We don’t have any other surrogates available for four weeks.” I sighed into my phone. I’d been up all night, trying to figure out the best way to untangle myself from…from whatever this was that I’d started. I know I’d told Natalie I wouldn’t transfer her, but after sleeping on it, it felt clear: I couldn’t do this. Lisa continued. “Look, I’m really sorry Ry, but I need you to do this for me. Please.” I ran my hand through my hair, exasperated, but trying to restrain my reaction. Lisa wasn’t going to budge. I would know. Her and I had dated years ago for all of a second. A fitting capstone to The Years I’d Rather Forget. Our relationship ran hot and faded fast, and thankfully we rarely spoke of it now. At the time, her father had been the chair of the Psychology Division at USF, and knowing I needed to attend school close to home, she’d pulled some strings to get me into the program.
