There may have only been a short walk left back to my house, but it felt like a lifetime. Neither Noah nor I spoke much more after whatever the hell that moment had been, but his tall presence walking next to me did somehow make me feel safe.

For someone who I'd done nothing but practically assault since we met that morning, I was pretty taken aback by his offer to escort me home in the first place. And I was definitely taken aback by the fact that we'd almost kissed just minutes before.

Or had we nearly kissed? What even was that?

Maybe that moment had been what they meant in movies when they talk about chemistry. I'd known George since school and had been his girlfriend for over a year - fourteen months to be exact - but I don't remember ever feeling anything like the rush I'd felt surging through my body when Noah had held me close.

"I am genuinely sorry I tried to throw your drink over you back in The Lock," I said quietly, finally breaking the silence as we reached the corner of my street.

Looking over at me, a hint of a smile crept up on one corner of his lips. "It's cool," he said, "I'm in a band, remember. I'm used to making girls wet."

As I heard him chuckle softly to himself, I began to smile along. I guess George had affected my ability to take a joke, as well as other things.

"Your band's really good anyway, how long have you guys been together?" I asked, attempting to bring the conversation back to a more PG-thirteen level.

"Only a couple of years," he answered, "We're just finishing up our first album and then hopefully we'll get out and start touring it."

"But what about your degree?" I blurted out.

"That doesn't matter."

His short, sharp response told me to change the subject if I wanted to avoid going back to walking in silence. Desperately searching my scrambled brain for something else to say, Noah thankfully took the lead.

"What about you?" He asked, "You're a singer, right?"

"Well, yeah I sing, but I prefer to write. My dream is to be a songwriter professionally one day, but in real life, I'm planning on going into teaching."

"Fuck teaching," he snapped. "If you reckon you're good at something and it's your 'dream' then you should just go for it."

"Yeah I guess, but I also need to be realistic," I replied. "There will always be bills to pay, and I'm not planning on selling my body anytime soon to do so."

My attempt at humour landed flatter than I'd hoped, and Noah simply raised an eyebrow at my comment.

After a few seconds of silence, he asked quietly, "What do you write your songs about?"

"Just stuff," I replied.

"Boy stuff I bet?"

"Not really. I just write about things I've experienced."

Noah turned to face me as we walked, his eyes wide. "And what, you've never experienced boy stuff?"

"Not as much as you've probably experienced girl stuff," I retorted.

"Yeah, I'd need a whole back catalogue of songs for that," he laughed. "With an 'explicit content' warning."

My stomach twisted as I smiled politely. Noah didn't look as though he would have ever struggled with the ladies, but the fact he was so brazenly joking about his former conquests hit me harder than it should have.

Rolling my eyes as he jokingly bumped his shoulder against mine, I continued, "Anyway, how come you've only just joined the course?"

"It wasn't my choice," he answered bluntly, once again returning our walk to its silent format for the next awkward few steps.

"Well, this is me," I shrugged, relieved as we finally approached my front gate.

Looking up at the white townhouse with its solid black front door, Noah drew a sharp intake of breath.

"Nice pile of bricks," he whistled. "Didn't have you pegged as the poor little rich girl type, though. I'm guessing daddy must pay the rent on this place?"

Not even attempting to hide my distaste at his comment, I narrowed my eyes and sneered. He didn't know anything about my living arrangements, and he didn't need to.

"Well, I definitely had you pegged as an asshole," I shot back. 

Pushing open the gate and heading towards the door, I refused to turn around as he called out from behind me.

"And to think I thought you'd be inviting me in."

Incensed by his cockiness, I span around to quickly walk back down the path towards him.

"Why the hell would I invite you in?" I hissed, as I leant over the metal gate. "You're just some stranger who I've only just met and - frankly - I'd rather I hadn't. Maybe if you weren't so full of yourself you could have come in for some tea and we could have got to know each other but-"

"Tea?" he laughed, that wide grin lazily spreading across his immaculate features once again.

"Yes, tea," I repeated, shaking my head in confusion.

At the realisation of how ridiculous it sounded, I struggled not to laugh myself.

"I think tea would probably be too much excitement for us both after today, don't you think?" he smirked. "Anyway, I'm sure I'll see you again. Goodnight, Abigail."

And, with a pretend tip of his imaginary hat, bus boy simply walked away into the night.

Slamming the front door behind me, I leant my head back against the cold wooden panels and balled my fists with frustration. I was annoyed that in less than twenty-four hours I had let a stranger get under my skin as much as Noah seemed to have done. What was his problem, anyway? How could he make me feel comfortable in his silence one minute, yet be downright obnoxious the next?

Noah was still playing on my mind as I crawled into bed without even taking my tights off. In the dark, I could smell him again. The scent of his body as he'd pulled me into his arms. His breath on my face as his lips had lingered so close to mine. Even when I closed my eyes, all I could see were two green irises staring back at me in the darkness.

Forget it, just go to sleep, I instructed myself, before dangling one foot onto the floor to try and stop the room from spinning.

Maybe it was just the drink making me over-sensitive, or maybe it was the fact I hadn't been alone with another guy since George. In fact, I had hardly even said two words to any other guys at all after George and I had become a couple all those months ago.

He wouldn't have allowed it.