After we made out for a while, we realized cooling it for a bit was probably a good idea. Anyway, I was sleepy, so I changed into my pajamas and let him tuck me in and ease in behind me like the night before.
Now that he’d told me everything, I felt so much lighter and knew, especially with him there, that I’d fall asleep quickly.
But I guess he wasn’t done talking. “What are your parents going to think of me?”
I rolled over so I could face him. “I don’t care.”
I could barely see him in the dark, but still saw him cock his head. “How can you not care?”
“For as long as I can remember, they’ve ditched me and left me behind all the time and for almost every holiday. They don’t think about me, so what should I care what they think of you? They sent me a video card for Christmas. You’re here with me. That says a lot more than a stupid video card.” I hated that the hurt was evident in my voice.
Danny folded me into his arms. “I am here. But you know after this week, I can’t be.”
I nodded against his chest. “I’ll never sleep again.”
He pulled back to look down at me. “Don’t say that.”
“You make me feel safe and comfortable. Without you here, I’ll feel like I’m lost at sea. You’re like my anchor.”
He looked at me for a long moment before he got up out of bed. For a minute, I panicked that I’d chased him away with my crazy, but realized he was just rooting around on my desk for something. “What are you doing?”
Without saying anything, he turned on my desk lamp and then sat down on the bed beside me. He grabbed my right hand and turned it palm up. “Danny?”
“Shhh,” he said, then put my orange Sharpie in his mouth to pull off the cap. While I watched, he drew an anchor on the inside of my wrist. He bent over and blew on it, his warm breath tickling my sensitive skin. Then he bent even lower and pressed his lips there, lingering as he heated up my flesh. “There,” he said as he finally drew away. “Now you have an anchor. Every night that I’m not here, look at it and know you’re not alone. I’m always with you.”
“It will wear off,” I said stupidly, looking at the anchor as my heart wondered how it got so lucky as to be captured by this boy.
“I’ll keep drawing it on. Maybe one day, you’ll make it permanent. That’s up to you.”
He put the Sharpie on the desk and got back into bed with me. We arranged ourselves again until he was behind me, his arms holding me to him.
“You never have to be alone, Emmeline. From this point forward. I promise I will always be with you.”