“That could put me in a tough situation, since he’s your brother.”

“It wouldn’t matter. I’d take your side no matter what.”

“Then…yes,” she said.

“But I want every last detail,” I said. “No matter how small. You can’t leave anything out.”

“Of course. But in that case you’ll have to make me a promise.”

“Like what?”

“The first time you have sex…”

“Omigod!” I screamed, and we laughed so hard Michael knocked on the door and asked if everything was all right. And all I could think about from that day on was how Nicki—not Holly—was the one who was perfect for me. And that night when she and Michael went to a bar I snuck in their room and stole the cutest pair of panties from her suitcase, and never told her about it till today. And the way I spun it, making it look like Daddy stole them, was probably worth an extra four million dollars of insurance money for my family, so it turned out to be a good thing.

By the way, Nicki was right about her and Michael: the very next month they did break up. She came to the house to talk to Mom and me about it. After talking to Mom out on the gazebo, she came to my room and we visited and she could tell I was upset and asked me why and that’s when I told her that Mom was cheating on Daddy.

9.

“ARE YOU SURE?” Nicki asked.

“Yup.”

“Does your dad know?”

“I don’t think so.”

“How’d you find out?”

I told her how Mom has a secret phone I found by accident, and even though she had a privacy code on it, it was simple to figure out as she stupidly used her birth year. “She only used the phone for this guy and never erased the call history or any of their texts.”

“Who’s the guy?”

“One of our neighbors.”

“Is he good looking?”

“God no! But if you ever read their texts you’d think he was George Clooney.”

Nicki said, “Personally I don’t find George Clooney attractive at all.”

I laughed. “Me either. I was really just trying to think of someone old that Mom might think was good looking.”

Last night I told Nicki two of my biggest secrets. I told her I loved her, and wanted to be with her, and I also told her I was adopted. I think the only secret I haven’t told her or anyone else is the one I’ll never tell, ’cause I don’t want to hurt her feelings. It involves Daddy, and how two weeks ago he said never to trust Nicki.

“She’s a master manipulator,” he said. “Don’t ever trust her.” Of course I defended her, and he got furious and called Nicki the c-word and said, “She’ll never step foot in this house again!” Of course, he’d been drinking heavily, and I know now that he had a huge crush on her, and this would have been around the time she turned him down after he sent her a ton of money to get her to leave Michael and run off with him, so it makes sense he’d be mad at her.

But that’s all behind us now because Daddy hanged himself, and Michael sexually assaulted Nicki, and she decided to leave him once and for all, and I confessed my feelings for her, and she melted in my arms, and now we’re hopelessly in love. And while I’m miserable about Daddy, I’m insanely happy about my new relationship with Nicki, whose actual name might be Katie, according to the jerk detective who’s been harassing her since the moment he showed up to investigate Daddy’s death. But I don’t care if her name is Nicki, Katie, or Phineas and Ferb. I love her, and we’re gonna be together forever.

At this exact moment Detective Broadus finally ended his witch hunt, and he and Detective Rudd just left. Mom asked Nicki if they could speak privately, and I can’t wait to hear what that’s all about. Of course, I won’t have to wait long, since I know Nicki will tell me every last detail soon enough.

My biggest problem is Michael. Ever since last night he’s been treating Nicki like shit. But when she gave him her checkbook he started acting differently. I know he’s gonna do what he always does: beg her to come back.

But this time it’s not gonna work. This time she’s got me. And I’m not gonna let anything come between me and Nicki. Not Michael, not Mom, not anyone.

10.

Alison

I’M IN MY hotel room staring at Nicki Hill, the young woman I thought I knew. But it’s not Nicki, it’s Katie Walker, and she’s staring back at me defiantly, daring me to say what we both know I’m thinking…and so I do: “How much does Michael know about your background?”

“Just the stuff you told him about the foster homes.”

“How many times have you changed your name?”

“Are you including who I was before I became Katie Walker?”

“No.”

“Then…just twice. I actually used the name Alison for a while.”

“Alison what?”

“Henry.”

“When was that?”

“The first time I got engaged.”

“You were married?”

“No.