BOOK 5 - THE REGRET

All friends keep secrets, but some are just unspeakable. Russ is cast adrift and patches up a fractured relationship. Crystal and Brett take baby steps toward becoming a hot item while someone hints at their true feelings for Nicole. All this may be overshadowed by a very shocking discovery that Catherine makes involving her daughter, Rachel, and a porn site. 

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Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself?

--Billy Joel

BOOK 6 - THE REALLY LONG NIGHT

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As Rita's life seems to settle down, everyone else begins to ramp up. Crystal and Brett go on their first official date...and so does Renee. A woman from Brad's past returns and they spend some time reconnecting. Catherine dodges Brooke's wild trade show antics as Robert avoids temptation at home. All this, and a phone session that leaves Russ changed forever.

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But none of the tears that we cry in sorrow or in rage,
Can make any difference or turn back the page.

--David Gilmour

BOOK 7 - YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND

In the aftermath of "The Really Long Night", Russ faces what he thinks will be his darkest hour, only to be blindsided by someone he never expected. Rita, for the first time in her career, blurs the line between client and patient and runs to Russ for guidance on how to deal with the situation. Brett turns in his (eye raising) report while continuing to romance Crystal. However, it all comes to a head when Rita decides to step outside her comfort zone..

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I know I am dead on the surface,

But I am screaming underneath.

--Coldplay

BOOK 8 - EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS

Never mistake stagnation for inactivity. Russ may have shrugged off the events of "The Really Long Night", but it may become an out of the frying pan and into the fire situation. Rita has to face the fallout of her most recent choice and risks planting the seeds of mistrust into her husband's mind. Renee may be enjoying herself as she dates half of Craigslist, but her true intentions are as clear as day. On the flip side, Brett handles his romance of Crystal while seeming to have ulterior motives. In Robert's life, Rachel may be gone, but she is far from forgotten. The sparks that flew seem to have finally burnt out, but all of this smolders, waiting for that breath of fresh air....

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Lord, I want to be with you,

Won't you let me come in from the cold?

--Supertramp