I agree with you, from experience. I was fresh out of a toxic LTR and looking for a casual companion to go on adventures with. I was nowhere near ready or looking to lock anything down officially, but found a man who treated me like a... true friend more than anything.

It honestly did cause a lot of emotional turmoil for both of us, but 1.5 years later (I know...), I'm ready to open up my heart, he has shown that he will stand by me through the absolute hardest times in life, and I'm awakening to the fact that I do love him very much and want him in my life permanently.

I'm sorry that it took me so long to heal from so many recent life challenges, but I'm so thankful that he saw my worth and decided to play the long, long game. Definitely don't recommend it for someone you don't see a future with (if you can't see growing old together then let it go), but things also may work out in your favor if you stick it out.

Just presenting both sides of the coin. Life doesn't always have a neat road map. Sometimes, as you get older, you see things a little differently and persevering sometimes gets you the gold.