That's a good point, Shantel, but those stories can also have a very unhappy ending. I spent 2.5 years wanting a girl who didn't like me back. She never attacked me or anything like you describe, but she was very cold and rejecting, and she used the fact that I liked her to take advantage of me. It's probably one of the worst things I could have done to myself. She was hot and cold - she'd lift me up for a while, give me hope, then pull me down, rinse and repeat. She actually admitted to doing it on purpose several years after we stopped talking. It took me a good 8 months to fully recover from the heartache. Then I was in a relationship for 3 years, and I carried those insecurities through it, leading me to be cold and distant to my ex until she became lonelier being with me than being without me. I sometimes still pull away from those I love, too, but not as much as I used to. I still can't believe it when people say they like me, I always assume there is some conspiracy and I am somehow being used.
Lol, anyway, we're probably scaring the crap out of Tom with stuff that will never happen to him. 😛