Olympic Conquest

Cory - Road to Recovery

I throw my phone down. I hate myself for the way I just treated Lainey. I was being a jerk and I know she could see right through it. But now that I've had time to think about us, I've come to the conclusion that my life is too screwed up right now for a real relationship. I just don't see it working out. Better to cut the cord now than to string it out any further. That's always worked for me in the past. 

"You've been very quiet since you got home." My mom stands at my bedroom doorway. "Everything okay?"

"I'm just tired," I shrug. "It's been a long month." I grab my bag still packed with the clothes from my trip. I pull out a white T-shirt Lainey had borrowed. I can remember her lean body outlined beneath it. I set it down next to the bag.

"Did you have a good time at the Games? Your father and I watched Lainey win. She's a very talented young woman."

"Yes, she's very talented." I agree. I don't offer much more. I sit on my bed and wince at the pain in my knee. My mom grabs some additional pillows from my closet and puts two under my injured leg as I lean back against my headboard. 

"I see that same drive in her that you've always had. Please tell her congratulations from us."

"I'm not sure how much we'll be talking. She's going to be busy with a lot of appearances."

"I see," my mom responds. "Is this something she told you?"

"You know how it was after I won a gold medal. It was always a media frenzy right after. I'm sure her phone's ringing off the hook. She's not going to have time to deal with an invalid. She has her own life to deal with."

"You'll hardly be an invalid. You have a lot of hard work ahead of you but we all do. That's just life Cory. And it sounds like she'd like to be there for you. Why turn that away?"

"Mom, do we have to talk about this? My skiing future is already open to so many opinions. Can I keep my personal life, personal?" She gives me a pained look. I know she's trying to be supportive and I feel bad pushing her away, but I have enough people judging my life at the moment.

"Okay, but one last thing. Try to remember how happy you were after you won your three gold medals. You and Ashton were inseparable after those Games. She probably wants to share her happiness with the person she's closest to. I know you're hurting. Just be careful with her. She chose to fall in love with you. That's a gift."

I close my eyes, thinking about Lainey. I see Ashton shaking his head at me. Even when we beat each other in competition, we were always supportive of one another and always celebrated after every win.

"That's different. He was my brother. He was stuck with me."

"You care for Lainey, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then you should be together." She places a blanket on top of me. "She'll want to know you're there for her. You, more than anyone else, know it can be lonely at the top."

"I can't help but think she's better off without me."

My mom sits down next to me on the bed. "Cory, don't do this to yourself."

"Do what?"

"Push love away."

"Mom, I know what I'm doing. Trust me, okay?"

"Take some advice from your Mom: We all need love, in the good times and the bad." She leans over and kisses my forehead. "Get some rest. We can talk more in the morning. We're seeing your surgeon at 10."

"Okay."

She gets up to leave.

"Can you close the door?" I ask her. She nods and gently pulls the door shut.