[CuckooTuli]

The way I see it, how you proceed depends on why you feel hesitant to begin with. If it’s purely that you’re worried about jeopardizing the friendship, then Solumina is right – just accept that that’s the risk you take, and take it, because the potential gain is worth it. You say yourself that what’s between you and this girl is what you’d be looking for from future partners in general; if you like her enough that she’s setting the bar for what you want, that’s a pretty compelling reason to give it a go.

But if the reason you’re hesitant is because you’re not ready to get involved with someone else after what was, let’s face it, a pretty rough break-up, that’s different. This, unlike the above, is a good reason to put the brakes on until you’re feeling ready to really jump in. If you’re uncertain of how you feel right now, then not wanting to mess her around is a valid concern; rebounding is natural, but rebounding onto a friend could get complicated.

Even if that were the case, though, it wouldn’t have to mean never. It sounds like she likes you enough to wait until you’ve got your shit figured out. And it also sounds like your friendship is solid enough to weather it if it’s a no. So my advice would be just chill, take your time, and decide if this is something you feel up to getting into.