'Why would you do that?' I choked back my tears. One thing I could not afford was Logan seeing me vulnerable.

'It's not that difficult to understand Jane.' He furrowed. 'I think you are smart enough.'

'Whatever you are thinking is not going to happen.' I said sternly.

He scoffed. 'I don't need your permission. I asked you before, let me ask you again; leave Ryan, come back to me.'

'Never.'

He tightened his jaw. 'What's in him that's not in me?'

'Honesty. Love. Courage. Kindness. Beauty.' I listed out as I watched around to see anyone so that I could shriek and get away from him. 'And most importantly, he didn't set me on fire.'

His eyes went cold as I hit the nerve and he pretended I didn't. 'You had to learn the lesson.'

'Of rejecting you? Excuse me but I have a right to do so.'

'We were friends since childhood!' He half yelled and half whispered. 'And you knew I had feelings for you. Why would you do such thing?'

'Because I didn't like you!' I finally said out loud and for a moment, everything stopped. He didn't say anything, didn't show me any emotion. His blue eyes were icily chilled as his lips set in a straight line. For a second, I saw a scared child in those eyes, the same one I use to play with all day. He leant back and stood up as if I just stabbed a knife in him.

'You believed the rumours too didn't you?' He asked me slowly as he looked down on his feet.

'I didn't.'

'Yes you did. They told everyone I was a playboy and you believed them and stopped hanging out with me.' He looked up at me and I had to drift my eyes off of him that were crystallised. 'You knew I wasn't like that. You knew I never disrespected any girl.'

I stood up from the bench as I looked at the USB in his hand. 'It's not true. Abigail left me because she liked you and you liked me. That hurt me that I—

'—that you believed every word each student said either right or wrong about me because you were hurt?! You couldn't trust your best friend?' I almost forgot he was Logan I was talking to. His eyes cascaded a darkness that reflected his vulnerability.

'I... ' I trailed off. I did believe the rumours. I did stopped hanging out with him. I did these all things and I felt guilty. That was the only reason he was staying in my house that I felt guilty for what I did. I abandoned him and I didn't even want to imagine the pain.

'I needed you Jane,' he grabbed my forearm and pulled me to him and I instantly smelled cigarettes. 'To help me. To walk out of those rumours but you just abandoned me. You knew I had no one else but you,' I yelped from pain as his grip tightened on my forearm. 'Why does the world make you a monster and then pretend like it never knew you.' His eyes crystallised and the broken hearted boy came back.

'I'm sorry.' I said and I saw a scar on his forearm that went up to his upper arm. He had folded his sleeves today. He never did that before. 'Did your father ... ?' I touched the scar on his forearm and his grip loosened. 'Did he do that?' His father was the only person he was scared of. He was not a father anyone could wish and every time his father would hit him, or bully him, he'd come to my house and would stay even. I really hated his father but now that I try to recall, I can't even remember how he looked like. All I remembered was his cold blue eyes that Logan had now.

He simply stared at me and I knew the answer. 'You started the rumours? The hatred on the social media?'

'I wanted you to feel what I felt but it wasn't strong enough. Next time, I'll make sure it will be.'

'Would you really?'

'Only if you don't come back to me.'

'Logan please.'

'Nothing will happen.' He grabbed my chin and made me look up to him. 'You will be happier. No one will even care.'

I shook my head in no.

'Jane, you seriously trust Ryan? Believe me, when he'll win, he'll leave you. He's just using you.' Logan insisted as I looked down. 'He doesn't care what you feel or what you do. Harrison has given his votes back.'

'But you have the USB?' I knitted my eyes in confusion.

He lifted up the USB, smirked and threw it across the garden. 'It's fake. I pretended just because I wanted to talk to you. To bring you back to me.'m

'Logan ... '

'Come back to me.' He leant in and I saw his lips. They once kissed mine two years before. His hands seemed strange. They weren't soft as Ryan has. They weren't soothing or inviting but what if I really go back to my previous life? Logan closed his eyes.

I could continue my job. Stay with my brother and mother and have my family back and live with that misery again?

I pushed him away and he stumbled back until he stopped. 'Stay away.' I hissed.

'Jane don't do that.' He snapped. 'You don't what to ruin what I have to give you.'

I will never come back to you.'

'You are a fucking idiot!' He yelled. 'You all are! You should've been dead in fire like my father!'

My hands shot up to my mouth as I gasped. My eyes widened and my knees weakened. Suddenly, I hated myself about even thinking to kiss him. 'You killed your father?'

A satisfactory smile spread on his lips. Every piece of puzzle came together. He came back because he killed his father. He needed money because he wasn't the inheritor of the money as his father never accepted him as his son for he was adopted. He wanted me so that he could use me as a cover to hide his all lies as my mom would do anything to save her reputation.

He took a piece of fabric and a bottle of what I assumed was chloroform. He poured a few drops of the liquid on the fabric. 'I asked you nicely. Now I've lost my patience.'

'Oh shit!' I almost said as I broke in a run. 'Help!' I yelled but as lovely the garden was, it was the loneliest.

I used my legs as much as I could to run away from him. I needed to use my adrenaline but panic started gripping my body. I stopped abruptly as someone appeared from in front of me.

Marcus.

He smirked as he widened his arms to catch me. I ducked down as Marcus tried to catch me. i ran a few miles until he caught me by my waist. 'Long time no see?' He said as I hit him in the place where the sun never shines.

He groaned as he ducked down from pain.

I tried to run away again, but a pair of hands gripped my shoulders and pulled me against something. I kicked and punched anywhere I could but a piece of fabric was already on my mouth.

Logan's face appeared and only I saw the evilness. He was right. He was a monster.

Logan groaned for what reason, I couldn't decipher because my world faded away.

oOo

Now here's some action for ya'll.

I was to post it tomorrow but then this chapter was so exciting for me that my fingers worked like magic and I typed so quickly and well, you know, posted it.

This is a short chapter. Like I said. I'm staying true to my words so much these days. Excellent isn't it?

Well, leave me, now let's talk about the damn chapter you just read. HOW WAS IT?

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No but really, I want to know how did you like it? On a scale of one to ten, how much? Please, I need the reviews. I need the views. I need the comments, the votes, the follows, the support.

I sound so freaking desperate now. I need to stop.

But really, man, tell me 😫

I'll see you tomorrow.

Love 💕, huz