Page 97 of Johnny

to go swimming before I turn in.”

He stares back at me. “Swimming.” He says the word like it’s the most foreign concept in the

world. “Tonight?”

“Yeah. It’s hot and… tomorrow…” I shrug. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Oh,” he says, breathing out the word. “Right.”

I nod. “You wanna come with me?”

“Swimming?”

“I know you went earlier and maybe you’re tired. So if you’re not into it—”

“I’m into it.”

“OK.”

He takes another deep breath before he stands and for a moment I have an overwhelming feeling of

dread. A dark cloud passes over me and a chill runs up my spine, making me shudder.

One of us has to lose tomorrow.

We can’t both win.

I don’t want to lose, but I don’t want him to lose either.

It’s just… I have to do this. I have to.

“Megan?”

“Huh?” I look up and find him standing next to me. His hand extended. “Oh.” I place my fingertips

on top of his palm and he helps me out of the booth. There’s an awkward moment when I smile, and

he smiles, and then I feel like his blue eyes are burning into my soul and he can see everything inside

me. Every past transgression. Every dark secret.

But then he says, “I had a nice time tonight. Just for the record. I’m not really the kind of man who

says things like that or… does things like this. And if I clouded your mood with my dark thoughts, I’m

sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

It’s not my mood he clouded tonight. Not really.

It’s my intentions.

Our walk back to the cabaña is mostly silent. But we’re just turning down the path towards the

beach when Johnny says, “You know, I’d just like to make something clear.”

“What’s that?”

“Earlier you said us. Like I’m part of them. And I’m not, Megan. I’m not part of them. I didn’t ask