On the way to her school, Emily didn't grab his hand as she usually did.
"Em?" he called gently.
"What?" she replied, her tone short.
"Are you mad at me?" Noah asked, smiling softly.
She crossed her arms and looked away, her cheeks puffed slightly. "Hmph. It's about time you noticed."
Noah raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Why? What did I do?" He kept his tone warm, knowing she needed to express her feelings.
"You don't love me anymore," she snorted, her arms tightening around herself.
The words stung, though Noah could tell it wasn't said with real malice. He crouched down slightly to meet her eye level, speaking softly.
"Why do you say that, Em? Of course, I love you."
Her lips quivered slightly before she snapped, "You don't even spend time with me! You're always busy."
