Far from Home — Lorelie Brown

My name is Rachel. I'm straight . . . I think. I also have a mountain of student loans and a smart mouth. I wasn't serious when I told Pari Sadashiv I'd marry her. It was only party banter! Except Pari needs a green card, and she's willing to give me a breather from drowning in debt.

My off-the-cuff idea might not be so terrible. We get along as friends. She's really romantically cautious, which I find heartbreaking. She deserves someone to laugh with. She's kind. And calm. And gorgeous. A couple of years with her actually sounds pretty good. If some of Pari's kindness and calm rubs off on me, that'd be a bonus, because I'm a mess -- anorexia is not a pretty word -- and my little ways of keeping control of myself, of the world, aren't working anymore.

And if I slip up, Pari will see my cracks. Then I'll crack. Which means I gotta get out, quick, before I fall in love with my wife.