Noah hesitated. He shrugged after a moment. "Yeah, whatever, its fine, really, I'm fine," he lied, keeping himself tucked behind that wall he'd built. He rolled away from her and curled up in bed.

"I'm fine..." he muttered.

"I said I'm fine,"

Noah stayed awake that night, not sleeping a wink. He felt awful, pushing her away, but it was the only way he knew how to protect his emotions.

Noah didn't say a word to her. He thought about it thought. Eventually, he hauled himself out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. He'd decided in order to protect himself, he wouldn't talk to her about it all, and he'd distance himself a little. No kissing again, nothing more. He was just protecting himself.