Magnolia Parks

Christian accuses Magnolia of using her boyfriends. Magnolia admits to Gus that she loved Christian once, but never as much as she loved BJ. Gus also guesses that she is now developing feelings for Tom. He says, “All these boys are loopy because of you” (215), but this comment is not meant to be a compliment.

BJ is nervous, feeling that his romantic date with Magnolia could be a shift in the wind. Luxury isn’t enough to impress her, so he takes her on a boat ride to a secluded beach and offers her a picnic. He asks her how she feels about Tom but privately thinks, “She loves me, she wants to be with me, I can tell she does. I’m watching her climb over the walls she built around herself” (221). Magnolia asks him why he cheated on her, saying that she wants to “process it properly, and move past it, so it doesn’t kill me forever” (222). BJ tells her that he cheated simply because he wanted to. Hearing this, Magnolia demands to end the picnic and return to the hotel.