GIVEN ALL THAT"S HAPPENED this morning, I hadn"t noticed rain falling outside. An hour before Ryan called, I"d wanted to jump in bed, cover my head, and forget the world existed. But after three revelations, Undaunted"s false identity, Nikki"s pregnancy, and Ryan"s story about his brother, I can"t go back to sleep. And the off-campus party returns like an old annoying wound. In just twenty-four hours, I"ve revealed my secret to two people and didn"t die of shame.
I approach the rain-dribbled window, and a verdant watercolor painting appears. Except for occasional sun peeking through rolling clouds, it looks like early evening. I slump hungover into the breakfast nook and watch the teenage dog walker command more control of the canine pack. He"s learning. Soon, thoughts turn to Literature
