Free John Riley's Girl by Inglath Cooper Page A

known the question was coming. What a relief it would have been to share what had happened all those years ago with Lori. What a relief itwould be not to carry the weight of knowledge alone. And yet, fear kept her silent. Fear of judgment. Fear of confirmation. For and of her own responsibility in what had happened. If she had only told someone, a teacher, another parent, Lori, John…if she had only let someone know before that last awful night…then maybe things would have turned out so differently. Maybe she wouldn’t have ended up in the emergency room by herself, too ashamed to call John and ask him to come. But she’d kept the secret of her home life to herself for so long that it had become second nature to her. It wouldn’t be long before she would be leaving, she’d told herself, going away to college, making a life with John, a very different life where home would be a safe place, a good place. But in one night, everything had changed. Life had gone veering off on a track she had never anticipated, and sharing the burden with Lori now wouldn’t change any of it.
    She reached across the table and took Lori’s hands between her own. “We were best friends from the day we met, right?”
    “Yes,” Lori said, her tone soft, concerned.
    “Will you trust me then just to say that I never wanted to leave? That it was something I had to do.”
    Lori squeezed her hands back. “I believe you, and I don’t need to know why. I’m just glad you’re here.And I hope this weekend is just a beginning, that it won’t be the last time we see each other.”
    Olivia’s heart was full with love and affection for this woman who had once been such an important part of her life. She was sorry, truly sorry, that they had missed so many years. She didn’t intend to let the future repeat the pattern. “It won’t,” she said. “It won’t.”
     
    T HEY TALKED for two hours.
    About everything. Lori’s children, each sounding special and unique. About her career. She’d held an important position with a pharmaceutical company until deciding to stay home with her children, at least while they were young. And how truly happy she was in her marriage. Olivia admired her more than she could say. Lori’s life sounded full and fulfilling.
    And maybe there was just a little envy there as well.
    They talked about Olivia’s life, too. The fact that she’d taken up running several years ago and had actually done a couple of marathons. About her career, how she’d moved from city to city, climbing the ladder. With the generosity that was her nature, Lori was proud of her, genuinely thrilled at her success. And they relived some old memories that made them both laugh until their sides hurt. Like the day Lori had gotten her driver’s license, and they’d beenawarded her mother’s old green Falcon for a night on the town. Despite the rust holding the car together, they had been thrilled, sixteen and completely amazed that they were finally old enough to do such a thing. Out on the town by themselves! They’d tooled down Main Street, the radio blasting Lori’s sister’s Earth, Wind & Fire tape, the windows rolled down, the car backfiring every half mile or so. Their bubble had burst when they’d looked around to find a state trooper’s car zooming up behind them, lights flashing.
    “You remember how terrified we were?” Lori laughed and dropped her voice an octave or two. “Miss Morgan, I’m not sure which driver’s education class you attended, but the idea is to stop back there on that white line. It makes it kind of hard to see when the light turns green if you’re right up under it like that.”
    Olivia laughed now until she could hardly catch her breath.
    “I want you to know that unto this day I am a model citizen when it comes to stopping on the white line,” Lori said.
    Olivia picked up her napkin and wiped her eyes, sobering. “Could that really have been that many years ago?”
    Lori shook her head. “Life