I think I’ve caught feelings for a classmate while interning away, but there’s many reasons why I’m afraid to tell her

I (23M) am a grad student currently on a summer internship. A classmate of mine (22F) is also on the same internship. We’ll call her Emily. On some level I’ve always thought she was interesting and attractive and we’ve always been on friendly terms, but we haven’t really had many opportunities to talk at length before now. We’re the only people we know in the state we’re interning in, and we’ve been spending a lot of time together, going for lunch at work, and exploring on weekends. We get along really well.

I’m starting to feel there might be some attraction on my part, the more I get to know Emily. We’re weirdly similar in a lot of ways, and there’s a lot about her that I like. However, the situation is far from ideal, to put it mildly. For one, I’m aware that we’re each other’s primary support system here, and we’re technically colleagues for another few weeks. I don’t particularly want to jeopardize a friendship by revealing an unrequited crush or going for a doomed attempt at a relationship, as I’ve been through that before and it sucks for everyone involved. If I made a move and it ended badly then it could taint our memories of this otherwise enjoyable period.

To be honest – and this is the biggest problem – there’s no clear indication that Emily might have any feelings for me beyond platonic. The amount of time we spend together is presumably because I’m her only option in this city. That being said, I kinda suck at detecting signs, and she seems like the type who wouldn’t make it apparent even if she did feel something. We’re both on the shy side, and some of the usual cues like looks and playing with hair don’t really apply here since her eye contact is generally inconsistent and she often plays with her hair regardless.

Thus far, I haven’t tried to be flirtatious or anything, not that I’m particularly good at that anyway! I should add that we’ve never had any (deliberate) physical contact, not even a hug. Granted, neither of us are super tactile people in general. I’ve also noticed that Emily seems to struggle with even basic compliments. For example, when I told her, “Thanks for helping me stay sane,” she didn’t seem to know how to respond. Similarly, after we went on a day trip I thanked her for asking me along and said I’d had a nice time, she just said something like “yeah no problem.” Perhaps I should try dropping some small hints and see how she responds (not really sure how to do that though)?

To complicate matters further, she’s admitted that she’s not the best with replying and planning, which is a bit concerning to me. Though I don’t really enjoy texting, I’m someone who values clear and swift communication, especially since my past experiences with a relationship where that was an issue (if I had to guess, I’d say Emily probably has little or no relationship experience, but obviously I haven’t asked her because that would be intrusive and conspicuous). If anything were to happen between us, there’s the additional problem of long distance, as we would be going back to different places at the end of the internship, and then she’s going traveling for a few months after that. Long distance was particularly problematic for my past relationship (for context that was over two years ago but it still haunts me more than I care to admit).

To make things even more messy her dad (who I don’t really know but have briefly met) is one of the professors marking a project I’m working on, which I suppose doesn’t directly affect things, but it feels like another sign telling me not to risk it.

While I know that the best course of action right now is to just keep hanging out and see how things go over the next couple of weeks, I’m wondering if I should try to move past my feelings. Realistically, the safest thing would be just to keep my cards close to my chest. But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if I’d be missing out on something that could be good. I don’t really believe in fate and all that, but I’m a romantic deep down and it’s quite rare that I come across somebody so like-minded.

Needless to say that I’m super confused and conflicted. I think we make a good duo, but I’m not certain if that would map neatly onto a romantic relationship, or, more importantly, if she would even consider one. I’m also aware that the current unusual circumstances could be unduly influencing my feelings.

tl;dr – I’m stuck between protecting me and my friend from my growing feelings and wanting to explore something that could be meaningful. Should I confess at the end of the internship, even if just for the sake of honesty and certainty? If so, how best have that awkward conversation? Or is it just not worth the risk?