She stuck the piece of paper back in the book, dropped the book to the floor. Listening to it land with a thud, she thought bitterly, another close-but-no-cigar clue, one that led to more questions and no answers, that appeared promising initially but ultimately failed to pan out. Suddenly exhausted, she reached for the cord on her lamp. When she pulled it, though, the room didn’t plunge into darkness. Surprised, she looked out the window. Saw that the sky was already turning a pale, streaky pink, the sun rising up out of the ocean. Morning, she realized. It was a sickening sight.

• • •

Alice was present at family breakfast that day in body only, eating little, talking less. Charlie, who seemed pretty distracted herself, only noticed how out of it Alice was when Alice was slow to respond to a request to pass the almond milk, shooting her a what’s-up-with-you? look. Alice mouthed the word cramps, and Charlie, who got terrible ones when she had her period, winced sympathetically, nodded, like “say no more.” As soon as Luz began clearing the plates, Alice returned to her room, changed into a miniskirt and tank top, her bathing suit underneath. After dousing herself in spray-on sunblock with a triple-digit SPF, she slipped out the back door without anyone observing her.

She was supposed to meet Tommy at this little dive-type restaurant by the docks. It was unlikely that they’d run into anyone they knew there. After a quick cup of coffee, they’d head down to the beach, some spot that was technically public but as good as private, Tommy claimed, because nobody but locals was aware of its existence.

Alice was walking quickly, afraid she’d be late. Walking quickly, too, because she was nervous. She and Tommy had to have a talk. She still didn’t know where they stood as a couple, if they even were a couple. In so many ways they felt like one. They saw each other nearly every day, and when they were together they were constantly touching, like one part of his body had to be in contact with one part of hers at all times, even if it was just linked fingers. And the secrecy of the relationship, the way it was conducted mostly at night or in out-of-the-way spots, the fact that they were forbidden to get involved with each other if not explicitly than implicitly because of his past association with Camilla—all these things made their romance feel, well, more romantic. To Alice, anyway.