The beautiful day that Asher had been resenting for most of the morning was actually quite a blessing for a few moments. The sun was warm on his skin and the breeze around him was cool enough to be comfortable but not too much as to need a jacket. The trees high above him were tall and strong, too old to count, and they surrounded him protectively as he walked between their trunks.

She was waiting on the park bench. Asher could see her in the distance, typing on her phone so hard and fast that it seemed as though she had a vendetta against it. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail and for once her make-up was almost acceptable. She looked frustrated as she pressed the buttons on the little screen.

The leaves crunched under Asher's shoes as he walked up to her, a leather bound book clasped tightly in his hand. She was too preoccupied to even see him and so she gasped with surprise when he sat down swiftly next to her.

'Hello Maisy.'

She placed the phone down on the bench next to her legs, 'Can this be quick?' she asked. 'I'm on damage control. Just like you should be.' Asher opened his mouth to say something but Maisy continued. 'You know, it all makes sense now. I finally get why you didn't want to date me.'

'And here I was thinking it was your awful personality,' Asher joked.

Maisy didn't seem to find the humour in his words, 'You ask me here to insult me or is there something real we need to discuss because I wasn't kidding about the damage control. You're lucky I even came here when you called.'

He titled his head, 'You're on my damage control?' He couldn't think of one reason why Maisy would want to protect him.

She shook her head, her ponytail shaking behind her, 'I'm on my own. Ivy is slowly but surely turning every single one of my friends against me.'

Asher's eyes flickered down to the diary in his hands, 'Maybe I can help you with that.'

The idea of helping Maisy wasn't exactly at the top of the list of things Asher liked doing. In fact, it was towards the bottom, and yet he was doing it. She was the only person that he knew would have the balls to use the journal against Ivy in a way that would actually work. The journal in her hands would take the ball straight out of Ivy's court and right into Maisy's. It wasn't an ideal situation but Maisy was simple, easy and predictable in the best way. He had a control over Maisy in a way that he could never have had with Ivy.

'Is that what this is about?' she asked. Her gaze dropped to the journal. He knew that she recognised it the second her gaze connected with its leather bound covering. Ivy had carried it around at school almost every day and someone like Maisy would have noticed that but wouldn't have the smarts to actually look inside of it.

'I have everything you need to take Ivy down and keep her there,' he told her, extending the book out to her. She reached out to take it but Asher pulled it away at the last second, 'It comes at a price.'

Maisy tried to look defiant with a roll of the eyes but Asher saw straight past it. He had her only hope in the palm of his hand and she would do anything to get it.

'What's the price?' she asked. 'You finally want to date me to fix your reputation? Oh how the tables have turned,' she muttered, quite proud of herself.

'Not exactly.'

'Then what?' she asked, her eyes not leaving the journal.

He pulled the book closer to him and sat back against the frame of the chair, 'You promise not to persecute people at school anymore. That includes Danny, myself and any other person at school who you would otherwise exclude.'

Maisy rolled her eyes, 'If I suddenly become Miss Nice people will be suspicious.'

Asher shrugged, 'I don't care about that.'

She huffed, 'Okay. I promise.'

Asher handed over the journal, 'If I even think that you or your lackeys are harassing people-'

Maisy interjected, 'I won't let that happen.'

Asher nodded, 'Good.'

She looked down at the journal, her fingers caressing its sides. She seemed almost afraid to open its pages. 'You're sure that what's in here will keep her from causing more trouble?'

'I'm sure of it.'

They parted ways, both of them disappearing into opposite sides of the tree line.

Damien's car was gone when he pulled up into his driveway. Asher assumed that Damien and Danny had probably gone out and he sighed. He would have to wait until later tonight to talk to Danny. His father's car still wasn't in the garage and Asher was somewhat pleased. The idea of talking to his father once he found out what had happened was not something he was looking forward to.

He walked into the kitchen and froze. Danny was sitting on the stool, his arms crossed against the kitchen counter. Asher was too shocked at him even being here to analyse his emotions.

'Danny,' Asher blinked at him.

'Can we talk?' he asked.

Asher nodded without hesitation. 'Yeah, of course.'

He walked over and sat down on the stool next to Danny, keeping his distance. He longed to reach out and take Danny's hand in his own but he wasn't sure how Danny would take that.

Danny broke the silence, 'Damien told me about his cousin. After you guys ran into each other his cousin told Damien everything about what he did to you,' Danny looked down at his hands. 'I never knew, If I had known-'

Asher jumped in, his voice quiet, 'That was a long time ago.'

Danny met his gaze. 'You never told me. That whole time and you never mentioned it.'

'I didn't know what to say. I was scared and you were my safe place. I didn't want to pull you into it.'

There was a heavy silence again. It was strange for there to be any sort of awkward silence between them. They had spent more weekends together then they could count and yet Asher couldn't remember one heavy silence between them. There had always been calm and comfort in their silences. He wanted that again. He wanted Danny back. The real question was, did Danny want him back?

Danny took a deep breath, 'I know that I freaked out last night. You kept saying that you had an explanation and I didn't believe you,' his fingers fidgeted in his lap, 'I was going to come by this afternoon anyway, I wanted to talk to you after I calmed down, plus I spoke to Jess this morning, she called me, asked me to hear you out.'

'I didn't ask her to do that,' Asher told him.

'I know. She just said that I needed to hear the whole truth and so I'm here. I want to know,' He bit at his lip, fighting against the words. 'Did you really cheat on me?'

Asher shook his head profusely, 'I never cheated on you. There was one time where Maisy kissed me but that was it. There was nothing else.'

Danny just looked confused, 'Why did Ivy lie to me?'

'She is willing to do anything to hurt me and that included lying to you,' Asher told him with every hope that Danny would believe him. 'Leon and I found her diary. I made a copy of it but you won't want to read it. She's not the person she pretended to be. She's manipulative and evil and she won't be a problem anymore.'

'I, oh-' the information was obviously a shock to Danny. He looked hurt. 'I didn't know. She just seemed so nice, I didn't think she had an ulterior motive.'

'No one really guessed it. Pretty much everyone was clueless.'

Danny nodded softly. 'So,' he continued, 'What's the real truth then? With you, I mean.'

He took a deep breath and the words just tumbled from his mouth, 'I was scared of being bullied and so I faked straight. I did more than just telling people I was straight, I turned myself into who I thought they wanted me to be. I pretended to have hook ups and I went to all the parties and I lied. I know it was wrong.'

'Why didn't you just tell me?' Danny asked.

Asher shrugged, looking down at his hands.

'I could have helped you. I could have-'

'I was scared and I thought I had it under control. I didn't see it as lying, I just saw it as protecting myself, as protecting you,' Asher interrupted.

'Okay,' Danny nodded, understanding on his face. It was like he just dropped his opposition and was suddenly just fine with it.

'What?'

'I believe you,' Danny told him. 'After what Damien told me, I don't blame you for being scared. If you thought you were protecting me and yourself then okay. I get it. I don't condone the lying but I don't hate you for it.'

Asher was astounded, 'You don't?'

'No, but you kept things from me, from your friends. It just makes me wonder what else you have kept hidden, what else I don't know about you.'

There wasn't anything else. He had kept apart of his life from Danny but he never thought that he kept apart of himself. Then again, he thought back to his room, the empty walls staring back at him. Maybe he was keeping something of himself from Danny. He wouldn't any more. He knew that he was never going to be anything but open with Danny. 'I'm an open book, ask me anything.'

'That's not what I mean.'

'Why not? I don't have any more secrets, you know it all now. I just want to make things right between us, like it was before.'

'Did you really trust me before though?'

'It's not like that. That was one part of my life where I thought I had to be something I wasn't. It wasn't about you.'

Danny shook his head, 'You should have known that I would be there for you. Even in situations like that. Yet, you kept up the perfect guy act with me. Why? It wasn't just for my piece of mind, was it? It was for yours.'

'I didn't think you would leave me.'

'Are you sure?'

He wasn't sure. Was that why he had never told Danny about the bullying? Was he afraid that Danny would leave him if he wasn't perfect? He was seeing a pattern, the same one he had with his friends. 'I, I don't know anymore. I do know that I made mistakes and I know better now. This whole thing has shown me so much and I just wish I had known it all back on my first day of school.'

'You can't change what you did but you can change how you act. No more lies. Be the real you,' Danny pled with him. 'Be the real, candid Asher who we all see behind the cool guy act,' Danny reached over and grabbed Asher's hand. 'I love the real Asher.'

'Present tense?' Asher asked in hope, gently squeezing the hand in his.

'Present tense.'

'Will you give me a chance to make things right with us? Start over again?'

Danny nodded, 'Of course.'

Asher grabbed Danny by the shirt and pulled him towards himself for a steamy kiss. Danny practically jumped into his arms and wrapped himself around Asher. The kiss ended swiftly but they stayed like that, arms tangled around each other, for as long as they could. Asher had Danny back. He knew Danny's trust had been shattered but he was willing to put every piece back together and make it right between them.

Asher held onto Danny tightly, his face pressed into the junction of Danny's neck and shoulder. Then, for the first time in forever, his conscience was clear and his heart was whole.

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