<human>: In about October 2014, a friend of mine started dating this girl and she started hanging around us a lot. I was in a relationship at the time. They dated for a year and a few months, they broke up like 3 weeks ago. 

For the past 8 or so months, I've had very strong feelings for her. I was always physically attracted to her, she's probably one of the most attractive girls I've ever seen. At first it was nothing more than that I thought she was attractive, but over the last 17 months I've developed very strong feelings for her.

She was a great girlfriend (objectively) and he was a terrible boyfriend (also objectively). He's basically a textbook narcissist and she is as caring as they come. We had always talked, because she became a part of our little close friend group, so it was just like she was one of 'the guys.' But ever since they broke up we've been talking more, mostly about the breakup, and it's fucking torture.

She's had shitty boyfriends in the past and just keeps saying 'why can't I find a guy like (insert quality that I have)' and I feel like screaming at her how she should be with me because I would treat her the way she deserves to be treated.

But her ex is my second best friend on the planet (yes he's a huge asshole but he's still one of my best friends). I don't want to start anything whatsoever - it's not worth losing a friend over when the chances are she doesn't reciprocate the feelings. I haven't told anyone and I don't plan on it but I'm going crazy..I figured it was just a stupid little infatuation/crush but it's at the point where it's more than that. 

On top of that all, she's asked me to hang out like 5 times, just the two of us, but I am afraid to do it in case I can't contain my feelings. Definitely does not help the situation

Can you give me the gist of the text in a nutshell?
<bot>: One of my best friends was dating a girl for a year and a half. They broke up, I have very strong feelings for her but don't want to ruin the friendship. What are my options?