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Tears actually burned my eyes. I looked to Jordan, but she looked down.

“Why don’t you r

eturn to your room, calm down, and then come down to dinner?”

“I’m not hungry,” I said defiantly. I stood up and started out.

“Be sure you come to dinner even if you just sit and stare at your food,” Donald called after me. “We’re not going to put up with tantrums.”

Not going to put up with tantrums? Where were you throughout Kiera’s life? I wanted to ask, but I hurried away to the stairway instead. I was to suffer not only because of the things their daughter had done to me but also because of the things she had done to them. The tears broke through as I went up. I flicked them off my cheeks and marched to my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

At first, I just stood there looking around the suite. Not since I had first come here had I felt more like a stranger. When I was younger, I had quickly embraced Alena’s things. She was about my age when she died. The suite had a sacred feel to it, but now, perhaps because of how Donald was treating me, all of the business with the giraffes, the pictures, the wallpaper, and the replicas, looked babyish. Ryder was right. I should have insisted on being in one of the guest rooms. No matter what, that’s what I was, after all, a guest.

I went to my desk and plopped into the chair. For a good minute or so, I just sat there sulking. Then I saw that I had another e-mail from Kiera. If ever I had wanted to talk to her, it was now, I thought. I should let her know that all of the bad things she had done were still rippling through my life. I was angry enough to get her and her parents into a bad argument. If they were going to be mean to me, I could be mean to them, the consequences be damned.

I opened her e-mail.

Dear Sasha,

Richard had to go back to England yesterday because his father is seriously ill. Believe it or not, I miss him already. He might be gone ten days.

I heard you have a day off Tuesday. Why not drive up to my college Friday? You can skip one day of school on Monday and have a four-day weekend.

Or can’t you pull yourself away from Ryder Garfield?

Tell you what.

You know my college is near Santa Barbara. Why don’t we all just meet there? I’ll book us a room with two double beds at the motel Richard and I go to on weekends. Don’t tell my parents. Tell them you’re coming here to spend the weekend with me at the dorm. I’ll have one of my roommates cover for us.

Call me after you speak with my parents. Please try to come. You know how much I hate to be bored.

Kiera

I sat back and thought about it. What a wonderful solution. Ryder and I could have some private time together. But after what had happened, could Ryder get his parents to let him go? Then again, if he did join Kiera and me and Donald and Jordan found out about it . . .

Was it worth the risk?

I began my return e-mail to Kiera describing all that had happened.

Literally less than a minute after I sent it, my phone rang.

“Wow!” I heard Kiera say after I said hello. I had actually been afraid it was Ryder. I wasn’t ready to tell him what had gone on here. “And I thought I led a pretty exciting life when I was at Pacifica.”

“It’s not exciting, Kiera. It’s disgusting. I hate Pacifica.”

“Don’t get so dramatic. They’ll start calling you Kiera.”

“They practically have,” I said.

“Really?”

I thought that would bother her, but she laughed. “I guess I’m just too impressive, after all,” she said. “So? Are you going to come? I want to hear more, all the nitty-gritty details. Have you slept with him? What do his parents think of you? Call me as soon as you speak to my parents.”

“Don’t have high hopes. Your father wants to put a ball and chain on me.”

She laughed. “He tried that with me, too. You saw how far that got him. Cry to my mother. She’ll be on your side more than she was on mine.”

I wanted to tell her no, her mother was acting more timidly than I had ever seen her act, and I thought it was because she was afraid of losing Kiera’s father. Was this a good time to mention the rumors? I had strong doubts that her mother ever mentioned any of it.