Forever and Always ✔️

Chapter fifty two - Zack/Penelope.

*One month and one week ago*

Before getting ready for the party, I picked up my phone and dialled my fathers number. I wanted to scream, I wanted to yell at him but my mother forced me to call him back since he rang me to wish me a happy birthday.

I was supposed to be getting ready for this party before Penelope picked me up and my mother wanted me to call him. A few rings later and he answered it. "Hello?"

"John," was all I manager to get out, "it's Zack."

"Oh, Zack!" He said, sounding surprised, "happy birthday, mate. What did you end up doing?"

I rolled my eyes at his niceness, wanting to reach my hand through the phone and punch him so hard that it hurt my fist. "Spending the night with my girlfriend."

I softened up at the mention of her, it was funny how she could do that to me. "You have a girlfriend? What's her name?" He sounded happy, but he left us so he would never get the chance to meet her.

"Penelope." I sat on my bed, staring at my door. Maybe I should learn from Penelope, she taught me how to forgive. She forgave me for sleeping with Molly and lying about it and I forgave her for drinking. "She's amazing."

He chuckled. "I bet she is. Do you love her?"

I smiled. "I do."

"I'm happy for you," he said, sounding like the father he should have been, "maybe I'll meet her someday."

I scratched the back of my neck and checked my watch. "Uh, I have a party to get to. Bye." I hung up the phone and chucked it to my side. I sighed and found something to wear for tonight, Penelope would be at my house any minute and I couldn't wait.

*

Penelope's POV

*Now*

"How can you even think to pull the plug on him, Lauren?" I said, "he still has a future and this child is his future."

John walked in. "They say that there is very little brain function but that doesn't mean he's dead, he's still in there."

I sighed with relief as John was on my side, I looked to the clock and it was four thirty. I had Half an hour to convince Lauren to keep Zack alive. "Look at him!" She screamed, "he's all wired up and helpless, can't we just give him peace and let him go quietly without any pain?"

"Not if there's a chance." I said, squeezing Zack's hand again, hoping would squeeze it back.

Grayson took Matt away from this screaming match, I understood Lauren's point but we needed to give it a chance, he would wake up. I just knew it.

"No-"

"He promised me that he would never leave me," I began, the tears swelling up in my eyes, "he promised a future with me, he promised so much more and look where we are now. I want him to keep his promise and if you pull the plug on his life, then that future, the promises are all gone and there's no coming back from that so please, don't let him leave me just yet. He still needs time."

Lauren's face softened up and she turned her direction towards Zack who laid in a hospital bed, looking like he was sleeping. If only he was. Her lip began to quiver, her eyes began to water and she rushed out, sobbing. I stood alone in the room with John, who sat in a chair opposite me.

"Zack rang me the night of the party," he cleared his throat, "he sounded incredibly happy to be with you."

My gaze looked up at him as he said those words, I smiled as Zack finally forgave his father for leaving. "You know, your son never gave up on me," I stroked my thumb against the back of his hand, "even when I gave up on myself, he still stuck by me even when I pushed him away."