Unrequited yearning

I have loved once and never had the favour returned.
I loved a long time ago but lost a little of my ability to feel after a bad experience.
Recently one of my friends fell in love with another girl, and it made me realise that this sort of thing isn’t talked about. What it’s like for someone to experience love for someone who barely knows them; who probably will never love them in return.
I’m trying to help her pull through and cope, because I’ve been in a very similar situation myself and nobody was there to help me. I’m remembering all the things that I thought at the time; everything that went through my head, and how it was to struggle with it alone.  It’s something that’s very hard to deal with, and if I can help anyone who experiences this desperate yearning then I’ll try my hardest. Which is what brings me to writing this.
I would have thought that this would be a common situation but I’ve found nothing written that would help so maybe I should be the one sharing this and hopefully helping people understand.

Have you ever loved someone so desperately that you can’t bear to be without them, but you’re too afraid to tell them because you don’t want to hurt them?
It’s a painful situation for anyone to be in, and one that is almost impossible to acknowledge.
When I fell in love I wanted to be near the girl all the time...I had a vain hope that one day it would work out. Rationally it’s totally ludicrous but at the same time you cling to that one desperate thought, that one day they will return your love. That they will feel the same way as you, be the same and understand your feelings.
But they never even think of it.
I helped her in anything she had trouble with; I was as kind and helpful as I could be. I put her almost ahead of myself, so great was my yearning.
It was extremely useless...because she was straight and I was in love with her. It wasn’t possible at all...but I tried.

I can feel that it would be hard for her too...because it isn’t anyone’s fault that she’s been landed in this situation. Right in the thick of it, when she has no part in it. She isn’t interested in you; and cannot ever love you in return. In a way it could be frightening for her to find out.

I loved desperately, I pined...my emotional energy was sapped. I didn’t have anyone to help me at all. I was worried I’d be judged when my feelings weren’t my fault.
You are conflicted: do you tell her, do you hide it?
If you tell her she might be frightened and never want to see you ever again...some girls are frightened of things that they don’t understand. But being gay is not so much about sex, it’s about love. The deep desire to be loved, unconditionally. For someone to understand you and share a little of themselves with you.

Doing nothing sounds like a good idea at times but sometimes it would be better if she knew. But if you never tell her you are always wondering....wondering what might have been. It tears you up inside; you want to say it, but it’s so hard and frightening.
I tried.
I didn’t persist because I was scared of what she’d think; and I didn’t want to repulse or to hurt her in any way.

To this day I think she doesn’t realise; she refused to believe that I loved her, because she was scared. I understand; she didn’t want my love and didn’t want to acknowledge it. But with unrequited love, there are two things; you can try to act, or you can try to move on? What can you do?