Page 30 of Creeping Beautiful

Maybe I was wrong?

Maybe this whole thing is a waste of time?

CHAPTER FIVE - McKAY

PRESENT DAY

Indie is always with me. Even when she’s not.

She is my world.

And if taking it all back means she never came home to us here in Louisiana, then I don’t take it back. Not even a little bit.

It’s selfish, but I don’t care.

She is mine. I raised her. I took care of her. I taught her how to survive.

And maybe it wasn’t enough, but it kept her alive this long.

So I did something right.

“Are you ready to get out?”

I get a long, soft sigh as a response.

“I’ll get you some clothes.”

I get up and walk out of the bathroom and into the small bedroom before I sigh as well. We’ve been here before. So many times. And every single time I say to myself, I can’t do it again. I just… can’t do it again.

And each time I do it. And we come through it.

Because that’s the only thing we can do.

Get past it. Move on.

But this time feels different.

She pulls the bathtub plug and the sound of water rushing down the drain fills the small apartment. “Did you call Donovan?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Are you going to?”

“Sure.” I open a drawer and pull out a pair of sweats and t-shirt that says ‘Babette’s on the Bayou’—a tavern that has, somehow, become my local haunt.

When I turn around Indie is standing in the doorway wrapped up in a towel. And I swear to God, I lose my breath.

She was a pretty child but as a woman she is beautiful. She just doesn’t know it.

“Are those for me?” She points to the clothes in my hand.

“Yeah.” I throw them to her and she catches both with one hand. “I’ll let you get dressed.” Then I push past her and go back to the living room.

“Call Donovan. I need to talk with him.”

“I will. But I can’t promise anything. He doesn’t really answer my calls these days.”

“He’s too busy being a fancy plastic surgeon in LA?”