“How could you do that to me, especially with my best friend, Zac?” yelled Natalie. “Zac tell me did you really kiss her?” she stared at Zac with tear filled eyes waiting for him to answer.Zac and Natalie were voted cutest couple two years in a row in the year book. They looked perfect together. Natalie’s long blonde hair and bright green eyes complemented Zac’s shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes. They were the envy of the rest of the school.
With his deep brown eyes, he was looking down at the ground looking for the right answer.
“Tell me the truth Zac!” screamed Natalie, full of wrath.
Zac looked down at the railroad tracks, still not knowing what to say. He didn’t want to hurt Natalie’s best friend Sara, but he didn’t want to hurt Natalie either. Zac was stuck in a very difficult position and didn’t know what to do. All he knew was that he loved Natalie. Ever since the kiss with Sara, Zac had felt a great deal of anguish.
“I don’t really know what to tell you. It was a mistake and I regret it,” Zac murmured in confusion.
“But why? Why did you have to do this to me? I thought you loved me?” Natalie said as she turned to walk away.
Zac reached out and grabbed Natalie’s hand and said, “Wait, I do love you and always will! I’m sorry. I made a mistake!” Zac was looking deep into Natalie’s eyes trying to understand how she felt. Her eyes showed nothing but hurt feelings. Zac knew he needed to do something quick, or he would lose his true love forever. “Natalie, please just sit and hear me out?” pleaded Zac.
In Natalie’s heart she really wanted to work things out, but she was so hurt she didn’t know if she could. She was befuddled because she didn’t know who to choose. If she chose Zac, she would lose her best friend, Sara. On the other hand, if she chose Sara, she would lose her first true love forever. Natalie decided to sit down and hear Zac out.
“Zac, I don’t know if I can trust you anymore,” Natalie said looking into Zac’s eyes. “Sara has been my best friend forever and you have been my boyfriend for two years. Why would you guys do that to me?”
Zac knew this was his only chance to confess the truth of what had happened to Natalie.
“Okay, here’s the story,” Zac began. “At the school dance on Friday, Sara asked me to dance, and I said ,‘Sure why not.’ We have always been good friends, so I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
Natalie was having a hard time hearing what Zac was saying. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again, so she looked down at the railroad tracks and began to push the rocks around with a stick to keep from crying.
Zac knew the truth was tearing Natalie apart. “Anyway, we were dancing and all of a sudden she grabbed my face and kissed my lips. I kissed her back because I wanted to feel what it would feel like to be with someone else. Honestly, her lips against mine didn’t feel anything like when you kiss me. We separated, looked at each other, and knew what we just did was wrong. I turned around and walked away from her. We haven’t spoken to each other since,” Zac confessed.
It took Natalie a minute to think about what Zac had just said. She continued to play with the rocks when she responded, “Zac, I don’t know if things between us can ever be the same.”
“But Natalie….”
She cut him off. “I don’t want to hear anymore excuses from either one of you. My heart feels empty from all of this. I never would have thought that of all people you would kiss Sara, and she would kiss you back.”
Zac heart felt crushed by Natalie’s response. He had thought that bringing Natalie back to the railroad tracks would win her back because it was the first place they had kissed. Zac thought his chances were gone forever of having his true love.
“Natalie, you make me feel whole. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. When I’m with you, I feel so complete. Please don’t leave me. I’ll never feel the same about anyone else but you. I will never stop loving you,” Zac confessed to Natalie.
While Natalie was still looking at the ground, Zac reached into his pocket. He pulled it out revealing a small, sapphire ring. Zac gently took Natalie’s hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.
Natalie looked up and asked, “What’s this?”
“It’s to show my eternal love that I have for you. I promise to always be yours. I will never make that horrible mistake and break your heart again,” Zac explained. “Can you forgive me?”
Natalie leaned in and kissed Zac. It reminded her of their first kiss on the railroad tracks.
Natalie slipped the ring off her finger and placed it back in Zac’s hand.
“I’m sorry Zac. I don’t want to get hurt again. I’ve been thinking these past few months that soon we’ll be going in separate directions off to college. It kind of was a blessing in disguise that you and Sara kissed.”
Natalie turned and walked away from Zac never looking back. Zac was left with the sapphire ring and an empty heart.
