[Immediately she wants to put up her mental walls, block him from seeing her thoughts as she tries to sort through how to say this, but she can't bring herself to do it.]

I love you. You know that, right? I think it would be impossible not to love you, Charles. [Her eyes start to blur as they well with tears, but she blinks them away, squeezes her eyes shut and hides her face against his sleeve to keep it that way.] You're a great friend, that's all. A great person. [And she's not. But maybe she can just leave it at that.]