Logan dropped his gaze and mumbled something.

"She can't hear you," Maddox said, eliciting a glare from Logan, jerking him by his hold on the front of his shirt.

"It was me," he murmured still unable to look her in the eye. "I started it... the rumour."

The crowd gasped.

While she stood still allowing what he had said to sink in. He had done that, to her. It was difficult to reconcile the person in front of her with the caring boyfriend he had been the past few months.

"Why?" she whispered, feeling a raw.

"I was hurt."

She frowned. "So you made up some lie to get back at me?"

He nodded slowly. Some students whispered.

Her throat burned and she fought not to cry. Sally rested her hand on her back and she remembered she wasn't alone. She could feel the heat of Maddox's penetrating gaze.

"If I catch you making up any more lies, I'll make you regret it," Maddox threatened him before releasing him with a look of disgust. "If I even hear you mention her name I'll finish what I started here."

She could only stare, still numb, as the students surrounding them parted to let Logan through. Some of them began to disperse.

"How did you know?" she asked Maddox softly aware there were still some students within hearing distance.

"I asked around." He studied her as he flexed a bloodied fist.

She swallowed still fighting the vulnerability she felt. He had done this for her.

Jasper and Ross approached.

"Mr. Hendricks is on his way," Jasper informed him, eyeing the surrounding area. Mr. Hendricks was the Deputy Principal.

"I'd better go," Maddox informed her and left with his friends while she was left staring at his retreating figure.

It was then she realised he was going to get into trouble for this. In his own reasoning this had been his fault but she couldn't allow him to take all the blame. If she had handled things differently with Logan it would never have gotten to this.

"Oh my God," Diane breathed beside me. "That was..."

"...unexpected," Sally finished.

That was the understatement of the day.

"I can't believe that asshole started the rumour," Sally added beside her.

Ashley was still stunned. If she hadn't led him on then he might not have done this but there was no going back and making a different choice.

"I should have known," she murmured. Logan had the most to gain from the lie.

Most of the crowd had gone and the bell was going to ring soon.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Maddox made him tell the truth," Diane reasoned.

She shrugged. Thinking about Maddox and what he had done for her was too overwhelming. She couldn't help thinking his actions would only make people wonder what she meant to him.

Thankfully lunch ended and she picked up her bag then went to her next class.

People continued to stare and whisper behind her back but she knew it was for an entirely different reason than before. The was no sign of Maddox for the rest of the day.

She made up an excuse to miss cheerleading practice. She was unable to stand one more second inside the school grounds. Once she left she felt like she could finally breathe easier.

Maddox was foremost in her mind when she got home and tried to block out what happened today but nothing she did took her mind off him so she reached for her phone. She scrolled through her caller list and found his number. It took her three minutes before she built up the courage to call him. It rang and rang. He didn't answer it.

Feeling listless she pocketed by phone and left the house. She needed some peace and something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She didn't bother taking her car, instead she walked the familiar path to the place where she hoped she would find something to soothe her inner anxiousness. The sight of a few bunched white daisies made her smile.

It was only when she reached her usual spot in the nearby forest with the edge if the cliff only a few steps away did she feel some hope that she could suppress the negative feelings with a stronger feeling.

With each breath she moved closer to the edge and just as she stood overlooking the cliff did she feel that familiar rush. It was more overpowering than the shame, embarrassment, nervous and anxious feeling she had struggled with that day.

The wind blew across her face and she closed her eyes. She inhaled a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling.

Than her phone started to ring. her heart raced as she backed away for the edge and reached for her phone

It was Maddox.

"Hi," she answered still trying to catch her breath and her heart which was still beating quickly.

"Hey," he said. The sound of his voice made her heart tingle and she put her hand to her chest.

"What you did..." She struggled to find the words to explain how she felt.

There was an awkward silence.

"Thank you," she said, feeling like an idiot who couldn't string a complete sentence together.

"You don't have to thank me. It was my mess to clean up. I couldn't let him spread those lies about you."

She tightened her hold on her phone.

"But...the thing is...it wasn't your fault."

"If I hadn't put you into a situation that resulted in you breaking things off with him things might have gone differently."

She shook her head. "No." She let out a heavy sigh. "I should have been honest with him and broken it off a while ago."

In all truthfulness she shouldn't have agreed to go out with him.

"It doesn't really matter now," he murmured. "He won't be giving you any more trouble."

The forcefulness in his voice reminded her of how he had threatened Logan. It was difficult not to feel something about his protectiveness. She had said what she wanted to but she made no attempt to end the call.

"I didn't see you for the rest of the day."

"I got suspended." He sighed.

She knew there had to be some punishment for his actions but that sounded harsh. She bet there had been no punishment for the guy who had spread a lie to tarnish her reputation and get sympathy for himself. There was just no justice. The thought angered her.

"For how long?" She sat down by a nearby tree and rested her back against the trunk.

"Three days."

"I could take some extra notes for the classes you miss." She cringed at how her voice broke slightly as she spoke nervously.

"Thanks. That would be great."

Her chest inflated. It made her feel good that she could help him in some way. Not many guys would have done the right thing if it entailed a three day suspension.

It was attractive and she didn't want to be attracted to him. If she knew what was good for her she would keep her distance but she had been chasing highs for so long and this feeling she had for him was too addictive to resist.

"I can drop them off at your house after school, if that's okay?" she asked feeling nervous about whether he would agree or not.

The thing was she wanted to be able to see him. If he wasn't going to be at school the only other way to see him would be at his home. She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

"Sure. If it's not too much trouble."

"No...no it's fine." She hated how she stuttered through her response.

"I got to go," he said. "I'll message you my address."

"Sure." Was all she could manage to say.

She had a way of getting tongue tied when she spoke to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow after school," he said before ending the call.

Afterward she sat staring at her phone know her growing feelings were only going to cause her pain but she couldn't help herself.

She only going to take some notes and drop them off. In her mind she was already rationalising her wanting to see him with all the reasons why she owed him.

If it hadn't been for his actions who knows how long it would have taken for the backlash to die down. And even she had to admit her reputation wouldn't have survived unscathed.

She wrestled with what she wanted and what she knew would only bring her heartache. If it had only been a choice in her mind she might have been able to make the right choice but her heart was leading her down an unwanted path and there was nothing she could do to stop herself.