Forever and Always ✔️

Chapter twenty six - Gray/Zack.

Penelope walked out of the barn and a few seconds after, her ex followed. Zack was indecisive and I knew he wanted to go after her. "Zack!" I yelled over the people cheering and the music. He turned to me and sighed, he finally moved towards me with a sad expression on his face.

The lights in the barn were really bright so I was squinting and trying to get some sense into Zack who was being an idiot. "What the hell was that?" I asked, furiously. "What about Cecelia? You just kissed another girl!"

Zack sighed and leaned on the bar. "We broke up. She knows that Penelope and I have a connection," he said with a pointless shrug, "and I like Penelope. So why can't you accept it?"

You like her? How could he like someone like her? She was private, treats you like crap and was clearly not interested in you at all!  I wanted to scream at him. This was really getting on my nerves and Zack could obviously see it.

I rolled my eyes. "You just don't see it, do you?" I sighed, "and didn't she just walk off with her ex boyfriend who just magically shows up here?"

I was really getting annoyed with Zack, he had a nice girl and he just blew her off because of some other girl that he 'liked.' He didn't like her, I could see it. Zack was a player, he could only keep a girl for a month.

"Give me a break, Gray. You don't know Penelope like I do and you have no idea what she's been through." He explained, making me roll my eyes again.

I didn't care if she had been through a lot, she wasn't treating my best friend with the respect he deserved and now he was blowing off every girl that laid eyes on him for someone like her.

"I don't care what she's been through! She treats you like crap and you have to pick up the pieces from her past!" I yelled over the loud music, knowing that was what he did instead of showing up for our double date the other night.

"Just leave her alone, Grayson. You have no idea what you're talking about and guess what? I don't care if you don't like her, I do so just shut up about it!" He yelled back.

Wow, calling me by my full name. He was really angry.

"Whatever." I said back just as Penelope came back inside with her ex behind her, following like some helpless dog.

She was using Zack.

"Don't do it, Zack." I said, knowing that he would go up to her no matter what I said. He ignored me and walked up to Penelope, she smiled whenever Zack was near and he did the same.

They were not meant to be.

They spooked a little before Zack dragged Penelope out the back door. I saw Penelope's friends smiling as they left, watching them disappear.

Could this night get any worse?

*

Zack's POV

If you could write a letter to the one you love, what would you write?

Sitting at my desk at two in the morning, I began to write a letter to Penelope. Where would I even begin? Penelope, I love you? It's too soon. I started by writing what I have always wanted to tell her but, I never had the guts to.

The moment I saw you-

No. I think for a bit and a lightbulb went off in my head. I wrote a page long, writing down things I would never say to a girl and I never thought I would have this idea to write letters to each other as part of something only we do as a couple. I didn't do it for me, I did it for her. I knew she needed to say things without having eyes on her as she said it and I knew she was troubled.

Maybe this was better than therapy, maybe this was what she needed to move on and I hated to think what she went through all of those months ago. It must've been terrible.

*

It was a beautiful Sunday morning on this beautiful beach. I texted Penelope a second ago as I was standing outside her house, a far distance away so her dad didn't throw an axe at my forehead.

I held the letter in my hand, it was crumbled a little but I was sure she wouldn't mind. I heard her front door slam shut and footsteps running out and onto the sand. I turned away from the sea with a smile and open arms. She happily fell in my chest and hugged me softly. "Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Better than I have in a long time."

We let go and walked along the beach, it was a hot day today. I was going to have to control myself with taking my shirt off.

"I have something for you," I handed her the letter with a smile, feeling nervous as she took it.

"Wow, that was quick." She beamed, opening it.

"Wait!" I stopped her by the touch of my hand on hers. "Read it when you're alone."

She closed the envelope and nodded. "Okay."

We walked along the beach for a while in silence until I broke it. "So, are Maddie and Austin staying with you?"

She nodded. "Just for a week."

"And Sean?" I asked, hopelessly.

"I have no idea, I haven't seen him since last night and I don't plan to talk to him again." She said, making me wonder what really went on between them.

I mean, I knew Sean broke up with Penelope because she was grieving but there had gotta be something more to the story. There had gotta be something else, no one was that heartless to break up with someone because they were grieving.

I didn't reply for a while, I trusted her but, there was something she wasn't telling me. "Do you wanna go out with me, Penelope?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me. "You mean like a date?"

I nodded. "Yeah, like a date. Say tonight? If you're not working."

She shook her head happily. "I'm all yours."

*

Tonight came around pretty fast. Did she read my letter? Was she going to respond?

So many thoughts spun around in my mind as I waited by the crashing waves underneath the moonlight. "Well, this is new."

I was startled by Penelope's voice from behind me. I moved aside as she sat down on a small blanket I found at home. "I know, crazy huh?"

She laughed. "Not at all, I love it."

It was past ten o'clock at night and we were the only ones on the beach. The waves were crashing calmly and a slight breeze brushed past us. Candles surrounded us to see but also to set the mood, I had a small picnic basket in between us filled with desert type food.

"What are Austin and Maddie doing?" I asked as I opened the basket.

"They're exploring the town tonight," she looked out at sea, "I'm glad we're finally having a proper date."

I smiled at her comment as I took out a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries. "Me too, have you read my letter yet?"

She took a strawberry and began eating it. I was anxious to know. "Not yet, I thought to leave it for a two in the morning thing."

I smiled as we were so much alike. I couldn't wait for a letter back to her, it was our thing and I liked it.

"So, tell me." She began, shoving a strawberry into my mouth, making me chuckle. "How does a guy like you end up being on a date with a girl like me."

I finished chewing my mouth full of deliciousness and smile at the beauty that sat beside me. "I guess fate brought us together."

She looked at me like with a sparkle in her pretty blue eyes and she looked down while smiling, "I think it did."