Page 22 of Pretty Nightmare

“You need to spend time with Adam, too.”

“Well, I can’t just ignore McKay. He’d get mad.”

“My point is, if we say we want time together it’s gonna make waves. So you’re going to need to make up for that. With them.”

“Hmm. Maggie’s always with Adam.”

“Yeah, well, maybe Mags and McKay need some alone time too? Maybe we should come up with a schedule? Like… divide up our time so no one feels left out. That way when you and I disappear to Pearl Springs no one thinks too hard about it.”

“This feels like a plan.”

“It is a plan.”

“Should we be planning this kind of thing without them?”

“If we’re going to figure out where we came from? Then yes. You came to me, remember? I was gonna do this on my own.”

“Yeah, OK. That’s fine then. I’ll ask Adam if he’d like to do something tomorrow. Maybe go into town and order some new things for the garden. That’s something that feels normal for us.”

“Yeah, good idea. And I’ll ask Maggie if she wants to go into New Orleans or something and then offer up McKay as her parent-of-the-day.”

“Don’t let her pick the zoo, Donovan.”

“Fuck the zoo. I’ll suggest the aquarium. You got any objections to the aquarium?”

“Nope. Nobody ever put me in a tank. At least I don’t think so. Hmm.”

“What?”

“I think this is a good plan all the way around. We’re all gonna get something out of this.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right.” He sighs. “I actually feel a lot better now. I was in a funk when I came in here. Thanks for that, Indie.”

“No problem. I’m glad I helped. For once.”

“So when should we get started on your… therapy?”

I sit up in his lap and look at him. “Now. McKay and Adam are fishing with Maggie on the duck lake. We should jump right in while we have a chance.”

I get up, walk over to the little table, and pick up the digital recorder, a spiral notebook, and a pen. I hand Donovan the pad and pen and then take the recorder with me over to the couch near the windows and sit down. “I want you to start at the island and work backwards. I think I’ll make more progress that way. Plus, you were there. So you can corroborate a lot of it. That way we know we’re on the right track. No drugs this time, but we might have to use them later, if I don’t make progress.”

“You’ve really thought this out.”

“I have. I want you to put me under and take me as far back as you can starting with the snake cage.”

He stands up and picks up the chair so he can place it near the couch, then sits back down and crosses his legs, getting himself settled into therapist mode.

And I don’t know. This feels good. Very familiar. For both of us, I think. This is something we’ve done together hundreds of times. It feels right.

I’m gonna get to the bottom of this thing between Nate and me.

I can feel it.

Like all my truth is just below the surface, ready to come up.

CHAPTER FIVE - DONOVAN

INDIE