This wasn't happening. It was the same person I told everything to, how was I supposed to trust her now that I knew Zack was her son?
It felt like I was going to faint.
Zack must not have known I existed in his moms world as a patient of hers and his mom must have not known that her son was the one I was talking about.
"You're in therapy?" Zack asked, no judgment intended in his sentence.
"Uh," I said, no words coming out of my mouth. "I should go."
"I'll drive you." Zack offered, getting his keys out of his pockets.
"No, I'm going to walk." I said, picking up my school bag and pushing past Dr. Reed and Zack. No wonder it didn't click straight away.
My first thought was that I needed to get out of here. "But your house is miles away!" Zack yelled just as I reached outside in the pouring rain.
I ignored him and walked out of his house, the rain was dropping on my clothes and on my face making it hard for me to see. I began to cry, without noticing. Out of all the odds, his mom had to be the one I told my deepest darkest secrets to.
"Penelope, wait!" Zack called my name from his house and then I heard the splashing of the puddles behind me.
Zack turned me around, wet from the rain as well. He had a girlfriend. "I'm sorry, I had no idea." He said over the sound of the heavy rain surrounding us.
"How can I trust anyone now? She's your mom!" I exclaimed, rethinking everything.
This was a mistake.
"She didn't tell me anything. She can't, it's patient confidentiality. She'd lose her job." Zack explained and then I remembered that he was right. "I don't even think my mom knew you were even my friend."
Okay, that made me feel better.
"Please, come back inside," he said, shivering, "it's freezing."
"I like it." I said suddenly, looking up at the dark sky, letting the cool rain hit my face. "But I can't, I need to get home. You have to understand that."
He nodded, folding his arms. "Let me drive you, it's the least I could do."
I thought about it for a minute and it would be the best thing to do. My house was miles away and it was pouring down with unstoppable rain. "Okay." I said as we both walked back to his car. We both got in and drove off towards my place.
It was silent until I decided to break it. "How did you and Cecelia meet?"
He clutched the steering wheel and sighed. "I officially got to know her at Molly's party."
I nodded, remembering how Molly wanted me to go.
You could have been Cecelia. Ugh Shut up!
"She's pretty." I said, watching his reaction but he said nothing in response. "So you've been going out for a few days?"
He nodded, saying nothing else as he drove by all of the Miami houses. He soon drove up to my driveway, the rain was still pouring. "Please don't distance yourself from me just because my mom is your therapist," he said before I got out, "I haven't told anyone what you told me the other night."
"I believe you, Zack," I said, not sure what else to add, "thank you for the ride."
He nodded, parking the car. "Anytime."
I smiled and got out of the car. Running up to my porch under the shelter, he was sill staring at me. I smiled and waved before heading inside where I closed the outside world away.
*
Zack's POV
I watched her close the door of her house and she disappeared. What was I doing? We're getting closer and closer everyday. Wasn't that what I wanted? Well, that was before I had a girlfriend.
I drove away and headed back to my place where mom was still home but dad wasn't. Dad had been gone for a while, I think it was over between my parents.
I headed inside where mom sat at the dining room table, waiting for me. "Don't bother asking me what she has said to me, I won't tell you."
"I know, mom. I'm not stupid." I said back as I took a seat.
"Well, she's told me a lot about you," Mom blurted out, "I see the way you look at her. She just needs time, sweetie. She's been through a lot."
She talked about me? Wow, I never saw that coming.
"I know she's been through a lot, she's told me a little bit but not the entire thing," I said, remembering Cecelia, "I kinda already have a girlfriend though."
She shook her head. "Who is it?"
"Her name is Cecelia." I said. Wasn't it funny that Penelope has met my mom before Cecelia? I was doing everything backwards.
"And were you ever going to tell me about her?" She asked as her phone began to vibrate.
"I wasn't sure if it was anything serious, we've only been going out for a few days." I said as she picked up the phone and answered it.
Matt's cartoon show overpowered mom's conversation but she ignored it. "Wait, Miss Collins has changed therapists?" My mom said into the phone. "She what?" Mom said, making me wonder what happened. "But she's not ready," she paused, "yeah, okay. Thanks for the call." She hung up and turned to me. "Penelope has stopped therapy."
She's not ready. I remembered my mom say into the phone. "She still needs a lot of talking to get over the things that happened to her, I need to call her father."
I nodded, wondering what did happen to her and now she would never tell me because my mom used to be her therapist.
*
The next day, I needed to get Penelope alone before Gray and Cecelia spotted me. Why was life so complicated sometimes and why did Gray disapprove of Penelope so much? Maybe it was because you said you liked her and now you have a girlfriend. Oh, so that was why he was so overprotected about Cecelia because he had been cheated on too.
Before I even got the chance to find Penelope, Molly stopped me in my tracks. "Molly, please."
"I see you found yourself another fuck buddy," she said nastily, "what? Am I not good enough for you?"
I dragged her in between two sets of lockers. "Would you keep your voice down?"
She snapped. "Why should I? Are you afraid that Gray might hear you? Well, the truth needs to come out. Gray is too oblivious to figure out who I cheated on with."
"Shut it, Molly." I snapped back at her, feeling my hands sweat. She could expose our secret to the entire school.
"I was in love with you, Zack. Before you broke it off because of your 'loyalties' with Grayson," she said in air quotes, "you wanna know why I moved away? It was because of you."
*Flashback*
*Sometime last year*
"Me and Molly are heading out of town this weekend for our six month anniversary, we're going up to my cabin." Gray mentioned, sitting at lunch, watching all of the people walk by.
"Nice!" I said, munching on my sandwich, "sounds romantic."
He nodded. "Yeah, can you do me a favour?"
"Sure." I said as I swallowed my food.
"Can you pick something up for me at Molly's house? I have to get Molly a gift before we go."
"Okay, it's on my way home anyway. What is it?" I asked.
"I left my hoodie at her place and my phone charger." He said as the bell rung.
I nodded, thanking God that it was our last period before school finished for another day but it was only Wednesday.
"Thanks," he said as we left the cafeteria, "I'll catch you later." I've been to Molly's before, she always had the biggest house parties of the year and she didn't live far from me.
After the last bell of the day rang, I quickly headed into the parking lot to find my car where I headed to Molly's to pick up Gray's things and then it was another thing done on my list. It was a sunny day here in Miami as I drove to Molly's house where she was apparently home. Gray texted her for me, telling me that I was coming over to collect some of his things.
Once I arrived, I knocked on the door and Molly appeared in my sight. "Hey, Zack. Come in."
Her dark blonde hair was curled at the tips and falling down her shoulders as she wore a t-shirt and a skirt. "Thanks. Gray left a hoodie and his charger here."
"Oh, yeah," she smiled, "they're on the dining room table, do you want a drink?"
I sighed, realizing that my mouth was dry. "Um, water thanks."
She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen as I followed to where Gray's things were. "Why couldn't Gray come by?"
"He had things to do." I said as she came back and handed me a cool glass of water.
I took a huge gulp and smiled at her. "So, weekend at Gray's cabin?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
I set the glass down. "Can I use your bathroom?"
She nodded. "Yeah, my parents are away on a cruise so I'm home alone for a while." She grinned.
It must be nice being home alone.
I headed upstairs and used the bathroom for a few minutes before finding my way back down again. I saw Molly take Gray's things and she walked closer to me. She handed them to me with a genuine smile. "Thanks, I couldn't forget those. Then me being here would be waste of time."
I took them and she ran her fingers through her smooth hair, looking as beautiful as ever. "I guess you'll be going then."
I nodded. "Yeah, Matt will be home soon and I need to babysit while mom and dad go out later tonight."
She nodded as curls her hair with her finger. We were inches apart, staring into each other's eyes and for a minute I forgot I was staring at my best friends girlfriend. And she began to kiss me, like no one ever had before. Our lips moved in sync as I dropped Gray's things on the floor and I wrapped my arms around her.
I thought for a minute. My eyes shot open and I paused and moved away. "This is wrong." I said, already ruining the bro code.
"You're right." She sighed, staring into my eyes again. I stared back and another long silence occurs, making me want her more.
"Oh, screw it." I said as I pulled her closer and kiss her again. We both moved out of the dining room area, still kissing and moving upstairs to her bedroom. I had never seen anyone undress so quickly as she did, she ripped off my t-shirt as I took off my pants. She unhooked her bra, kissing me and she let it fall to ground just like her underwear did a few seconds after.
We were now completely naked, making love to each other and Gray had no idea.
*Now*
"He still doesn't know, does he?" She calmed down. I remembered how it lasted another six months before Gray found out she was cheating on him with someone else, but he had no idea it was me.
I shook my head. "No, he doesn't and I don't plan on telling him either." I said, unsure if I regretted the time I had with Molly before I broke it off. "I loved you too, you know? But Gray was my best friend and I couldn't do that to him."
She nodded, taking my hand in a friendly way. "I understand."