"Leave them to the ocean. She has a way of
cleaning up the messes left on her beaches," he said.
He held my right arm as we continued walking. "I must look like a mess," I said. "My stomach
feels as if I swallowed a beehive."
"We'll get you home and to bed, but you'll
probably feel crummy in the morning."
"Your mother will be very upset with me, and if
your father sees me--"
"He won't," Cary promised.
"It's too soon. Your mother will wonder why
I'm back from studying already."
"We'll smuggle you in," he promised.
I walked with my eyes shut, my head against
his shoulder, feeling heavy with the burden of shame I
carried. He held me as if I were made of spun glass
and any second I'd break. When I stumbled, he held
me even tighter and more firmly. It seemed to take
forever to go back over the hill, and then when we
started to descend the second one, he abruptly
stopped. "Wait."
I opened my eyes.
"What?"
He squinted at the darkness.
"My father," he whispered. "He's coming back
from the dock."
"Great. Now all I'll hear is how this proves I'm
my mother's daughter. He'll have me reading the Bible
all night."
"Shh! Just don't move for a moment." Cary was
quiet a long moment. "All right, he's just about to the