As I ride, my hair is ripping in the wind. The air is rough and dry, and the sun is setting as he looks at me. I'm not scared, but maybe I should be...
“What were you thinking, Rose? Why do you think it's okay to tell people about us? I thought this was just between us.”
“Listen, Johnny, you can't blame me for being a little excited. I mean, for God's sake, you're Johnny Mitch.”
This made him smile like I knew it would, and hopefully would make him drop the subject.
“Yeah, but Jeanie, of all people? God, Rose, I don't know why I put up with so much from you.”
Apparently dropping it is not what he's going to do. Great.
“Jeanie may have loved you for a long time, but she's been my friend longer. I can say whatever I please to my friends, anyway. You don't own me.”
I regretted saying it as soon as it passed my lips.
Johnny turned the car too sharply then, and my rib-cage crashed into the side door of the car. I've done it now.
“When, dear, did I say I 'owned' you? Why does EVERYONE always act like I'm such a bad guy?!”
“Johnny, hun, I didn't mean it like that, you know that...I was just not thinking, that's all. You're not a bad guy. Johnny, my God, slow down!”
Johnny proceeded to rip the car around another bend and I held tightly onto the seat belt across my chest.
“Johnny, you just need to learn to control yourself a little and maybe people wouldn't assume you're so bad. I know that you're just passionate about everything, babe. I get it. Please, Johnny, slow the car down, now!” I try to rationalize with him, because he was getting angrier.
Johnny does this, he gets angry about one thing and then everything else comes back to haunt him.
“I knew it, Rose. I knew that if people found out about us nobody would think I was good enough for you. I'm the bad guy!”
I think he was starting to cry, silently. The air brushed his face so quickly, it wiped whatever tears may have been there away too quickly to be sure. He was driving faster now. There is a car coming down the same narrow road we're on, and Johnny was going too fast before he noticed...
“Johnny, please, stop!”