By 
When a woman gets heartbroken, she starts loving differently.
She becomes more wary and guarded when it comes to the people who come into her life, trying to avoid the hurt she experienced before.
This reaction is only understandable, but know that she’s also worth all the trouble once she starts trusting again.
So how do you know if she has feelings for you too but is just afraid of getting hurt?
There are many ways to know how women feel, even without them realizing that they’re revealing their true emotions. Some signs are more obvious than others, so it’s important to pay attention to these subtle indications of her true feelings:
1) She Takes Her Time to Know You
Careful women don’t jump easily into relationships. Instead, they take their time to tread lightly as they get to know the other person.
For her, it’s better to know about you from a safer distance because diving in too deeply didn’t end well for her before.
She might want to know every small detail about you before taking her chances.
If she asks about your favorites and hobbies, it’s a clear sign that she’s interested in you but afraid of going into a relationship immediately. She also tends to remember everything you tell her because she doesn’t just listen, she also pays close attention to you.
There might also be times when you feel like she might be too disinterested, but that’s only because she moves cautiously to avoid further disappointment. She doesn’t always wear her heart on her sleeve, so being patient with her is extremely important if you want to pursue her.
2) She Prefers Affectionate Actions Instead of Words
A woman who’s already hurt before isn’t a stranger to compliments and everything else she wants to hear. But a lot of times, these sweet words aren’t backed by actions which made her grow skeptical of them.
Wooing a woman requires a man who pays attention to her needs and shows signs that he truly cares for her, indicating that she’s in safe hands.
Words without actions don’t interest her, so the best way to show affection is through eye contact, body language, and touch which shows love behind every action.
Personally, hearing words of affirmation is flattering for me but acts of service are what make me fall for the other person – it is my love language after all.
Showing that you care through simple things like making a cup of coffee in the morning, running errands, or planning a date is better than fancy words that don’t feel genuine.
3) She Doesn’t Initiate Physical Contact But Doesn’t Shy Away Either
It’s normal for the other person to always be the first to initiate any type of physical contact when they’re with a girl who’s afraid of getting hurt.
It can be initiating a hug, holding her hand, or any type of physical touch, but it’s usually rare for her to reach out first.
A lot of men feel worried when this happens because they don’t want to be too forward or clingy by unknowingly crossing a girl’s boundaries.
If she doesn’t seem to mind, then it’s a good sign that she’s into it too but she’s just too shy or hesitant to initiate intimacy.
But when you initiate physical touch, always make sure that she doesn’t seem uncomfortable and stop when she tells you to.
Touching the other person first is scary for them because they feel like they’re becoming too attached, so it would help to always assure them that you will always be around.
4) She’s Independent and Never Asks for Help
Everyone wants to feel wanted by and helpful to their partners. But a woman who’s afraid of getting hurt usually never asks for help.
Their independence is something that a lot of people admire, but they also have a good reason why they got used to doing things by themselves.
For a woman who’s been hurt before, it’s better to never ask for help because other people might only disappoint them.
She already opened up before and asked her previous partner for help on certain things, but she only ended up being let down.
She’s already sure that her current partner is only going to do the same thing, so she would rather handle everything on her own than be disappointed again.
But you can always support and help her even if she doesn’t ask for it. Once she realizes that you’re trustworthy and reliable to share her problems with, she will start asking for your help and opinion slowly.
5) She Rarely Talks About Her Feelings
Anyone who’s afraid of getting hurt tends to avoid conversations that involve feelings. They rarely start their sentences with “I feel…”
A lot of times, they don’t even realize that they’re staying guarded. It’s common to see them struggling with how they feel, so it’s up to you to make them feel comfortable as they deal with their emotions.
There might also be times when she tries to tell you how she feels – she tries to be honest with you but ends up shutting down immediately.
This is because there’s a chance that someone from their past made them believe that their feelings aren’t valid or that you might take advantage of them if you know how she feels.
Unfortunately, simply telling her that you won’t hurt her as the others did isn’t enough. She might only grow more frustrated, so it’s important to give her time to trust you when it comes to her feelings.
As you wait by her side, you can try assuring her that you’re reliable by showing that you care for her and backing your sweet words with actions.
6) She Dodges Conversations About Her Past
It’s normal for people in a relationship to know about their partner’s exes. But when it comes to her, you’re completely in the dark.
You might not know anything about her past because she never talks about it. When you try to bring it up, she usually always changes the subject to avoid answering.
She doesn’t talk about her past relationships because it might be a painful memory for her to remember.
She doesn’t want to be reminded of it because there’s a chance that she’s blaming herself for their departure – that there must be something wrong with her which makes people leave.
She’s afraid that once you know stories about her past, you will understand why people leave and then do the same.
Emotions and the past are difficult to talk about with a potential partner, so the best you can do is support them and give them time to open up.
It’s crucial to avoid putting them through so much pressure just because you want to know about their past – they might only shut you out completely if you force them to.
7) She Isn’t Seeing Anyone Else
For people who are deeply in love, looking for someone else is out of the question. So if you’re the only guy she’s seeing, then take it as a good sign that she’s into you.
Even if she’s still testing the waters out of fear of getting hurt again, having no one else on the scene means she’s open to having a relationship with you sometime in the near future.
In her mind, seeing other people might only complicate things further.
She doesn’t want to hurt you in the same way she was hurt before. She might not be ready yet to open up to you in the way you want her to, but she cares about you enough that she doesn’t want to worsen the situation by seeing other people.
8) She Pushes You Away to See If You’ll Come Back
No matter how much a girl likes you, they’re still afraid of getting hurt again so they tend to test you. It might take some time for you to realize it, but when she acts difficult or disinterested then she might be testing to see if you will fight for her.
This is her way of knowing if you actually care. Even if it’s easier to say hurtful things or walk away during a fight, it’s best to let her calm down, hug her, and keep her close.
Don’t let her push you away if you want to show her that you’re not going anywhere and that you’re serious about her.
One of my friends tried to get with someone who just came out of a toxic relationship once. It took them months of push and pull before they finally sorted out their feelings.
It was difficult for my friend at first because the girl just always tried to push him away, but he never wavered in showing her that he actually cared. Now, they’ve been happily dating for years.
9) She Accidentally Let Some of Her Insecurities Slip Through
Women who are afraid of getting hurt are always wary of the way they show their thoughts and emotions.
Even if they already like you, they won’t talk about their insecurities immediately – out of fear that you might use everything to hurt them.
You might catch them slipping now and then, but they usually try to brush away their concerns.
For example, she might let it slip that she thinks you can do better than her or jokingly say she’s unloveable. But these are the kinds of comments that you just can’t forget.
Whenever their partner hears these things, they suddenly have the urge to assure her that she’s lovable and that they’re always there for her.
She might brush these concerns aside and say that she “says things like that sometimes,” but it’s crucial for their partner to pay attention to these kinds of moments. These situations show what she thinks about herself, love, and relationships.
10) She Believes Trust and Loyalty Should be a Priority
If a woman who’s been hurt before can’t see reasons to trust you, then they won’t see any value in investing their time and energy into a possible relationship with you. If you can’t offer her loyalty, then she won’t waste her time trying to know you.
Trusting your partner means you feel a sense of loyalty and security with them.
It takes time for women who are afraid of getting hurt to trust someone because they’re afraid that it might not end well for them.
To build a good relationship with a girl, it’s crucial to show them that they can be open to you with no judgments and that they don’t have to put up defenses and protect themselves all the time.