Read Online Road to Recovery by Natalie Ann - Free Book Online Page A

everybody that was trying to make
me into something or someone I wasn’t. And well, that is enough for
now. Trust me, I’ve moved on, no hard feelings. We all have to grow
up sometime.”
    Pointing her nearly empty wine glass at
Cori now, Brooke said, “Your turn. So tell me the story of your
life, or the shortened version, if you will.” She sincerely hoped
she wouldn’t regret any of her confessions come morning.
    “ Not much to tell. Though I
find it funny we have the name thing in common.” At Brooke’s blank
stare, Cori explained. “Cortland Marie. Which I have to say is
pretty stupid. My parents met in college and thought it would be
cute to name their kid after an apple.” She ended with a snarl that
she couldn’t pull off since her eyes were still wide and bright.
“Guess it makes sense with the red hair. Either way, I was just as
happy they decided to shorten it to Cori.”
    Reaching over, Cori opened the lid on
the bakery box. “Not sure about you, but we might as well pump some
sugar into our veins now. Need to offset some of this
wine.”
    After slicing two generous slabs and
putting them on plates, Cori said, “So, back to me. Only child,
working class parents, both teachers and gearing up for their
retirement soon. Though my parents were more...liberal I guess is
the best word. I was allowed to pretty much do what I wanted. ‘How
will you ever learn if you don’t try and either succeed or fail’
was their motto. I think I mainly failed.” She laughed at herself.
“Not much more to say. What you see is what you get with me, if you
haven’t figured that out by now,” Cori said with a
shrug.
    Taking a dainty bite of the rich
chocolate dessert, Brooke prayed she wouldn’t lie in bed all night
with a sugar rush. Maybe the alcohol would counter it. “That’s what
I like about you. I’m pretty upfront and honest too, but in a
different way. You say what everyone else wishes they could, but
wouldn’t.”
    Seeing that 100-watt smile light up
Cori’s face, Brooke added, “I don’t mean that in a bad way, though
you seem to think that is a good thing by the look on your face.
It’s that you have a way of saying what is on your mind, without
ruffling feathers. If I say what’s on my mind, I can almost see
them biting back from calling me a bitch.”
    “ We’re different people. I
don’t know, I think I can get away with it because everyone seems
to pat me on the head. They look at me as the brainless party girl,
the one that doesn’t know any better than to keep her opinion to
herself. Besides, shocking people can be fun,” Cori added with a
bob of her head.
    Cori scraped up the last bit of cake
off her plate, groaned and pushed the plate a bit further from her.
Then eyed the cake that Brooke had barely put a dent in. “The truth
is I know better, only I don’t care enough. But it helps that
people almost expect those things to come out of my mouth too.
Gives me a bit more freedom with my words.” She chuckled. “No one
seems to take me serious anyway.”
    Climbing off the stool, Cori grabbed
her plate and went to the sink to rinse it off and help Brooke
clean up the few pans from dinner. “I should probably be on my way.
I’m sure you’ve got work that you need to get to.”
    Brooke’s face indicated her guilt and
Cori chuckled again. “I appreciate you cooking for me. This was
fun. I would say I’d return the favor next time, but I really can’t
cook, so next time I’ll bring takeout.”
    Shutting the door behind Cori a few
minutes later, Brooke thought back on the night. She said more to
Cori tonight about her family than to any of the friends she had
growing up in high school, or even college. She wasn’t sure why and
was too tired to analyze it now.
    Normally a good judge of character, she
hoped the wine hadn’t clouded her judgment into saying more than
she intended.
    Suddenly the combination of all the
rich food and alcohol made her yawn. Realizing that she