Page 89 of All Wrong
Then, when Brett disappeared the same day as Corinne, it seemed like too much of a coincidence to not be related.
As it turned out, Nick wasn’t completely wrong. Brett wasn’t simply a coach-slash–PE teacher. He was an undercover agent for the DEA, and he’d been working the phi case—the name of the drug—for several years and suspected Henderson was involved. When Henderson relocated and started buying up property in Pine Ridge, Brett relocated as well.
As for Brett’s interest in Corinne, well, there was no way to know if any of that was genuine. Oh, she didn’t doubt that he’d enjoyed her company, but at the heart of it, she was nothing more than a convenient tool. She’d lived in the area her whole life, was actively involved with local youth, and worked at the bank with one of Henderson’s minions—all things that Brett could exploit in his undercover investigation.
That knowledge was an ego-bruiser, even if she hadn’t wanted to be anything more than friends.
No surprise, the production and distribution of phi was included in the “drug trafficking” arm of thestuff Nicki’s friend had exposed. When shit had started to hit the fan, Ian had uncovered Brett’s true identity, and Brett had been summoned back to Washington. He hadn’t bothered to say goodbye, or to call to see how she was doing, which, she supposed, told her everything she needed to know about that.
Knowing what had happened helped Corinne put things in perspective, but what was truly cathartic were the connections she made while at the ranch. There were many conversations, and with them came profound empathy and understanding not just from Tori and Lacie, but from Taryn as well. Each had gone through horrific experiences, and as harrowing as Corinne’s ordeal had been, it paled in comparison to theirs.
Most illuminating were the private discussions with Nicki, particularly the ones about her and Nick’s childhoods. Nicki didn’t hold back. Her words were stark and brutal enough that Corinne found herself crying more than once. It explained so much.
“He is a good man,” Nicki told her during one of her many visits, “but he has his demons.”
“Is that why he hasn’t come to see me?”
“Nick doesn’t know how to handle what he’s feeling for you,” Nicki told her. “I was the same waywith Sean at first. When love isn’t part of your life for so long, you begin to think you’re incapable of giving it, and unworthy of receiving it. Nick believes you deserve better than that, so he’s removing himself from the equation.”
Corinne thought about that for several long minutes. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for them. There had never been a time in her life where she hadn’t felt loved.
“How did you overcome your demons?” Corinne asked.
“Ididn’t,” Nicki responded with the ghost of a smile. “But with mycroieby my side,wedid. That’s what Nick needs, Rinn. Someone who will put him first. Someone who will always see the good in him and, more importantly, make him see the good in himself.”
Corinne agreed. After seeing the power of soul mates firsthand, it was impossible not to believe that finding the right one made all the difference in the world. All the women agreed that the hardest part was making it through the process, which they insisted was similar to the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
Corinne wasn’t sure what phase she was in,assuming any of it applied to her. They apparently thought it did, or they wouldn’t have been so open to sharing.
Did she feel a connection to Nick she hadn’t felt with anyone else? Yes.
Did she feel different when she was around him? Yes.
Did her heart feel like a shredded piece of meat when she thought about a future that didn’t include him? Also yes.
Did he feel the same about her? Unknown. Nicki seemed to think he did, but Nick was the only one who could answer that question, and he wasn’t around to ask.
And that was the thing. When two people felt the same about each other, they werecroies. When only one did, it was “a romantic delusion made manifest through chemical and hormonal changes, caused by a deeply rooted sense of inadequacy and a primal need to survive.” At least according to her college psych professor.
Yeah, that had been a fun class. A bit of extracurricular Googling had revealed that said professor had been married six times, so Corinne didn’t put much stock in the guy’s opinions on love and relationships. If she was going to listen to anyone, it wasgoing to be someone who knew what they were talking about.
After a couple of weeks, Corinne was feeling restless. The big question was, what next?
Ironically, she appeared to be right back where she’d been before everything went to hell in a handbasket. Without a job, without a home, without a sense of clear purpose. But underneath, she’d come a long way.
The time alone and the deep conversations had given her a lot to think about, but it all boiled down to the one simple question Tori asked her—“What is it that youwant?”
It took some serious soul-searching to come up with an answer. Once she did, Tori challenged her once again with, “What are you willing to do to get it?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CORINNE
That was how Corinne found herself on the outskirts of Pine Ridge on a beautiful, sunny day. It was her second visit. The first had been with a realtor. This time, she was alone, wanting to see the place without the constant chatter.
The plot of land was about twenty acres, give or take. Located on a gentle slope. Surrounded by forest. Bordered at its lowest point by a creek. The place had been all but forgotten for the last fifty years, which was when the last owner had abandoned it.
The house was old, Victorian in style, with peeling paint and warped shingles. Ten bedrooms. Three bathrooms, all but one in desperate need of an upgrade to the current century. Probably needed new wiring and plumbing too.
