Martin wasn’t the brightest nor was he the fittest, but he was funny and charming in his own way, and maybe that’s why I fell for him–even if he already liked someone else.

I was the new girl at work and Martin sat just a few cubicles away from me. He would sometimes pass by my desk to joke around and even stay for a few minutes to talk about mundane stuff like how much he cares for his dog or how mean the repair guy was at the gas station.

Whenever we would have lunch, Martin and I would sit beside each other and zone out in our own little world talking about our passions, our families, and even our future plans. I was very comfortable with him and I think he felt the same way about me, too.

Dating him never crossed my mind. I figured I wasn't his type and that he just saw me as a one of the boys and a really good friend. But when our colleagues started teasing us and urging us to date, I thought, "Why not?" He was single and so was I.

I began seeing him in a different light. He was tall, handsome, funny (if a bit slow to pick up on things), and well-mannered. Every day, I wished he would pass by my desk and stay a little longer. At night, we would text each other, and although I knew his messages meant nothing, to me they were special. They really meant a lot to me–more than they should.

Our bond became stronger as the months passed by and I was also doing a lot better at work that even my boss took notice. When HR announced that there would be a company outing at the end of the month, I was ecstatic. I wanted to confess, pour my heart out, on the off chance that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same. I was willing to risk it all. I wrote out what I was going to say and rehearsed it a few times just to make sure I wouldn't stutter and embarrass myself.

What I thought was going to be the best night of my life turned out to be the opposite.

The moment I was about to confess, Martin said, "Man, tulungan mo naman ako kay Sofia. Gusto ko siya ligawan kaso na-torpe ako. Friends
kayo diba? Patulong naman."

I stood there with my mouth open as I tried to fight back the tears. He stared back at me, waiting for an answer. I didn’t know how to react so I just nodded a few times. He then pulled me into a hug and thanked me for being such a good friend.

I helped Martin set up a surprise candle-lit dinner with Sofia, and as they enjoyed each other’s moment, I watched him tell her the things I wanted to hear.

It took a while before I was able to hang out with him again. He didn’t even notice that I became indifferent toward him, and while that hurt, it actually helped me move on. It made me understand that not all close friends end up as lovers. Sometimes, friendship is and will be the only thing you’ll have–and that's okay.

SCREENSHOT: Love, Rosie/Lionsgate (2014)