Elle day in the corner of the room shaking. She and Noah had made love, but when she woke up, the memories of Dan and her pain resurfaced. Noah laid on the bed, sleeping peacefully. She knew she should wake him, and tell him what was going on. But she couldn't. Her breaths were shallow in her chest. She felt like she was dying. Noah was perfect to her and everything they had done together she had no regrets about, but the thought that Dan had entered her body, even if it was for a minute, haunted her. She silently cried in the corner tying not to wake Noah.

"Elle? Elle what's wrong?" He said in a groggy voice. He got up and came to sit next to her in his underwear.

"Elle?" She let tears fall down her face as he looked at her. Noah reached out but she scrambled back.

"Noah please, please don't touch me right now." She said through sobs.

"Dan." She whispered. Noah sighed.

"Im so sorry that that happened to you. I would never do that to you. And I think we should lay off the sex for awhile. All contact, until you feel comfortable."

"But Noah that could be years!" Noah sighed.

"Maybe, you'd feel better with someone else. Maybe because I was there..." Elle's eyes widened. She stood.

"YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME AGAIN!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Noah sat back in shock at her loud volume.

"You left me once, you stayed away, you ignored me! I could not take that again. In fact it would be worse than this, okay maybe not as bad as Dan raping me, but it would be pretty Damn bad Noah Flynn! Lee didn't tell you everything Noah! Okay! It was bad when you left!" Noah looked like he was thinking.

"What did Lee not tell me?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"I can't..."

"Elle."

"I got so drunk one night and because I was so out of it I tried to jump off the roof, and not in the pool." Noah's face went dark. He stood up and walked over to his bed. Putting on his clothes he was about to walk out the door.

"Noah wait!"

"No Elle, I can't touch you, and I can't kiss you, and I can't tell you what I feel right now because it would make you cry!" But Elle was already crying.

"Noah, please don't leave me." She whimpered. Noah groaned and turned around. Closing the space between them, he knelt done in front of Elle.

"Then what do you want me to do?" He whispered.

"I want you to sit here with me and hold my hand." She whispered back. Noah smiled.

"Okay." He smiled. His fingers intertwined with hers and they sat next to each other. Nothing else touching but their fingers. Wholesome love, plain and simple. Elle let her head fall on Noah's shoulder. Noah planted a light kiss on her head.

"Noah, I love you." She whispered. He hummed in response. Elle slowly drifted off into a comfortable sleep on Noah's shoulder. When she awoke she was on he cold floor, Noah nowhere to be seen.