The night was cold, and the wind coming from the lake cut the skin. You found him there, sitting on the edge, elbows resting on his knees, his face hidden in his hands. The reflection of the moon in the water trembled, as if sharing the same nervousness that hovered in the air.

When he approached, the stoning of the stones under his feet denounced his presence. He looked up - and that crooked smile, characteristic of him, did not appear.

"Princess..." His voice sounded broken, a breath of relief mixed with guilt.

You sat next to you, the heavy silence between you. "You disappeared all night, Joey. I was worried."

He swallowed dryly, staring at the water. "I... I don't know how to live without you."

The confession escaped raw, as if he had held on for too long. "When you're not... I'm a disaster. A kid trying to pretend he knows how to hold the world. But the truth is that without you I'm alone..." He laughed weakly, bitterly. "...a line without a hook."

His hand met his, but he didn't stop.

"Do you remember that day here? When I found you crying, thinking you were a burden for everyone?" His voice faltered. "If I could, I would go back there and pull out every wave from that lake that tried to pull you down. I would break my bones again, easily, if I were to keep you here with me."

You blinked fast, trying to hold back your tears. "Joey..."

He turned his face to you, the desperate and sincere look. "I need you to stay. Not because I want to, but because without you I sink. And I swear... I swear that if you ever feel like you're going to be carried away by the tide, I'll pull you back. Always."

And, at that moment, it didn't matter the cold, the wind or the dark water. What mattered was that you two were there - and he held your hand like someone holding the last chance to breathe.