𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 • 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐈𝐄

0.90

» That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet. «

「 Lesson #10: Honesty is the best policy 」

Dedicated to: All of you who are still here and talk to me even though I'm terrible at updating.

A/N ~ If you're here thanks for sticking around I love and appreciate you. You might want to skim read the last chapter?

I will post again when this reaches 120 votes & comments <3

POV: MACKENZIE ZIEGLER

˚✧₊⁎༄

˚✧₊⁎༄

I woke up to an empty bed. Rolling over, and reveling in the warmth the sheets held, I blinked open my eyes. A couple of moments after I did so, my eyes had adjusted to the light that was Johnny's bedroom and I froze, fragments of memories spinning through my mind like a kaleidoscope.

Drinking last night, tipping back wine after wine at the party. Pulling into Johnny's driveway, not knowing what the hell I was doing. The knife I dropped that sliced into my thigh. Suddenly finding myself so close to John on his kitchen floor I could barely draw breath. His curls tickling my chin and his head tucked into my neck, our hands linked tight as the water ran off our skin in the shower, the way he stroked Max's hair as the kids fell asleep next to us.

A rush of warmth and love for him hit me in the gut as I stumbled into the bathroom, but quickly turned into shock as I noticed two red-blue hickeys on the side of my neck. Nice– not. I was going to have to wear a hoodie for the next while. They weren't super noticeable, but I couldn't have anyone find out. No way. My slip-up couldn't turn into gossip, because in this small town gossip spread far too fast.

Embarrassed beyond belief, I shut the bathroom door and got the shower going. I needed time to reflect and sit with what I'd done. The hot water pounded on my skin and I heaved in breath after breath, sinking down to sit in the bottom of the shower. What had I done?

Johnny and I hadn't had sex. We didn't even kiss each other. But we made out and we showered together and we slept in the same bed and we admitted our honest feelings; my cheeks heated up just thinking about it all. It had been a mess. A topsy-turvy roller coaster of desire and lust and want and sadness and loyalty and wistfulness. And now I didn't know what to feel.

I had become that girl. The girl who cheated on her boyfriend for her long-time lover. The guilt and shame washed in. Grateful for the loud shower, I cried. Horrible, ugly sobs that left snot dribbling down my chin and my stomach aching with anxiety.

I was tipsy last night, I knew that, but it was like seventeen-year-old Mackenzie had jumped into my body and suspended all coherent thought and responsible behaviour. My hormones must have been all over the place, and mixed with a little alcohol and a sprinkle of lust, it had been like a forest fire.

I marvelled at my body as what looked like dark red fingernail marks were dug into my hips. A snapshot of Johnny clutching onto my waist as I moaned came to mind. I pushed the image away, fast.

Not only that, but I hadn't been honest with John about everything that was going on in my life. He didn't know about the job offer I had on my plate in Canada. He didn't know about me struggling to get along with Hayden despite our ever-looming wedding. Worst of all, he didn't know about my mother, who was lying in a grave rather than in her old house like he expected her to be.