together two ham and cheese sandwiches. She left one on the kitchen table wrapped in a paper tow

shed sandwich on the table. His nose wrinkled in disgust. But his stomach gave a loud, hollow growl. Driven by h

ntlessly probing about their sleeping arrangements. Jude gripped the steering whee

f autumn coats at the Manhattan boutique where she work

rdrum. "Blaire! I want proof of this new 'roommate' of yours. Right

bling as she scrolled through her camera roll. She found the photo she had secretly

ater, her phone rang

h the receiver. "A picture of a back? Did you ju

heart racing. "He's just... really bus

y shift at five. I am coming to that Queens address ton

e frantically typed a text to Jude: SOS! My mom is coming t

p, Jude sat at the head of a massive mahogany table. A terrified execu

wisted his lips. Here we go, he thought. The whole family is

drizzle began to fall over New Y

d to her chest, sprinting the last block to t

was standing under a large umbrella in the pouring rain, her eyes

ediately launched into a brutal critique of the neighb

beat-up Toyota squeezed into

in a deep, hidden puddle. Muddy water splashed violently up his shin, soaking his

for the keys, and his hand froze. In his rush this morning, he had

ge to punch the brick wall. He grabbed the handle of the lobby d

Nothing happened. He looked up. A piece of lined notebook

e skyscrapers in the city, was now facing th

rk, narrow, mold-smelling stairwell. With every step, his thigh m

he third-floor landing. Blaire was frantic

crete stairwell. Sharon snapped her head towa

it jacket was unbuttoned, his tie was yanked loose, and

eyes locked onto Blaire. The ai

. Her hands shook violently. The keys slipped from her

t to shield Blaire like a protective mother

ed, her voice echoing in the stairwel

ned the color o