After the rooftop, Noah disappeared.
Not completely.
Just enough.
Enough for Ava to notice.
Enough for her to miss him.
Enough to hurt.
The next morning he left before breakfast.
By afternoon, he was helping a friend.
By evening, he had found some excuse to stay busy.
The pattern continued for three days.
Three very long days.
Ava understood why.
That was the worst part.
She understood perfectly.
The rooftop had scared him.
It had scared her too.
Because for the first time, it hadn't felt like they were simply sharing feelings.
It had felt like they were seconds away from acting on them.
The realization lingered heavily between them.
Neither knew what to do with it.
So Noah ran.
Not far.
Not permanently.
Just enough to breathe.
Just enough to think.
Unfortunately,
