by Lisa Daniels
Keeping his eyes on the road, Jason simply responded, “Yes.”
With a groan, Cora slipped down in her seat, no longer interested in making sure she had everything she needed. “You can just drop me off up here at the light and I’ll walk back.”
“What happened to all of the excitement?” Jason glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Everything turned out fine. And if you take a look at Ryland and Serenity, I don’t think that they are at all unhappy with the way things turned out.”
Cora mumbled something unintelligible under her breath.
“Good lord, Cora. Don’t tell me that you still have a crush on him.”
“You know, you can just let me out right here.”
Jason locked the door. “I came all this way up here to spend time with you, and you are going to bail on me at the first sign of something you don’t like?”
Cora looked out the passenger window. “It has nothing to do with that. I’m not 15 anymore, Jason.”
“Oh, right. 20 years old, so much more mature.”
“We are not having this conversation. If you want to talk to me, do it on your own terms instead of doing what your friends tell you to do. Here I thought you were interested in hanging out and having fun, but you are just here to act like a parent because people told you I wasn’t well. Screw that.” With that, Cora pulled the handle on the passenger side and before her brother could relock the door she opened it.
He quickly slammed on the brakes. Jason didn’t even look at her as he said, “It doesn’t matter that you have physically aged. You are clearly still the child I remember.”
With one foot out the door, Cora turned back to look at her brother.
He faced her, a stern look reminding her that this was the man who had been in charge of her most of her childhood. Jason knew exactly how to make her feel like a petulant child. He was only three years older than her, but sometimes it seemed like it was a lot more. His expression softened. “Look, I'm sorry that I haven’t really been there for you over the last few years. I won’t make excuses, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped caring about you. I did come up here because a couple of people were worried about you. Ryland told me what happened, but it was difficult to take his recounting as anything more than an update on you. It was Silas’s begging that I come visit that made me realize it was more serious.”
Cora snorted at this revelation, but she pulled her leg back in the car and closed the door. It was so like Silas to interfere, even though he didn’t know exactly why Jason was so overly protective of her. Her friend had learned when they were 13 to bug Jason when something seemed off about her. Her brother’s reaction was always predictable, even if her friend didn’t know why. It wasn’t surprising considering they had all grown up together – although there were some things that only Jason knew about her.
Her brother gave her a smile. “Thanks. I promise, it’s going to be a memorable trip. And not in the same way your last one was. This time it will be worth it and fun will be had by all.”
“Even if it has a terrible start?” Cora glanced over at him.
He smiled at her, then took his foot off of the brake. “Especially because it had a terrible start. It means I’ve neglected you too long and now I’m really going to have to work to make it fun. Even if you are making me drive, I will accept that as punishment for my sins.”
Cora giggled a little as he began to drive again. Jason fought back the urge to mention her reckless behavior in nearly jumping out of the car. Knowing that he was going to have to work to make her smile, Jason focused on the road. “It’s been a few weeks. There’s no reason for you to be so upset about it still. Why are you so hung up on it? If you don’t have feelings for Ryland, then things worked out incredibly well. Don’t know how long he’s going to be able to keep her a secret, though.”
Cora sighed, “Yeah, glad they are happy, but he’s going to have to give it up now if he really doesn’t want to share her with the rest of the world. It’s amazing that Serenity isn’t a model already with her looks.”
Jason gave her a sympathetic smile, “I haven’t seen her, but I doubt she’s as pretty as my little sister.”
“Eww,” Cora bunched up her nose. “I know you are trying to make me feel better, but that just… ewww.”
Jason laughed, “Hey, that’s what I'm here for.”
“You’d fall in love with her, too. I can’t even look her in the face now.”
Jason pulled onto the highway before glancing at his sister. “Why? Everyone says she doesn't blame you, and from the way you’ve talked about her, she doesn’t sound like she is just saying that to get attention. Why are you the only one still bothered by it?”
Cora turned away and pressed her face against the window. “I don’t know. It feels like it was all my fault. We should never have taken her. Things could have turned out so much worse, and I just can’t get this… sense of guilt out of my head.”
Jason glanced over at her, an understanding smile on his face as he patted her shoulder. Cora looked at him and knew it was supposed to make her feel better, but it didn’t. She just felt guiltier. Turning to watch the world passing by her window, Cora tried to hide her face as she answered, “I’ll be fine. I mean, nothing ended up happening, so I just need to get through it. You guys should let me do that in my own time. Luring me out of the house was entirely unnecessary.”
“You know why I’m worried. And anyway, it worked.”
Cora shook her head and turned to face her brother, a look of annoyance just barely hidden. “No shit, Sherlock.”
“Hey! Language.” He frowned as he looked at her for a second.
Cora couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, I’ve said so much worse.”
“Not in front of me, you haven’t.”
“Get used to it.”
“No, I don’t have to.”
“Are you threatening to stop visiting? Because that isn’t going to work. This is the first time you’ve been here in a year and a half, so that threat has lost its teeth. And you didn’t even come because I asked you to come – you are here because other people asked.”
He reached over and messed up her hair. “My little sister is starting to use logic.” With an exaggerated sigh, Jason sped up to get around a slow driver. It was then that Cora realized he had set the GPS. Jason had always been good about hiding what he was doing, so it wasn’t a surprise that in her excitement and sudden anger she missed that detail. Still, it was strange that he would need help getting where they were going – they had driven there so many times. It seemed impossible that a year and a half was enough time to completely forget the way there.
“Why on Earth are you using the GPS? I know that you know the way there. School couldn’t have pushed that information out of your head.”
“We aren’t going to the usual place.” His comment was offhanded as if he thought she already knew.
“Wait, what?” She sat up and looked at his profile. “What do you mean we aren’t going to our usual place? It’s too late in the year for the cooler places. After what happened a couple of weeks ago, I am not willing to do anything risky.”
“It was a part of the plan we had cooked up to draw you out. Apparently, that wasn’t necessary, but no point in changing the plans now. Since you were so eager to join me, I figured it would be a nice surprise. Should have known you would notice long before we got there, though.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m an idiot, even if you guys all treat me like I am.”
He frowned, “No one thinks you are an idiot. You just don’t think things through. And yeah, I knew you would notice something was up, just thought it would take a little longer. Still, this does give you time to mentally prepare for something a bit more challenging.”
“I need more than just to mentally prepare. We haven’t done anything more strenuous than the regular climb in a couple of years. And like I said, this is a bad time of year for pretty much anywhere else.”
Jason frowned, “Are you trying to tell me you and the gang haven’t been to Primitive Peak since the last time I was with you guys?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s a long drive and it just didn’t feel right doing it without you there. I’ve never gone without you.”
Her brother chuckled, “Still sentimental about the strangest things. Well, I’m glad I could do something special. Beyond coming up here unannounced.”
“So you plan to do Primitive Peak today?”
“Yeah. Unless you still think that it’s too risky.” He gave her a sideways look that conveyed his skepticism.
“No, if you are there, I’m sure it will be fine.” Cora was beginning to get antsy again, this time with excitement. She pulled the bag up into her lap and began pawing through it. “I can’t believe we are going to do that. I mean, it is a bit risky, but we are all experienced. I’m sure we’ll be perfectly fine.” It almost sounded like she was talking herself up as she muttered into the bag.
Jason smiled at her, his concern starting to wane. Silently he promised his sister that he would make sure to be there for her more going forward. It had been a mistake to let school and work engross him so much. There had been a time when he had been somewhat resentful about having to take care of his kid sister, especially when he was just starting high school. Then he had almost lost her. It was the real problem with Cora – she appeared to be so bouncy and lively, the kind of person who could get over things quickly. But the truth was that she was just much better at hiding things than anyone else he knew. Every time he forgot that, she paid for it. For all the time they had spent with their parents, the two may as well have been orphans. Their parents had taken research jobs that meant they were virtually never home ever since he was nine and Cora was six. For the first year or so, Jason and Cora’s grandparents had been there, but eventually, they had decided to move elsewhere. Since it was a small town, both their parents and grandparents figured that the kids would be alright with just the occasional help from neighbors, but that had not been how it worked at all.
Silas and Cora had always been close before, but after their home became their own, he pretty much moved in with the siblings. Not that many people knew that. Cora and Jason never prodded him about why. His situation was clearly different as he would disappear for a couple of months every year, but they were more than happy to have him around to help. He and Cora were in the same grade, even though she was a year older. Silas had always been smart, and the school had let him start school a year ahead of schedule. Jason loved having him around to help Cora with her homework since that gave him some time to himself. One of their neighbors helped with the groceries and another took care of the lawn, so things were not too bad, just not the usual childhood.
Still they had been happy through most of it. Or at least he had thought they were until one night when he realized just how much Cora hid behind her bouncy façade. Silas never had any idea about what kind of trips Jason and Cora took with their parents, not any more than they knew about his time away from them. It was a lot for any adult to deal with – and Cora had been dealing with it since she was ten. It would have been better if their parents had completely forgotten about their children instead of forcing their kids out on the family trips that they did take.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched his sister as she seemed to return more to normal, her purple hair moving around as she dug through the bag. Every couple of minutes he would say something to help her complete the check, but he was just glad to see that she was acting more like herself. Silas had been right, something was off, but for now she appeared to be alright. Jason knew it was because he was there, and it made him worry about what would happen when he left.
For the next two hours, they chatted and laughed as they made their way to the most challenging rock climb either of them had done. They had always done it together, all three times that they had done it. The experience was never a disappointment, so despite everything else going on, they were both feeling excitement and anticipation when they pulled into the parking area for the climb.
Chapter 2
Change of Plan
Cora was rather occupied with trying to repack everything as Jason parked the car, so she missed much of what was going on outside of the vehicle. The other climbers were already there and headed toward the vehicle as soon as it pulled into the area. It was the sound of a familiar voice that caused Cora to look up from her frantic repacking. Silas was running toward the car, his arms waving as if he hadn’t seen her in forever.
Jason laughed as he opened his door, “Yeah, yeah, she agreed to come.”
Silas’s beaming face was right next to Cora’s window. He put his mouth on the glass and blew out, making his mouth look huge. Cora couldn’t help but laugh and banged on the window with the side of her fist to get him to back off.
Before she could do anything else, Silas threw the door open. “Come on! I can’t believe you aren’t ready yet!”
“It’s not like I was given nearly enough time to prepare.”
Her friend ignored her response and yanked the bag out of her hand before trying to pull her out. “No excuses. You have been hiding yourself away and it’s time for you to start living again. Young lady, you don’t have enough years on you to act like the world is falling apart.”
Cora gave Silas a look of sheer annoyance. “Silas, let go of me.”
“No whining. Get a move – oh, dear God, what the hell do you think you are doing dressed like that?” He let go of her as he realized that he had pulled her sweater down, exposing far too much of her bra. Once he let go, Cora’s sweater immediately moved back into place. “I will thank you not to try to strip me. I don't think of you that way, Silas.”
His cheeks flushed, then the young man looked at her brother. “Why isn’t she wearing a coat?”
A voice from behind him spoke up, “Because Jason thought it best to make her act spur of the moment. Still, I would have thought she would be a bit more prepared by now. It wasn’t exactly a short drive.” Cora froze as soon as she heard the voice, almost as if she were a statue.
Jason laughed, “It wasn’t my idea, Ryland. That was all you.”
Silas moved out of the way and another face appeared next to the car door. “How are you doing, Cora?”
Unable to look Ryland in the eye, Cora leaned over and started trying to put her boots on. “Fine.”
“Hmm, I’m not so certain.”
“I didn’t realize that you guys would be here. I thought…”
“Oh, did you think it was just going to be you and your brother?” Ryland looked a little hurt as he tried to get her to look up at him.
Cora turned so that her hair fell across her face, obscuring Ryland from her view as her cheeks turned a dull shade of red. “No, I knew Silas would be here.”
“Come on, Cora,” Jason said from the back as he pulled his bag out, “you need to get over it, and that isn’t going to happen if you keep hiding from everyone.”
She threw her brother a dirty look before slipping her other shoe off. “It’s not that.” She continued to glare at him so that she wouldn’t have to face Ryland. “I just need to ease back into things.”
“We both know that doesn’t work. Remember–”
“Shut up, Jason.” There was warning in her voice.
Ryland cleared his throat, “I hope you don’t mind us joining the expedition. Given how late in the year it is, the climb will be easier with a few extra backs to help.”
Cora bit her lip and brushed her hair out of her face before putting her other boot on. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryland watching her intently. “It’s fine. I don’t mind other people coming. Just haven’t gotten much time with Jason over the last couple of years and I guess I just wanted to have him to myself a bit.”
Ryland gave her a gentle smile, “But you already admitted that you knew Silas would be here.”
“He doesn’t count.” She ru
bbed her nose with the back of her hand, still trying to keep from looking at Ryland as Silas’s protest went up behind Ryland.
“Hey!”
Cora continued, “I mean, Silas is practically my twin. My very tall, annoying fraternal twin.”
“Whatever,” Silas muttered and walked around the car to talk to Jason.
Ryland looked up at Cora’s brother, then back at the young woman as if he was considering saying something while her brother couldn’t hear. Too self-conscious to get out of the car, Cora continued to fidget with things in the car. Ryland’s voice was low and gentle beside her, “No one blames you, you know.”
It was like a spell was broken, and Cora was back on the defensive. It was pretty much all anyone said since the horrible whitewater rafting tip, and she was sick of hearing it. For every time someone tried to tell her that, it reinforced the idea that there was a reason to think that it had been her fault. Her mind quickly ran through all of her options. She could say she felt sick, that she had a project due, or just be honest and say that she wasn’t interested in doing the hike anymore. The problem was that no matter what she said at this point, no one was going to take her back, so she was stuck with the trip now that she was there.
The only way out of this is to act like everything is fine. The thought went through her head, and mentally Cora groaned because the last thing she wanted was to be stuck with a bunch of people trying to make her feel better.
Forcing a smile onto her face, Cora looked up and into Ryland’s piercing eyes, matching the intensity of his look with her own. It was always so much easier when she was pretending to be alright, so much so that she was able to smile and have it look sincere. “I know. Thanks for saying that. I haven’t been avoiding you, you know. Excuse me.” She gave him a slight push with her hand so that she could get out of the car. Not that long ago she wouldn’t have had the nerve to touch the man, but now she had no such problem.