“Zack Black – you misread the situation. And you acted like a fool.”

My words may sound harsh, but my voice is actually very tender. The dude has dug himself into a hole deeper than the Kimberly Diamond Mine – and the look in his eyes tells me that he knows it. 

“But at least you’re a gorgeous fool,” I say in a soft voice.

Zack reaches out and takes my hand, and when he smiles at me his eyes look like the sun has come out from behind the clouds.

He tugs me towards him and my body reacts like a magnet. My arms slide around his neck as Zack pulls me in even closer. After days of being apart there’s suddenly no space between us, and it feels like our bodies are made for each other.

Zack’s lips softly graze my neck and the chemistry between us takes my breath away.

When he speaks it’s in a low, husky voice and he’s so close to me that his breath on my neck gives me goosebumps. 

“They do say that the best part of breaking up is the making up, Hope L’Amour.”

I stay close for a few seconds, leaning into him, mesmerized by the feeling of his hands moving seductively across my back. And then, with momentous effort, I pull away.

“I’m glad you’ve explained,” I say slowly, thinking hard about what I’m saying, “but the fact still remains that I made the most romantic gesture of my life and you did dump me on Valentine’s Day.”

Zack sighs. “I’ve said I’m sorry, and I really am, I’ll say it a thousand times.”

“I know you’re sorry Zack, but I didn’t see that letter coming and when it happened I felt…lost. I just kept asking myself ‘Who am I?”.

Zack nods like he understands.

“And I’ve always thought you understood me really well Zack, but you’re telling me that you broke up with me because you thought I was about to break up with you. And at the time you couldn’t have been more wrong. Which means that even you don’t really know who I am.’

“We misunderstood each other Hope,” Zack frowns, “that doesn’t mean that I don’t know who you are.”

I take a long sip of my Coke.  

“I’m only sixteen, and you’re only seventeen Zack. These last few days have been massive, and in the midst of all this heartbreak, I’ve realised that I’m still busy becoming someone. It’s been a surprising but amazing discovery, and actually, if you hadn’t broken up with me I don’t know if that would have happened.”

Zack puts his hand on my shoulder. “Where are you going with this conversation Hope?” he asks earnestly, his eyes worried.

My words tumble out on a wave of passion.

“I have real feelings for you Zack, I know that for sure now, but I can’t carry on like nothing happened, because something has changed in me over these last few days. I’ve realised we can’t really know each other yet because we’re both still getting to know ourselves. And I don’t think we should carry on like nothing’s happened because look where that got us last time!” 

Zack frowns again and stares down at the pavement. 

In the silence that follows I get the feeling that I may as well have been pouring my heart out in Japanese. It makes me feel quiet empty not to be understood, but I was speaking my truth, so there’s nothing to do now but stand by that. 

After a while Zack slowly starts to nod his head, and then he looks up at me and gives me a beautiful smile.

“I hear you Hope – what you say makes so much sense. We are still so young, and there is still so much to learn about ourselves and about each other.”

I hop back up on the wall next to Zack.

“So what’s your next move?” I ask him, hoping he really has got it.

“Well…how about I say sorry to you a hundred more times, and we take a step back and go back to being good friends to each other. And then I ask you out on another first date, and we see where that takes us?”

My secret stash of butterflies spring to life in my stomach. 

Zack, baby, we are both speaking the same language again! Hallelujah!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? So guys, are you happy the love birds are back together?