Page 95 of Cross-Check

“I’m sorry to make you worry,” she murmurs against my chest.

“It’s okay.”

She pops up on her tiptoes and gives me a sweet kiss. All too soon, she pulls away.

“Come on.” She grabs me by the hand and drags me toward her bed. I sit down with my feet hanging over the edge with my back to the wall. Cora doesn’t curl up into my side like normal, though. Instead she sits on the edge of the bed, facing me.

My anxiety spikes again when I see that she’s wringing her hands together.

“Beautiful, I need you to put me out of my misery and tell me what’s going on. I’m a fuckin’ wreck over here,” I admit.

“So, I had to meet with my adviser today, and I want your opinion on something.”

“Okay…”

“Look, I’m just going to come out and say it. I really, really want to drop out.”

Shit, that’s it? Here I was thinking it was something serious when all it is is her wanting to do something different.

I shrug. “So do it.”

Confusion fills her face. “Wait, what? Don’t you want to know why?”

“I mean, yeah, but why would I try to change your mind about something you feel that strongly about? It’s your life, Cora. I can’t make you do something you don’t want to.”

“I…” She shakes her head. “This is not how I saw things going.”

“Me neither,” I quip, making her laugh. “Okay, tell me.”

Nodding, she takes a deep breath. “So you know how I love my volunteer work?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I found out that to work there, like to earn a paycheck there, I don’t have to have a college degree. I can do the same thing I’m doing now but be on the payroll. If I take the job, they are willing to pay for my schooling down the line if that’s what I want.”

“And you want to drop out to work there.”

“I do.”

“What’s stopping you from doing it then?”

Cora winces. “My mom. Clay. Society?”

“One, fuck society. You don’t have to have a fancy piece of paper that puts you in debt to be a functioning member of society. Second, your mom and Clay both love you. I’m sure if you told them your plan, they would support you.”

She looks down at her hands, still wringing her fingers together. “I don’t know. I tried to broach the subject with my mom, but she shut it down. She thought it was about the money, but that’s not it at all.”

Unable to take it any longer, I reach over and pull her into my arms and lace my fingers through hers.

“Then try again. If you want, I’ll go with you to talk to her in person about it. That way she knows you’re serious.”

Cora looks up at me and searches my eyes. “Really?”

“Really.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Because it can be. Will I miss seeing you on campus all the time? Sure, but that doesn’t mean I won’t see you at all. You’ll still be here in town.”

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