Addicted

A smile lifted my lips. "You know he had some hot little number pressed to my car, trying to convince her that the car was his?"

He smiled. "That sounds a lot like my old friend, but not so much like my new one."

"What's that mean?" I gripped my keys in my hand as emotion raged deep inside of me.

"It means that people can change. Just like you might be a great girl today, and tomorrow you could make one mistake that ruins everything. People make mistakes. All of us. You included."

I nodded. "I agree with that. I've made plenty of my own and certainly have suffered at the hands of a few mistakes made by others around me."

"Right, but on the same token, people who live their lives full of mistakes and bad choices can change in a heartbeat, too. It just takes the right person coming into their lives, and they want to be someone different. Not for themselves, but for that special someon

e. You know what I mean?"

Tears burned my eyes. "I think so. I'm just not sure that's me. I'm honestly terrified of letting someone like Brody into my heart. It wouldn't be a fling that I could just discard as summer fun, Clay. It would be so much more."

"Yeah. It would be fucking amazing." He smiled and touched my shoulder. "You would be amazing for him, and man, do I think he would rock your world, too."

I chuckled and let a few tears roll down my cheeks. "Alright. I'm going home. I need to think things through a little more. Tell him to call me when he gets up?"

"Absolutely." He winked and let me go without another word.

I drove down the few blocks to our cabin with indecision rushing through my heart. I knew what the right answer was, but it seemed like a huge risk to take on someone I didn't know that well. I'd been straightforward with Brody over the fact that I really wasn't a fling-type of girl. And, I wasn't. I wanted long-term again, but I knew I wouldn't be much good at it until I could process everything that had happened with Brandon.

"Or maybe that's just an excuse." I growled and pulled into our driveway. My phone sat in the cup holder beside me, and before I chickened out, I reached down and grabbed it to call my mom.

She answered on the first ring, which was a little surprising seeing that it was so early.

"Baby? What's going on? Are you hurt?" The concern in her voice was enough to melt me.

I let out a soft sob and sunk back in my seat. "I'm fine. Just so torn right now, Mom."

"About what, Cora? Talk to me. Do I need to come get you?" She cared. I could hear it for the first time in a long time.

I wiped at my eyes. "No. I just met someone and he reminds me so much of Brandon, but I don't think he's anything like him. I want so badly to figure out if there's something between us, but I need more time, Mom. Coming home is something I'm doing for you and Dad, but I don't want to live my life for you guys, anymore. I'm almost twenty-three. I want to live it for me."

"Oh, Cora. Why didn't you just say something? Your father simply thought you were being timid about coming to work because you're so unsure of yourself with all this legal stuff. Remember last summer when you helped us out and you were scared like hell you were going to mess something up?" she laughed softly.

"Yeah. Who wouldn't be scared? Dad fired some poor guy the first five minutes I was there." I reached for a napkin in my glove-box and wiped at my nose. "I just don't want to let you guys down, but I really like this guy, Mom. I need more time. More time to spend with him, to make sure he's the one before I do something stupid."

"Then take it, baby. I'll talk to your dad about all of it when he wakes up."

"He's going to be upset. I don't want him taking that out on you." I sniffled and got out of the car as the darkness started to give way to daylight. The sunrise was sure to be beautiful and seeing that I was never up this early, I didn't want to miss it.

I walked down to the pier and let my eyes move across the lake as my mom's voice filled my ear.

"Get mad at me?" she laughed. "That wouldn't happen in a million years. You only see the demanding side of your father, baby, but he treats me like a queen when no one is around. We're just old school. I love him and would follow him anywhere. If I could have more time at the lake when we were younger, I'd have upset my parents and his, too, without thinking about it." She laughed again.

"Really?" I crossed my arm over my chest.

"Absolutely. Stay out there and we'll tape everything for you. We support you and your decisions, too, Cora. You just need to start making more of them with your future in mind. The future you want." She sighed. "I love you, baby. Call me later, and we'll chat some more."

"Okay, Mom. I love you, too." I slid my phone into my back pocket as realization washed over me. I'd completely seen what I wanted to with my mom and dad. He was demanding and seemed to always be in charge where she or any of us were concerned, but to hear it from her...she liked it that way.

"Cora." Brody's voice was thick and full of emotion.

I turned and smiled, walking toward him and sinking into his embrace. "Hey, baby."

"Why did you leave?" He leaned down and touched the side of my face. "Was it something I did? Something I didn't say?"