Hi Meredith,

I am part of a love story right out of the books. I fell in love with one of my best friend’s family members and it turns out he was in love with me too. We are in our mid-30s, and after six months of being together, we decided to move in. We couldn’t be happier and everyone is happy for us, except for one of my closest friends. Ever since my boyfriend and I announced we were dating, she has been giving us both the cold shoulder. I suspect it’s because she had feelings for him, but she never said anything and had plenty of opportunity to do so (we have all been friends for many years).

I have tried several times to talk about why she is acting this way but she doesn’t want to address the issue, and our conversations end with awkward silences. To be completely honest, I am actually hurt she is acting this way and have tried to very politely avoid any awkward interactions, but we are all a part of a very close group of friends so avoiding each other is not an option. I have tried giving her space and letting her reach out to me (I got tired of initiating calls/texts), but every time I think things might get better, her mood changes and the awkwardness sets in. My boyfriend is a little tired of the situation but he mostly just feels bad for me because I have been getting more upset.

My problem is that I can’t vent to anyone about my feelings since our group of friends is trying to stay out of it. But with the holidays upon us, I am afraid I cannot bite my tongue any longer. I need advice on how to proceed!

– Sad and Confused