Never Again

Chapter 8

Cora awoke the next morning, having slept surprisingly well. Her conversation with Kozik from the previous night had given her a lot of insight, instilling in her a sense of sureness regarding her decision. The only problem now was discussing her choice with the rest of the people in her family, namely Unser, as he would be difficult to convince.

Cora changed out of her pajamas, putting on a skirt and blouse. There didn't seem to be a need for pants today; no motorcycle rides were in her immediate future. She still needed to hear back from Wendy's insurance company about covering the cost of rehab, so there was no reason for her to ride to the hospital.

She left her dorm room, stomach growling. She had barely eaten anything the night before; when she got stressed, her appetite often disappeared. But now that her anxiety had since subsided a bit, her body was able to recognize how hungry she really was.

As Cora entered into the clubhouse, the scent of coffee wafting through the room, she noticed a few of the guys standing around. On the far side of the room, Kozik was talking to a handful of Sons. Cora smiled at the sight of him, though her attention was quickly stolen away as she spotted another familiar man leaning against the bar. He was just as tall as she remembered, and was accompanied by a full beard and black beanie. She smiled, heading over to see Opie.

She couldn't even remember the last time that she had seen him. He had just been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence. Considering that, the fact that he was still so recognizable astonished Cora.

He spotted her as she made her way over, a smile overtaking his face. "Cora," he greeted; his voice sounded just as she remembered too.

As she came to stand next to him, she found herself in awe of how tall he was; now that was something she had certainly forgotten. "Long time, no see," she remarked.

"Yeah," he marveled, grinning at his friend, giving her a side hug. He was glad to reunite with her again. Yet, his grin quickly turned solemn as he thought back on his time in prison, realizing just how long it had been since they had last seen one another. Five years in prison was a long time; so far, it was proving to have negative effects on both his family life and his relationship with the club.

"You hear about my dad?" Cora wondered; she snapped Opie from his thoughts, curious to hear what he had to say about the matter.

A guilty look crossed over his face as he thought back to the night before; Clay had hijacked Unser's shipment and sold it to the Cacuzza Crime Family. Cora didn't need to know that though. "Yeah," Opie continued, shoving aside his guilt. "He's got cancer, right?"

Cora gave a nod. He looked to her, offering his condolences. Despite being a cop, Unser was a decent guy. Opie had always quite liked him and appreciated his leniency with the club. None of the other cops at the station cooperated with SAMCRO like Unser did, though he chalked it up to Unser's friendship with both Gemma and Clay.

Before Cora could say anything else to Opie regarding the situation with her father, Jax and Gemma arrived, entering into the clubhouse. Gemma was carrying a bag of something; she set it down next to Opie and Cora with a thud. "Brought some baked goods for everyone," she announced. "Bakery was having a sale."

Cora smiled, her stomach growling. "Thank God," she remarked. She stood on her tiptoes, leaning over the counter, and peering into the bag curiously. There were an assortment of muffins inside; she rummaged around, trying to find one that looked good.

Jax snickered as he watched Cora sift through the bag on her tiptoes. "Need a step-stool?"

Cora rolled her eyes, ignoring Jax as she continued searching for something to eat. As she looked through the bag, Gemma spoke up, redirecting the conversation. "You should come over for dinner tomorrow night."