Page 17

I pace the floor of my cabin, not able to go to sleep yet. The exhilaration of the night and the worry over Penny has me wound up tight.

There’s a knock on the door. Thinking it’s Billy and worried it might be about Penny, I open it quickly.

It’s Baby hovering on the steps.

“Can I come in?” he asks.

I silently stand back and let him enter. He sits down on the edge of a chair and looks around. There’s not much to see, it’s a pretty basic room and not very tidy.

I need something to do so I walk to the record player and select some music to put on.

“I want to apologise for the way my dad treated you,” Baby says .

“He was amazing, the way he saved Penny. I was worried about her, but what he did was incredible. I could never do anything like that. It’s?—”

“No! I meant how he was with you, Johnny.” Baby’s words cut through my speech.

I shrug. I’m used to being seen as not worth talking to, it’s no big deal.

“It took some courage to do what you did.”

“Yeah, it takes real courage to go ask my dad,” he says bitterly and I don’t like to see it.

“I mean it. You always try to make things better. If you see something you try to fix it. You’re not scared of anything.” I start walking towards where he’s sitting.

“Me? I’m scared of everything!” he exclaims. Then he takes a deep breath and starts again, quieter. “But... but what I’m most scared of is leaving here and not getting to tell you how you make me feel.”

I stop in the middle of the room. I daren’t move any closer to him, because if I do, I know I won’t be able to turn back from this.