Navigating Personal Boundaries

I got to know an Afghan sister here in the States. She’s been living here around 10 years, and we’re colleagues at work. Both of us are in our late 30s. From the start, she was warm-we’d smile and chat often, and she held strong eye contact with me frequently. As I learned more about Islam and Afghan customs, I realized that kind of interaction might be unusual or even discouraged for women from more traditional backgrounds. I also never saw her act that way with any other brother. At some point, I wanted to know if she was married. She told me clearly she wasn’t, then about 20 minutes later, she brought it up again and assured me once more that she wasn’t married. I took that as a sign and respectfully asked for her phone number, thinking maybe we could get to know each other with proper intentions. She just said, “No, I can’t do that,” and walked away. I was honestly confused. For a few days after, she barely talked to me. Then, out of nowhere, she started speaking with me again. That left me even more puzzled. Later, I sent her a message from my phone apologizing if I had upset her and telling her that I think highly of her, purely for the sake of Allah. She thanked me, and a few moments later, I saw her wipe away a tear. After that, she became distant again for about a week-hardly speaking or looking my way. Then, once more, she slowly started coming around. I’m genuinely lost. I care about her a lot, but it’s clear something in her personal life, deen, culture, or situation is holding her back from moving forward with me.