Age 16, USA

Zach, please, please forgive me!

You and I had been dating for 9 months and had hit some rough patches. Before I left for a spring break vacation in Florida, you told me you loved me.

I know I was taken, but there were so many cute guys in Florida, I couldn’t resist flirted with them. I promised myself that it wouldn’t be more than that.

That night, when I called to talk to you and to tell you about the trip, I heard a girl’s voice in the background. I thought you were cheating on me. I told you we were over. You tried to explain that you weren’t cheating, that the girl was just your cousin, but I didn’t believe you.

I hooked up with a guy that night. I had to get you off my mind. The pain was too much to handle.

After I returned home, I told a friend everything that happened that night we had fought while I was in Florida. She promised me she wouldn’t tell anyone.

When I saw you, once again you told me that you never cheated. We agreed to get back together. A month later my secret about hooking up with another guy in Florida got out.

You yelled at me and called me some horrible names. You said you wished you’d never met me. You slammed the door in my face. We were both left sobbing.

Whenever I see you, I just want to hug you and say I’m sorry. I want to tell you that I miss you, that I made a stupid mistake, Zach, and I still love you. I hope you still love me. Hopefully, you’ll be able to forgive me and we’ll be able to be together again. I’m sorry, Zach! Please forgive me!

What did you learn?

When a relationship is important to you, don’t sacrifice it. Things can be so much worse. Never lose sight of what (who) you have and what (who) is in front of you.