What’s the next move? Confused and Uncertain.

Howdy guys and gals!

As the title summarizes, I’m (24m) definitely confused and uncertain. I’ve been dating a girl (26f) exclusively since the beginning of February. In my view, she’s literally everything I’ve ever wanted or looked for in a woman. Kind, caring, smart, compassionate etc. However, she’s damaged. Her last relationship ended in her ex-fiancé leaving her before their wedding. Obviously the pain and emotional damage is understandable, and I’ve done my very best to stay quiet and just listen when she talks about it. She’s timid, and afraid of the future, and often talks about how she will “die alone” because of her distrust of people. Perfectly understandable after a traumatic end to a relationship. Lately, I’ve really been trying to go out of my way to show her that I care and that I’m here for the long run. I’m not a serial dater, and neither is she nor has she ever been. I’ve felt that it’s been important to show up for her in the sense that actions mean more than words. I’ve been extremely careful to make sure she’s comfortable, and although we’re exclusive neither of us have labeled the relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend. I know she appreciates my actions, but my confusion lays in her lack of trust/uncertainty of the future. I, personally, really see a future with this woman. I want so badly to help her heal, and show her that not every man out there is her ex. Believe me, I know I can’t do it all for her, but god I wish I could. She’s such a wonderful person, and I think sometimes she is the only one that doesn’t realize it. Tonight we talked on the phone for about an hour and she expressed her feelings towards her ex, and how it’s made her the way she is. I listened, like usual, and then explained how lucky I feel to have met her and jokingly said “I’m glad you didn’t get married”. Every time we see one another, I see her come out of her shell more and more. For instance yesterday I met up with her and her friends on the beach. I was on my boat, and before leaving she asked for a kiss, in front of her friends. Of course I obliged, but every time I pulled away she kept asking for more, haha. I felt that yesterday was a big step for her. To share a moment like that with friends nearby obviously shows she has more than surface level feelings for me.

For me, I feel like I’ve met the woman of my dreams. For her, I can’t really imagine what she thinks. That drives my uncertainty. We’ve talked about the future, not necessarily together but more or less what we want in life. Things align, and I feel that’s really important in any relationship. I’m scared to open that can of worms with her, as I don’t want her to feel pressured or scare her off. For now, I’m playing it cool and being there for her. Actions are everything in my opinion.

I guess my main question is, what do I do? Continue building her trust by showing up? Do I sit down and have a conversation about us moving forward together as a couple? As I said before, I’m not in a rush. I’m a realistic person, and I just like clarity. Any advice is appreciated, especially from anyone that’s been in this sort of situation before.