Page 77 of Johnny

Johnny Boston who lived before this one.

So I don’t stray super far. And even though I wish I could stay out here in this ocean for the rest of

my days, I can’t. So I swim back.

I hate that feeling when you walk out of the ocean. That too-heavy feeling and the way your clothes

stick to you. I hate how much effort it takes to resist the pull of gravity and accept the fact that you

aren’t a weightless creature of the sea, but just a man carrying a burden.

I walk up the sand towards the bungalow, fully intent on going back inside, taking a shower, and

changing into my new clothes.

But I drop to my knees about a dozen yards away and lie back. I’m instantly covered in white sand

and I don’t care.

I just don’t care.

My eyes close like they have a mind of their own, and I sigh.

I let out that breath, and I force myself to forget.

I don’t know how long I sleep. I only know that Megan is beside me when I open my eyes. She

looks down at me when I turn my head, shields her eyes from the sun, and says, “Hey.”

“Hey,” I mumble, rising up to a sitting position. “How long have you been out here?”

“I dunno.” She sighs. I glance at her, find her shrugging. “Kinda don’t even know what day it is

right now. Kinda wish it could stay like this forever.”

I grin and turn away so she can’t see it. “Yeah,” I mumble. “Can relate to that.” But then I look back

at her because I notice what she’s wearing. “I bought you some clothes. When I came back you were

asleep so I put them away in your room.”

“Oh,” she says, mostly hiding her surprise. “Well, thank you. You didn’t need to do that.”

“I know,” I say, brushing the sand off the back of my legs.

“A bunch of boxes came. I think I might’ve slept until tomorrow if the door chime didn’t wake me

up.”

“Did you open them?”

“Why would I open them?”

“Because they’re for you.”

“Oh,” she says again, same matter-of-fact surprise in her voice. “I didn’t realize that.”

And now I feel slightly stupid because… why did I buy her all that shit again?