They had been friends for a couple of years when one day she suddenly noticed something different about him. How long had he had those piercing eyes? Did he always purse his lips in an utterly adorable way when he was concentrating on something? Had his voice always been so deep, his laugh so contagious? Since when did her skin tingle after his fingers grazed her arm? She couldn’t remember when her heart started dropping into her stomach every time he said her name or she saw him smile at her.

What in the world is going on here?

I’m not in love with him, she told herself. That’s not possible. We’re friends. I can’t ruin that.

But one day, her emotions overtook her common sense. For once in her life, she did something unplanned and spontaneous. She said those three little words with so much meaning. “I love you.”

He was confused, and she was heartbroken.