They walked back. The wind tugged at their clothes, and Werner had his arm over her shoulders.

She didn’t know if it was the weather, the fairy-tale surroundings, or Werner’s cheerful mood, but she hadn’t felt such an intense connection with him in a very long time. Who knew? Maybe this would work out; maybe they really would find each other again.

12

12

Ralf felt himself slowly growing calmer. Occasional shudders continued to run through his limbs. His throat was raw, and there was a dull pain in his side from when he had fallen onto the table, but his head felt clear and calm. It was over; he no longer had to worry about money or about Naomi.

Mikey had his coke.

And Naomi was sitting next to him in the car, her fingers knitted together on her lap.

“What did you do to him back there?” asked Ralf.

“I punched him in the balls.”

“You’re a real—” He raised his hand and shook his head.

“It was a reflex. I have two older brothers, remember.”

He gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, I know. It was still pretty dumb, though.”

She was putting on a brave face, Ralf could see. But it was all fake. Behind the bluffing was a good deal of fear and uncertainty. He could see it in her eyes, in the faint movements she was making, in the minuscule twitch by her mouth. She had been scared to death, and it would take her a good while to get over it.

And it was all his fault.

“Well.” She sighed and placed her fingers on the door handle. “I should go.”

“Naomi—”

She turned her magnificent eyes on him. They were the most beautiful he had ever seen, but now they were red and puffy from crying.

He licked his thumb and wiped a trail of mascara from under her eye. “What will you tell your parents?”

“Nothing.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Nothing?”

“I’ll tell them I had a fight with Sara or something. They’d never let me leave the house again if they knew what happened. Seriously. They’re superprotective. And my brothers are even worse.”

“They’ve got a point.”

She looked at him thoughtfully and slowly shook her head. “It’s insane. What you did back there . . . Seriously, man, a gun . . . That was totally—”

“Shh.” He held her face, moved his own closer to hers. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I mean it, Naomi. I’m so ashamed of myself. Go home, OK? Go back to your parents and your brothers and your little sister. Keep your distance from me. Keep away from boys like me and Brian. You deserve better.”

She bit her lower lip. He saw tears well up in her eyes again. “I don’t know what I should do.”