He was looking for something in Salmon Creek. Something he really needed to find, to help his sister. He didn't mean to hurt anyone. Not Hayley and the other girls he'd chased and cut loose. Not me, the one he'd finally caught, only to admit he'd pursued me for a reason.I understood that now. I wished I could have understood it then. I wished I could have said something in that last moment, before he let go.He'd told me it was okay. His last words to me.Why couldn't they have been my last words to him?
The narrative revolves around a young man in Salmon Creek who is on a quest to find something crucial for his sister. His intentions were not malicious, as he never meant to harm any of the girls he interacted with, including the narrator, whom he ultimately caught. The complexity of his motivations is revealed, highlighting a deep sense of regret in the narrator for not understanding his struggles at the time they interacted.
In reflection, the narrator expresses a desire for closure, lamenting that her last interaction with him didn't include the words she wished she could have shared. His parting words to her were reassuring, yet she longs to change the past, wishing she could have offered him the understanding and empathy he needed before their fateful separation.
