Page 41 of One More Chance
Oh boy.But I don’t bother putting up a fight. Ultimately I will lose, so why waste the energy? “Oh, okay.”
“Let’s go shopping for an outfit,” she says, rubbing her hands together and pointing to the sign of a leather shop.
By the time we finish and are actually in the car on the way back to the farm, I want to die. The outfit she picked for me is so tight I might not be able to breathe. Leather pants? People actually wear these?
“So, what’s going on with you and my brother?” she asks abruptly.
“Oh. What do you mean? We’re just friends,” I say.
“Right. You’re about as bad at being just friends as I am at trying to get a second date,” she says, laughing.
“I guess it’s been a little muddy.”
“Honey, if it were any muddier, we’d all need boots,” she says.
“He’s just helping me. I’ve only been with one guy. He offered to help me get comfortable with a guy other than my ex. That’s all,” I say, shrugging.
“So you don’t like him?” she asks, flipping her long red hair back.
Cora’s profile is intimidating. Not because she’s trying to intentionally intimidate me, but because she’s just so striking. The light freckles on her face are so naturally gorgeous and she embraces them, choosing not to cake on foundation and cover them. She seems so confident in her skin, so sure of herself. It’s hard to believe she has trouble dating. I’ll have to take everyone’s word for it.
“I think he’s nice. And really good looking. But I’m not sure I can really like him. I mean, he leaves soon.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” she asks, as if his leaving is inconsequential.
“Well, he’ll be gone and then what?”
“Go with him?” she tries.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Oh, stop acting like you couldn’t or like it’s such a radical idea,” she scoffs. “The fact is, you’re both adults. You can do what you want. And Lyla told me you’ve never traveled. Hell, that’s all he does. Travel with him. Do something you like to do along the way.”
“I don’t even know what I like to do,” I admit.
“Lyla said you used to take pictures. Why don’t you do that anymore?”
“I’m not sure. I just sort of stopped.”
“Well, get out your damn camera and start again. Think about it. Listen, my brother, I love him, and he’s happy enough. He likes his life enough. But I know he’s lonely,” she says.
“He is?”
“We all crave connection, Harper. We all want that person, the one person we can share something with. I know he wants it the same as any of us,” she says.
“I don’t think he likes me like that. He’s been nice, but the help he’s given me has been clinical, I think. Or at least that’s how I read it. He’s never said anything.”
“Listen, I take no pleasure in saying this, but these walls are thin, and I don’t think my brother ran the bases without being attracted to you.” She laughs.
“Ran the bases?” I ask.
Cora raises her eyebrows at me, giving me a knowing look.
“Oh my god, no. We didn’t have sex.”
“Well, whatever he did to you, you seemed to enjoy it,” she hints.
I slap my forehead, running my hand down my face and trying hard to suppress the oncoming heat filling my cheeks and chest. “He was very clear from the start that he was only helping me so I wouldn’t seem like an idiot when I dated for real.”