"I thought we could have a word while we get the cherry pie ready," Mrs Larson said, all previous friendly tone gone.

She was finally dropping the pretence she liked Ashley in any way.

In that moment Ashley knew it had been a big mistake to agree to this lunch, she should have made any excuse to avoid it.

His mom stopped to lean against the kitchen counter as she confronted Ashley.

"I know you're responsible for this last incident when Maddox got arrested." She glared at Ashley.

Ashley wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. She couldn't deny what was true so she kept quiet. His mom had already made her mind up, and Ashley didn't believe there was anything she could do or say that would change that opinion.

"We were lucky enough that the charges were dropped. But do you realise what would have happened if they had gone through with it. Maddox's future would have been ruined."

"I'm sorr-"

"He has been suspended twice for fights where you were concerned."

What was there to say? Everything she was accusing Ashley of was true.

"Maddox can be very stubborn and he doesn't always listen to reason so I thought it best to speak to you."

This was just going to get worse and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I'm sure you're besotted with Maddox and you may even believe you love him."

Ashley swallowed hard, his mom had hit so close to home it shook her. They had just admitted their true feelings for each other just a few days before.

"But this isn't love. If you love something you don't destroy it."

That was the last thing she had wanted for him.

"You don't let them ruin their future for you." She sighed. "I know Maddox had to get the morning after pill for you."

Ashley's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. How did she know about that? Had Maddox told his mom about it?

"I'm too young to be a grandmother and I'm not going to allow you to ruin my son's future."

Ashley was too stunned to utter any response to the barrage of angry points his mother was making.

"So far he has nearly knocked you up, he has been suspended twice and nearly got arrested." She shook her head as she took a knife out of the drawer and started to cut the cherry pie on the kitchen counter. "You do not bring out the best in my son and I'm here to protect him when he can't see it for himself."

"I should leave," Ashley whispered, trying to stop herself from crying.

Mrs Larson shook her head. "No. You're going to pull yourself together so you can go back in there. You're going to smile and keep the conversation light. And afterward you are going to pull my son aside and tell him you no longer want to see him."

Ashely dug her fingers into her hands to stop herself from falling apart.

"And don't take me for a fool Ashley. If you do not do as I say I will be forced to have a concerned parental conversation with your parents about the fact that the two of you had sex and needed to get the morning after pill. I'm sure you wouldn't want that?" And then she smiled. That sweet, butter couldn't melt in her mouth kind of smile that shocked Ashley.

She was effectively black mailing her into breaking up with Maddox. She was a serious piece of work and Ashley was way out of her league. She didn't want her parents to find out that she had slept with Maddox and she could just see the disappointment in her mother's expression and the lecture that would follow if she found out.

Things were just settled back into some sort of normality and she didn't want anything to rock it.

But after everything she had just shared with Maddox, how did she break his heart and shatter hers in the process?

Mrs Larson ignored her as she cut the rest of the cheery pie and then placed them on plates.

She handed Ashley some plates to take through to the dining room and then she walked out of the kitchen leaving Ashley trying to catch her breath.

The plates wobble slightly as she carried them. The rawness in her chest did not dissipate when Maddox smiled at her when she placed the plate in front of him. "You're going to love this," he said. "It's the best cherry pie."

He was so at ease, and he had no idea what had just unfolded into kitchen with him mom. Would he even believe her if she tried to tell him? But she pressed her lips together. She couldn't tell him for fear of what his mom would tell her parents.

She pushed around the cherry pie and only managed a couple of mouthfuls to appease Maddox.

After lunch she made the excuse that her mom was looking for and she had to go. Maddox walked her back to her car.

"I wish you could stay," he said.

The emotional wound his mother had inflicted was still raw and throbbing in the middle of her chest, right beside her breaking heart.

"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you," she began unsure of what to say.

She loved him, there was no doubt about that. And what if his mom was right. What if, despite every best intention she had, she wasn't good for him.

"You sound a bit sombre." He cocked his head to the side as he studied her. "Is everything okay?"

She swallowed trying to regain enough composure to do this without ending up in mess at his feet.

It was now or never.

"No, it's not." She shook her head.

She hated how his expression fell.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, it's not like that. It's just." She let out a heavy emotional breath. "The thing is, this thing between us started just when our lives are about to change. You're going off to college soon and I'm not."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Where's this coming from Ashley? You haven't once told me any of this or shared any of your concerns."

Her shoulders slumped. "It's been on my mind from the start and I thought I could just ignore it but I can't. I can't fall more in love with you and know we are on borrowed time. What happens when you go off to college? Where does that leave me?"

He reached for her hand but she pulled away. He frowned. "We'll figure it out Rae. I love you and you love me. Everything else is secondary."

She shook her head, feeling the burn in her throat. "But it isn't. Its our future. And I've ignored it for long enough. It's time to accept our futures are not together." Her eyes watered when she saw the look on Maddox's face. "It won't do either of us any good to drag this out."

His jaw tensed and his eyes flared. "After everything we shared, this is what you think is best?"

She nodded, because she knew she wouldn't be able to say the words.

"You didn't even give us a fighting chance and that tells me everything I need to know."

He didn't say another word, he turned and left her standing beside her car, watching him strode away with her heart.

A tear slid down her cheek as she got into her car and left.

When she got home she had sobbed most of the way home trying to assure herself that despite his mother's attempts at blackmailing her she had done the right thing. It was probably better to do it sooner than later.

They had no future together and keeping her head in the clouds wouldn't change the reality of that.

It was no surprise that her mom wasn't home either when she got home.

Her mother had hardly been home since her parents had announced the divorce and her father had moved out.

She crawled onto her bed and hugged her pillow as she cried.

Even if there was a way for the them to stay together when he went off to college, she didn't believe for one second that his mother wouldn't continue to scheme and manipulate to get the outcome she wanted.

How had his mother found out about her taking the morning after pill? She would probably never know.

And at this point did any of it matter.

No. The only thing that mattered was the pain of losing Maddox.