The ty[pe of friendship - or relationship - you are going to have with a woman is determined pretty early on.
If a woman fancies you, as advised, she will let you know.
If she has established a 'friendship' relationship with you, then she is comfortable with telling you hings she confides to a friend, but not to a boyfriend - hence the 'weird' response.
The simple fact is, it's pretty uncommon, though not unknown, for a woman to change her feelings towards a friend - but friendship to fancy is so rare, that the golden rule is, look for the signals. If your lady friend is fancying you, she will let you know, don;t worry.
The difficulty is - if you fancy her, and she is not giving the signals. Be very honest - is she giving signals, or are you seeing signals that you would like to be there, so you put them there. yes, she may be tactile, but that's comfort, not lust, so be very very honest about her attitude towards you.
Lastly, if you do fancy her, and your feelings are not returned, you must NOT let her know in any way, shape, look or gesture, how you feel.
It's a line that's simple to cross, virtually impossible to step back from - she will never view you with that same feeling of comfort and security again. How can she tell you about her latest target when you she knows she is hurting you? That is the way good friendships go sour.
So - if she is your friend, that is pretty much how she;s going to stay - so no vibes from you will keep your friendship and save embarrasment all round.