make him feel comfortable, eventually, he will let his guard down and open up to you.
10. He seems to always be near you
Maybe you haven’t even noticed, but the guy you have a crush on might always be around.
You have been unsure of whether he is pretending not to like you, but now you have realized that he is always around, it could be quite the opposite.
Perhaps you’re drinking coffee in your favorite cafe and suddenly he appears there, like he was in the neighborhood or something.
This is actually a sign that he can’t get enough of you and always wants to be in your presence.
He may be shy, but he wants to spend more time with you and this is his way of telling you he likes you.
He wants it to be like a casual meeting and not a date, as he might not have the courage to ask you on a proper date.
Whatever the reason might be, if you have the feeling that he is always around you, then you can be sure he likes you.
Some women don’t like these types of guys because they want a confident man but you never know when you will discover a true gem.
It is completely up to you whether or not you want to give such a guy a chance.
11. He is ‘hot and cold‘
Most of us have experienced this, and maybe some of you even use it, but if the guy is sending you mixed signals, he definitely likes you.
It is easy to notice this if you have done the same thing to someone else.
Maybe one day, he sends you a couple of messages saying how he wishes to be with you, and the next day, he ghosts you.
He may be confused about his feelings, but you can never be sure. You have this feeling that he likes you, but some of his actions don’t support your way of thinking.
Maybe he acts nice and kind one day, but the next, he switches and becomes very cold and distant.
The signs he is pretending not to like you can be tough to notice but this one is a no-brainer.
The ‘hot and cold’ signals are a dead giveaway that he is into you.
12. He makes jokes about you being together
I think this is one of the most obvious signs that he likes you.
No matter how hard he pretends not to, this is a straightforward sign showing that he is into you.
He makes jokes about the idea of you being together, teases you, or tells your friends you would make a cute couple together.
You can feel that these words are not just jokes. They are the truth, but he is afraid of letting you know about his feelings.
Now that you have figured out that he is pretending not to like you, you may ask: “Why is he doing that”?
Maybe he just got out of a long-term relationship.
He just started the healing process, as he had a tough breakup. Maybe that is the reason he is hiding his feelings right now.
It is very common for guys to do that because they don’t want to hurt the girl they like, so instead, they pretend not to like you.
Maybe he decided he doesn’t want to start a relationship because he is just not ready. However, he can’t control his feelings so he fell for you.
Sometimes it is hard to let go of the past but you have to go through the healing process in order to be ready for a new relationship.
Let your emotions and mind heal because love can even hurt physically. Maybe this is the reason why he is scared to ask you out.
Another reason why he might pretend not to like you is that he doesn’t think you like him back.
Maybe you are the reason why he thinks this way. Perhaps it is the way you behave toward him.
It might be that you appear as someone who is not interested in him, which could be the reason why he may be scared of falling for you.
To have a healthy and successful relationship, the attraction between two people needs to be balanced.
A relationship won’t work if there is one with stronger feelings. It will eventually lead to clinginess and desperation.
In the end, someone will get hurt and you don’t want that.
The solution to this problem is quite simple. Show him that you are interested (if you are), and he will open up and reciprocate.
There are different ways that you can show a guy you like him, such as giving him compliments or showing him affection when he least expects it.
When he notices that you are interested in him, he will have more confidence and he will open up about his feelings toward you.
Maybe he thinks he won’t be able to satisfy your needs and give you what you want.
This could also be the reason why he is pretending not to like you.
Maybe he thinks he can’t provide for you because you have a certain image of him that is simply not true.
He might think you like him for the wrong reasons, like for money.
The best way to show a guy that you like him for who he really is is to tell him face-to-face.
Sometimes, guys are insecure about themselves.
Sometimes they have a hard time putting themselves out there and that’s why he pretends not to like you.
I hope that these signs might help you to notice whether a guy likes you and why is he pretending not to.
It is all about timing and if you are still unsure, then the best way is just to ask him.
Women and men share different thoughts and opinions so what you think is right might be wrong for him.
However, these signs might help you notice his insecurities and help you decide what to do next.
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