Are We Really Just Friends? a Shirbert short story

Anne Shirley Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe haven't always been on the best terms with one another. They started off as polite schoolmates, until the day when Gilbert had called Anne, "carrots" and she seemed to never let go of that mistake. After some ups and downs along the way, she and Gilbert are finally starting to become friends until he decides to go overseas after his father's passing. When he returns and tries to defend Anne from the cruel words of Billy Andrews, he lets his feelings slip and that causes distance between Anne. But in true Anne fashion she decides very diplomatically they can still be friends. What harm could possibly be done by that?