bed sheet. "Oh no, look," I said.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of that." He started to smile. I pulled away from him, spinning around and
pressing my face to the pillow.
"Laura," he said, pressing his palm to my back.
"I love you, Laura."
I felt like I had fallen back to earth, like I had
been traveling on a cloud, and suddenly, it turned gray
and somber and began to rain down on the Sea
Marina, releasing me along with the raindrops. My
heart was still pounding, but my mind was clearing,
the thoughts rushing in like water that had found an
opening.
We had done it; I had gone too far; I had lost
control. Or had I simply wanted it as much as Robert?
Was it a sin to want it? Was all that Daddy taught and
preached true, and would he take one look at me and
read the sin in my eyes? Would it break his heart? I thought about Cary, too: about his distrust of
all the boys who looked at me or spoke to me.
Nothing would convince him that this was good and
pure and beautiful. He would say I had simply
become someone's little trophy.
"Laura, what's wrong?" Robert asked softly. "I don't know what came over me. Why. . how .
."
"Laura, we didn't do anything wrong. We love
each other. Don't start feeling guilty."
"Why shouldn't I feel guilty, Robert?" I
snapped and got up to gather my clothes. "This is
exactly what everyone would have thought would
happen if I came here and spent the evening with you
alone. Every accusing eye and word, every sneer--" "But we didn't do anything wrong. We love