Forever and Always ✔️

Chapter forty two - Penelope.

The tears wouldn't stop pouring out of my eyes. I trusted Zack with all that I had, I trusted him with my secrets that I had buried for such a long time. I knew I was probably over reacting but he never said anything about sleeping with Molly and he never said anything about the guy she did it with. No, it was all lies. I told him everything. Sean, my drinking, my mother's death. That was a huge thing to discuss and I never told anybody. Not even Molly.

Once I got home, I wanted to scream. I wanted to break down and drink again like rehab never happened. I wanted to do that but I knew I couldn't. Dad went back to the bar, leaving me home alone. I didn't mind being home alone; in fact, it was just what I needed. I've been getting calls and text messages from Zack ever since our fight but I was not picking up. I dumped my phone on the couch as I heard the doorbell ring. I didn't want to answer it, just in case it was Zack but it kept on ringing.

I sighed, frustrated at my thoughts. I headed over to the door and flung it open. I was surprised at who I was staring at, he didn't look like the angry guy I saw this morning; he looked like he had been betrayed by the one person he really trusted. "Grayson?" I asked, still shocked at who I was staring at. His hair was a total mess and his face showed no emotion but I could still read him like a book. "What are you doing here?"

He lifted his backpack up and stared at me, his eyes showing no mercy for the one who stomped on his trust. "I heard what you said to Zack after I left." His voice was dark and cold but I knew that Grayson was still in there, behind those dark eyes.

I opened the door wider and step asides. "Come in." I said softly, forgetting all that he said to me about breaking Zack's heart. The truth was, he broke mine too. I closed the door softly and put my hands in my jumper's pocket, feeling the warmth already. This didn't feel awkward between us, considering what happened. He didn't like me and I accepted that, now things might change. "We can sit outside." I said, going to the back of the house and opening the door to the beach. I felt Grayson following me with every step I took. The wind sent chills up my spine but I didn't care, Grayson needed to talk about Zack and I was the only one who understood.

We both took a seat on a beach chair, outlooking the ocean. I wished I could swim away from here and never turn back. If only things were that easy. "I'm sorry for all the things I said to you." Grayson looked up at me with pleading eyes, wanting my forgiveness.

I nodded with a small smile. "I understand why you did it. Zack chased me so much and I pushed him away. You were only being a friend to him."

"But I was wrong about you. I guess I didn't understand what you had been through because I didn't know you. Now that Zack has hurt you too, it's like we're on the same road." He said, his voice becoming deeper as he spoke.

Who knew Grayson would talk to me this way.

"We are on the same road," I said as I looked out at sea again, "I never thought Zack would be the one to hurt me."

"He hurt both of us," he said in an almost whisper, "I was so heartbroken when Molly told me that there was someone else."

"I always thought Shane was the one she was sleeping with." I think out loud, thinking of the fun we had that one weekend up at Molly's cabin.

"Is Shane her new boyfriend?" He asked, the hurt in his voice. I think he was still in love with her.

"Yeah," I mumbled, "he is." I wanted to ask him so much more about Molly and Zack but he probably knew the same information I did. Zack slept with Molly while she was still dating Grayson, how tragic.

"Do you wanna hang out this weekend? Just to talk some more." I turned to him with a small smile at his question. I never thought we would get to this point. I always wanted to be friends with Grayson because he was my boyfriend's best friend. Now, I just wanted to be friends because he was a nice guy who was just as broken as me.

I slowly nodded, enjoying the sunset. "I would love that."

*

The next day, I dragged myself to school. Grayson offered me a ride this morning which was nice of him. I didn't have to drive and to be honest, I was tired of driving. I was tired of everything.

"So, do you have a shift tomorrow?" Grayson asked me as we entered the school filled with people I hardly knew.

"No, Sunday." I said with a small smile, thanking God that I didn't have one.

He smiled as we approached his locker, he put in the combination and flung it open. "Great, do you wanna come over to my place? We could watch movies, eat pizza." He suggested, making me calm. I liked the sound of that; I hadn't had that in a while.

"I would love to. Just text me your address." I said, leaning against a bunch of other lockers.

My eyes soon darted to the guy walking our way, he didn't look so great. His hair was a mess and he hadn't shaved either. He did look cute, though. No, Penelope. Remember what he did?

I shrugged the feeling off, feeling sad and alone. I really missed him, I did but I couldn't be with him if all we were going to do is lie to each other. "Hey." He said softly, making Grayson ignore him.

Grayson slammed his locker door shut and turned to me with a blank expression. "I'll see you after school." Before I got the chance to reply, he quickly left. I sighed once again, walking away from Zack but he followed.

"Can we talk?" The bell rung and the corridor cleared. I had a free period so I didn't have to go to class yet but it didn't look like he cared that he had one.

"There's nothing to say." I mumbled as I headed out into the courtyard where a few other people were chatting quietly and studying.

"There's everything to say, Penelope." I brushed the shiver he gave me as he said my name. I wanted him so badly, it's killing me. "I see you and Gray are closer now."

I ignored him and took a seat, there was no way I was going to be able to avoid him around here. He sat across from me, staring at me with his beautiful blue eyes. "Penelope, I want to know where we stand."

I didn't say anything; I just pulled out a couple of textbooks and pretended to read them like he's invisible. "Penelope," he said again, "are we over?"

I sighed and finally looked up at him. "It's not that easy, Zack. You lied to me. You lied to your best friend and after protecting you like that, he didn't have to do that and you didn't have to sleep with Molly. So, I guess we are over because I'm sick of the lies."

"Please, don't do this. I love you." He pleaded, making me want to just grab his cute face and kiss him like there was tomorrow but I couldn't do that. I couldn't forgive him for this.

"I trusted you," I said, the air caught in my throat, "and I told you everything about my past. You blew that up. I fell in love with someone who I would have died for but you let the bomb explode and now my heart is scattered all over my bedroom floor and I have to pick the pieces."

He seemed shocked by my sudden outburst of words. Tears formed in my eyes and his. Don't people say that when a boy really cries over a girl, it meant he really loved her? That may be a myth but to me, it seemed real.

"I'm never giving up on us," he suddenly said, locking his eyes with mine, "I don't believe in love at first sight but I do believe in seeing someone from across the room and knowing instantly that they're going to matter to you. You matter to me, Penelope and I can't let you go. I've made a huge mistake and I'm sorry for that, I truly am. It makes me sad that I won't cross your mind when you're the reason why I lost mine."

"No, Zack. You don't get to be mad here." I said while closing up my textbooks and leaving him sitting alone as I stood up, "I don't love you anymore, it's over. We're over. We fought for nothing and that's what breaks my heart the most."

I walked away, leaving him speechless and my heart broke with every step I took.