Guard my Heart (ON HOLD)

Chapter One

FIVE YEARS EARLIER

"Noah Williams, if you don't give me the remote right now, I'll.. I'll.." I faltered, trying to think of some form of punishment that would affect my best friend in the slightest. But it was hard when his amused, chocolate coloured eyes kept their steady gaze on my frustrated green ones. Doesn't that boy ever have to blink?

"You'll what?" He drawled in that sensual voice of his, holding the remote in front of me teasingly, almost daring me to try get if off of him.

"I can't think of anything right now, but expect a pretty rude, strongly worded email by the time you get home,"  I gave in and cracked a momentary smile before regaining my 'I'm not messing around this time' face.

Noah laughed quietly at my threat, flinging the remote in my direction from the other end of the couch. "As much as I want to watch Die Hard for the hundredth time, the thought of getting a rude email.. I couldn't bear it!" He mocked, leaning back against the couch again, lightly kicking my leg with his foot.

"Ouch," I mumbled, but was already flicking through the channels with a look of satisfaction on my face at winning this little war. 

Noah and I always had a 'debate' about what to watch. It's been an on-going argument since we were ten. Every Saturday night he would come over, popcorn and chocolate in tow, and we would pick a movie to watch. And of course, there were major differences in opinions on what to watch.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye to where he sat at the opposite end of my living room sofa. This sofa was legendary. We always sat here and it held a lot of memories for us. Every movie night we would curl up on opposite ends, throwing one blanket over both of our bodies. It worked perfectly when we were kids, but now that we've both grown, especially him, it was after becoming quite awkward trying to fit us both on it comfortably.

"I really do think that we're too big to still be sharing this sofa," I said with a smirk on my face after I chose some random movie that we could both tolerate. 

"Well, if that's how you really feel then you better move," He replied, keeping his amused eyes on the TV.

And then there would be the usual fight over who was going to move from the 'almighty sofa'. And since both of us were stubborn as hell, we remained cramped and uncomfortable on this tattered old sofa.

I secretly knew that Noah just didn't want me to move. I think he liked sticking to tradition. When I had once given into it and started to move, he had reached out and grabbed my leg, shaking his head. "No way. You're not moving now. You're my own personal radiator. Next week you can move." But of course next week we had both returned to our 'I'm not moving' attitudes. Hence my cramped legs at the moment.

"How are you eighteen years old?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head in mock disbelief. Noah was the most immature person I knew, but that's what I loved about him. He didn't care what people thought of him and did what he wanted to do. He made me the independent person I am today.

"Huh? Did you say something Lucie? Hmm?" His playful tone told me to run, but my legs weren't fast enough and as anticipated, he lunged himself on top of me, tickling me all over.

I screamed in laughter, trying desperately to push him off, but with no luck.

"I didn't quite hear you, Lucie baby. Maybe say it a little louder?" His tickling didn't cease and I was sure I was red in the face from laughing, tears streaming from my eyes.

"Stop! Stop!" I shrieked, trying to grab his hands. But I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him physically. The only way around Noah was reasoning with him.