Don't you feel like there's a whole lot of territory between "like" and "love" that basically just gets glossed over? As if when you like someone, you're really just waiting to see if you're going to fall in love with them.
But the ways that you can feel about a person that you are casually dating are in fact quite nuanced, and we get into all kinds of confusion trying to fit our feelings into one box or the other. Here are seven other (completely legitimate!) ways you can feel about a person you're romantically involved with besides being in love.
a young man working the counter of a restuarant or cafe is laughing and tlaking with a young woman with curly brown hair
1. In Crush
Usually happens before anything actually happens. People in crush are easily embarrassed around each other and prone to blurting out things they wish they hadn't and knocking things over. Being in crush is characterized by an uncontrollable desire to just be around a person, then having no idea what to do once you are.
2. Smitten
Being smitten is like being in crush—with the addition of a complete blindness to the object of your smit's flaws. People who are smitten with each other believe, also, that there are no issues in their relationship either.
3. In Lust
"Well, , and___, but the sex is so good."
4. In Lame
Two people who are in lame are together for no good reason other than that it's easier than not being together. In other words, they're both just too lame to pull the plug.
5. In Care
Like being in love, being in care means sharing a deep bond and a genuine mutual concern for each other's well-being. If you listen you each other's problems and support each other's triumphs, you're probably in care. People in care feel that the other deserves what's best for them, even if that turns out not to be the relationship.
