Page 103 of Johnny

“There,” he says, letting out a breath. “It’s nothing special, but…”

I look down at the bracelet. Not sure how this simple piece of ribbon can make me feel so cared

for when I have several thousand dollars of cocktail jewelry on me. But it does.

I look back up at him. “It’s… um… thank you. I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting this night to go

this direction. Where did you learn to do this?” I hold up my wrist, still looking at it with a sense of

wonder.

“Oh, I well. Odd thing here. My mom used to do this to us when we were small.” He grins. Like

he’s running that memory through his head. “I don’t remember much about her, but I remember that. So

when I got older, after she was gone, I taught myself how to do it because… well. Because I missed

her, I think. And it’s kinda pretty.”

“Hmm.” I’m still fascinated by the bracelet. “It’s super pretty, actually. Thank you. For everything.

You’ve really surprised me tonight, you know that?”

“I’m having a good time,” he says. “I know I don’t come off that way. It’s been a weird forty-eight

hours. Not what I had in mind when I came down here looking for Charlotte, that’s for sure. But I feel

like this night is all I’ve got left. Because once tomorrow comes I don’t know what’s going to

happen.” He stares at me for a minute. His blue eyes locked with mine. “Does that make sense?”

I nod. Unable to speak. Because my mind is filled with random flashes of Johnny rescuing me, and

washing me, and making sure I’m taken care of. Buying me shoes, and dinner, and trying his best to

explain himself. And I don’t think I will ever stop replaying that whole bracelet-making, ribbon-tying

moment over and over again in my head for as long as I live.

It might be the most real thing I’ve ever experienced.

“So I just want to have one of those nights, ya know? Because I don’t take chances like this often. I

don’t get out much. My life is work, and worry, and stress. And if things don’t go my way tomorrow, I

might never get another night like this again. So can you just wear the jewelry and come swim with

me? Because I really do just want to look at it sparkle in the moonlight.”

What I really want to do is sit by myself for a couple of lifetimes so I can figure what just

happened here. Because something just happened. And I’m afraid if I don’t play it back and make

sense of it, I’ll miss it. And the meaning will be lost forever.

“Wait,” he says. “That’s a lie.” And then he takes my hand. “I want to see it on you. The jewelry

and the moonlight. On you.” He pauses. “Um… I’m getting weird, right? Sorry.”