To be your friend was all I ever wanted; to be your lover was all I ever dreamed.

The line contrasts two levels of desire: the modest, attainable wish for friendship and the more vulnerable, idealized longing for romantic intimacy. By pairing “wanted” with “dreamed,” it frames friendship as a conscious aim and love as a private, perhaps risky hope—suggesting unspoken feelings that may have been held back to preserve the relationship. The quote’s poignancy comes from its implication of asymmetry or missed timing: the speaker has accepted the limits of what can be asked for, while still harboring a deeper aspiration. It captures the emotional tension between gratitude for closeness and yearning for something more.