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I stretched my cramped legs on the blanket as we wrapped up the final chapter. Noah grinned beside me, happy to finally be finished with our study session. We sipped our cold drinks and watched as kids ran around and flew kites in the park.

"They're so cute," I smiled. "It really takes me back."

"I miss those days," he sighed, lying down. "Moving was the hardest thing for me."

"I missed you too," I murmured. "I didn't have anyone else to play with. It was lonely."

He sat up again and turned to me expectantly. "Did you solve my riddle?"

"Not yet," I sighed, reaching for my phone.

I was still trying to figure out what his text meant.

53, 71, 23, 39, 8, 92

"Is this a code for something?" I asked as I grabbed a pen and jotted the numbers down.

"Maybe," he smiled, lying down again. "Think about it."

I stared at the six numbers. Was I supposed to rearrange them? Add them? I grinned at the challenge and got to work trying every possible way to get an answer. After a few minutes, I showed Noah what I'd come up with.

"Nope," he smiled. "Think Chemistry."

"Chemistry?" I frowned. "But you hate Chem."

"But you don't. The answer is for you."

I focused on deciphering the numbers again.

53, 71, 23, 39, 8, 92

Noah lounged beside me, taking pictures of the sky and the landscape around us. Occasionally he directed his camera at me with a sigh. I was getting used to having my picture taken now, so it didn't bother me.

"How was your trip?" he asked after a moment.

"It was great at first, but it didn't end well."

"Oh?" he sat up. "Was Ashton there?"

"Yeah. Kevin invited him too."

"What happened? You were really excited about the trip on Sunday."

"Lots of crazy stuff," I sighed.

I flipped open my textbook to the periodic table. Maybe these numbers were the atomic numbers of the elements.

53- Iodine

71- Lutetium

23- Vanadium

39- Yttrium

8- Oxygen

92- Uranium

Noah rested his chin on my shoulder as I wrote those out.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah, but it's not finished yet," he smiled, taking the pen from me. "I'll fill in the symbols for you."

53- Iodine (I)

71- Lutetium (Lu)

23- Vanadium (V)

39- Yttrium (Y)

8- Oxygen (O)

92- Uranium (U)

I LUV YOU

I stared at the words and then turned to Noah puzzled.

"I love you."

That took my breath away for a second. Was he being serious right now? There was no way he meant that in a romantic way. I pinched his cheeks with a smile.

"That was a really cute riddle, Noe. I love you too."

He searched my eyes and pulled my hands away from his face so he could hold them instead.

"But you don't mean it in the same way I do."

"What are you talking about? You're my best friend. You were my first best friend, you know."

He sighed and shifted from the side so that he was sitting in front of me. "My feelings haven't been able to reach you. Do you really not understand how I feel about you?"

I frowned. We were best friends...

"I don't just you love you as a friend, Elizabeth. I love you. And I mean it in every sense of the phrase. I've felt this way ever since I met you."

I stared at Noah. His eyes were intense and burned with determination. I shook my head, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Noah..."

"You probably don't think of me the same way," he sighed, glancing up at the sky. "But I had to tell you how I really feel. The reason I came back was to see you. I really want to make this work," he said, framing my face in his hands. "Give me a chance."

His dilated pupils bore into mine earnestly and I finally realized what the emotion in his eyes was.

I ducked my head as a deep blush spread across my face. My throat suddenly felt dry. Noah was my oldest friend and I didn't want to ruin our friendship that had already withstood so much. He was an amazing guy. Smart, talented, loyal, funny... but I just didn't feel that way towards him.

I thought about it for a while until I felt Noah straightening out the frown lines in my forehead.

"If you need time to think about it, I'll wait," he breathed.

"Noe... I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't want to make things weird between us," he sighed. "But I'll lose one hundred percent of the shots I don't take, and I don't want to lose you."

"I love you, Noe, but it's not the way you want me to," I mumbled, folding my hands in my lap. I stared at my shoes, feeling like the most horrible person to ever exist.

"Is it because you like Ashton?"

I glanced at him through my lashes. His eyes were full of questions and I knew what he wanted the answer to be. But I found myself unable to deny it. There was a part of me that did feel something for Ashton and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't like him. I shouldn't. We were polar opposites, but we were bound by some strange bond.

He knew that Ashton and I were betrothed, but he didn't know that we were soulmates. I wondered if it would be a good idea to tell him.

"I don't know," I decided with a sigh. "I don't know what I want anymore."

He nodded and I chewed on a cuticle apprehensively. "I'm sorry, Noe. I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"I don't want to force my feelings on you," he said with a sad smile. I nodded, still staring at my shoes.

"Hey, look at me," he said, gently tilting my chin up. "Don't feel bad. I thought your answer might be like that."

"Why?"

"The way you look at him," he said, playing around with his camera. "There's a different light in your eyes when you're with him."

"That might be irritation."

He shook his head. "It's something else; a radiant light, and it's utterly beautiful."

I tilted my head, trying to figure out when I ever looked at Ashton like that. But either way, it didn't matter anymore. Ashton wasn't talking to me now and Nicole was with him every second of the day. It was a bit hard seeing them together again, but I had no right to be jealous. I was going to end the betrothal anyway.

Noah drummed his fingers along the grass. It sounded sad. My heart felt like it was breaking because I couldn't reciprocate the way he felt towards me. It was like Romeo and Rosaline, an unrequited love.

"I don't understand why you like me," I sighed, resting my chin on my knees.

"Because when I'm with you, I can be myself. You inspire me to do my best. The sun shines brighter when you're with me, everything is clearer and everything makes sense. It was just so easy to fall in love with you, I didn't even realize I did until we were miles apart."

"I really am sorry, Noe," I whispered and he pulled me into a hug.

It was warm and reassuring and it felt right, but there was just something missing.

"Don't be," he murmured into my hair. "I'm not giving up, but right now, just being here with you is enough for me."

Noah was an awesome guy. He was my first friend in a world that was new to me. He had always been there for me when I felt down. He was stable and level headed. He was my best friend and I didn't want that to change. I allowed myself to relax in his embrace, and wondered if I was making the right decision.

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