With Maddox she felt out of her depth unsure of what to reveal. Before with Logan she had been in control, being unable to return Logan's feelings had put her in a position where she hadn't questioned every sentence and action but she wasn't in control with Maddox and she questioned everything.

"Sneaking around in the middle of the night and lobbing eggs at cars is pretty additive." She found herself saying.

His grin grew. "It is."

He moved slowly to stand directly in front of her and she swallowed nervously feeling an array of emotions at the closeness of him.

"Don't shut me out Rae," he murmured softly staring deeply into her.

She was nervous to let him in, scared of the power he would hold over her if she did. But none of that reasoning could make her walk away from him.

He made her feel things she had never felt before. She was fast learning how addictive it was to feel her heart race when he was near or have her stomach flutter with a direct look.

"I'm not good at letting people in," she replied with a shrug not completely comfortable talking about her insecurities and she had a bucket load of them.

He studied her. "I know. I'm willing to take it at a pace you're comfortable with."

His eyes lingered on hers and he shifted closer. She swallowed as his lips neared hers and then he stopped. Her eyes found his, a slight frown in her features.

"I want to kiss you." His eyes held hers like he was waiting for her to make the first move.

She nodded. She wanted him to kiss her. Not much made sense to her about her connection with Maddox but she recognised how he made her feel and what he made her want.

He brought out a side to her she had never experienced before. Like the cliff it was exhilarating and dangerous at the same time.

"You sure?" He asked softly moving closer.

"Yes." She breathed her answer.

His mouth descended on hers slowly. As his lips brushed against her her stomach did a somersault. Her hands flattened against this chest as he deepened the kiss. She was with him every step of the way and she moaned softly when his tongue caressed hers, her hands curled into his shirt tightening as his tongue slid against hers. She groaned softly as her tongue caressed his.

Shocked at her brazen response to his kiss she pulled away and put her hand to her mouth.

He remained still watching her carefully.

Her hand dropped from her mouth. "It scares me."

"What?"

"Uh...you and me." She swallowed. She felt fear but she had also never felt more alive.

"Why?"

She shifted slightly feeling uncomfortable discussing her insecurities out loud. She bit her lip unsure of what to admit and what to keep from him.

"You have to let me in Rae. If you're feeling scared, nervous or even apprehensive you need to tell me. I can't read your mind."

"I get that," she admitted. "It's just this thing between us is..."

He nodded. "Explosive? Addictive? Impossible to resist?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"All of the above and more." She felt breathless and her heart was racing.

He smiled and her heart skidded to a stop and began to beat again. It was that same feeling on a rollercoaster where the ride dropped suddenly.

"You have to tell me when I might be moving too fast." His eyes never left hers. "When I want something I don't waste time but I think that's going to scare you off." He was very perceptive.

"I know I'm scared to feel too much but this isn't one sided Mad." From the moment he has found her on the edge of the cliff trying to feel alive. "I like you too." Even if it scared her, she felt something tangible for him, something she could feel.

"My ego is relieved to hear that," he teased with a mischievous glint in his eye.

She smiled. "I doubt there is much that can dent that ego of yours Mad."

He took her hand into his and she released the breath she had been holding. Despite her fears it was easy to be with him, effortless.

"You'd be surprised." He looked down at her hand in his. "Usually I know exactly where I stand but with you...I don't."

She was floored. To think she unsettled him like that made her feel a little more confident in what they were sharing as she felt the same about him.

Whereas, with Logan she had been on guard constantly ensuring she never said or did anything wrong. She didn't have to do that with Maddox.

It was like before she was pretending to be someone Logan wanted and not herself. Never since she had first started hanging out with Maddox had she ever felt compelled to be anybody but herself. He made her comfortable in herself, she felt more alive in his presence.

But with good came bad.

With the each heart stutter and skip came the reality that he had the power to really hurt her in a way no one else had been able to do. That was what held her back.

He said he wanted to take things at whatever pace she needed and for that she felt relieved. She had enough going on without stressing about her growing closeness with Maddox.

"Come on," he pulled her gently by the hand. "It's getting late."

He was right. If she didn't get home soon it would probably put her mother in another of her moods and that was the last thing she needed. With her hand in his they made their way down the path to where is car was parked.

This reminded her so much of their first encounter. If someone had told her then what would unfold she would have told them they were crazy but here she was with a guy who made her feel so much.

When they reached his car he opened the passenger side and she got in. He closed the door and rounded the front of car before he got in.

It was school tomorrow and she was nervous how this thing between was supposed to work. It gnawed at her the whole way home and she chewed her lip as she tired to figure out how to ask Maddox without coming off as an over thinker, tirelessly working her way through every possible scenario.

She had always felt prepared when it came to Logan because there was little at stake and she had pretty much had one foot out of the relationship from the start. But things were different with Maddox.

This time when he pulled up in front of her house there was no fighting and yelling. It was dark and peaceful, a rare thing. Ashley was relieved.

He switched off his car and turned to face her. "You're quiet."

Being honest with him was much more difficult than she had expected. She was used to keeping things to herself and internalising things. She wanted to say she was fine but he deserved the truth.

"You're overthinking something, I can see it," he murmured softly reaching up to caress her cheek with his hand.

He didn't miss much. Most guys were too wrapped up in themselves to see the things that Maddox did.

"I need to know how this is going to work when we're at school." Her eyes drifted to his. She wanted to make sure they were both on the same page so there were no misunderstanding.

"I know you're not ready to make it official so we keep it quiet until you're ready?"

It made sense. She nodded.

"Stop stressing about all the little things," he told her. "Let's just enjoy hanging out."

"I'd like that."

He leaned closer and pressed his mouth firmly to hers.

It was a brief kiss but it was enough to kick her heart into a race.

"See you tomorrow," she said as she opened the door.

"Sweet dreams Rae." He winked and she smiled.

She walked to the front door and he waited for her to enter her house and close the door before she heard him leave.

For a moment she leaned against the door and smiled. This lightness, almost giddiness, was an alien feeling but it lifted her heart and mood. For a moment she felt almost happy or whatever happy was. Maddox had entered her life unexpectedly like a tornado leaving nothing unmoved and in the process making her see things differently.

Being with someone had never held the appeal that it did now and she was optimistic.