Chapter 100: You Still Loved Her

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Woah, we've made it to chapter 100! That's crazy lmao. If you've been following this story since Time after Time, you a real one 😘 If you skipped that book... yikes. Anyway, let's get into itttt...

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Magnolia Kitchen Cafe

Johnny and Ali sit together chatting, laughing as they reminisce about their younger days. Ali then brings up the blonde man's Facebook posts of him with his students, impressed by how great his life seems to be today. "Yeah, well, life after high school's been pretty good," Johnny claims, smiling and nodding. "Oh, I'm so happy for you," Ali expresses, smiling kindly. The man continues nodding before lowering his gaze shamefully. His lie sickens him. "Actually, that's bullshit," he states. Ali straightens her posture, gazing at him quizzically.

"The truth is... I partied through most of my 20s. All of 'em, actually. And then my 30s," he confesses. Ali just shakes her head as she smiles, not even a drop of judgment within her. "Well," she reacts, lightly chuckling. Johnny doesn't return the smile, however. "Next thing I knew, this girl I was dating got pregnant. I didn't know the first thing about being a dad. I was unprepared," he trails off. He blinks a few times as he gathers his next words. "And, uh... eventually, I screwed everything up," he expresses.

"Hmm," Ali hums, feeling bad for him and not knowing what to say. "Pretty sure I've ruined every meaningful relationship I've ever had, actually. Starting with–" Johnny proceeds before cutting himself off. He glances at the woman across from him awkwardly, not sure if he should finish that sentence. "Rosalía?" she questions. Johnny gazes at her in shock, which makes the woman grin. "I, uh..." Johnny trails off before Ali speaks up again.

"I know how much you liked her. You were practically obsessed," she chuckles, recalling how much Johnny pestered the Salvadoran girl. The man doesn't reply, he merely glances down at the table before darting his eyes back to the woman across from him, who notices the hint of sadness on his face. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have messed up a lot of things in my life," Ali pipes up, hoping to ease the man's mind. "Oh, come on, you have everything. Amazing career, beautiful family... You did everything by the book," Johnny counters.

He can't imagine Ali making huge mistakes. He's always hoped that she's been completely happy this whole time. That thought helps ease his guilt over how he used her when they were teenagers. "Yeah, exactly. Ali, the good doctor. Ali, the good mom. Ali, the good wife," the woman responds, the stress present in her tone. She releases a sigh. "Well, ex-wife," she adds. Johnny quirks his eyebrows, surprised by the last two words.

Ali dryly chuckles and groans, straightening her posture and shaking her head to let her hair fall back before resting her arms on the table and leaning against it again. "Greg and I are separated," she announces. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry," the man sincerely responds. He had assumed that everything was perfect in his former lover's life but now he sees that he was wrong. "Um... The good news is... it's nobody's fault. Greg is actually a great guy," Ali depicts. "He's an idiot," Johnny suddenly blurts.

He's always cared about Ali and still thinks that she is a wonderful woman. He couldn't love her the way she deserved so he hoped that her husband did. In his opinion, Greg is stupid for letting her go. The blonde woman begins laughing at his claim, which causes him to smile. "I love, after all these years, you can still make me laugh," she mentions. At this moment, Johnny decides that it's finally time to end his unfinished business. He needs to right this wrong that's been bothering him for years. It's now or never.

"Look, Ali... I want to apologize," he commences. "Johnny Lawrence, apologize?" Ali jokingly queries with a playful grin on her face. "Yeah. Look, I screwed up back in the day. When we were dating, I had someone else in the back of my mind... I'm sure you know who," the man proceeds. The woman hums in confirmation, knowing exactly who he's referring to. "And... I guess I thought that I could get over her with you but... the truth is, I was looking for her in you," Johnny shamefully confesses, keeping his gaze down. He's afraid to meet Ali's eyes.

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