Page 45 of Creeping Beautiful

I guess it makes sense. I get the feeling that McKay was holding a few secrets for my father. I get the feeling that my father was trying to protect his own ass, as well as mine.

But I never had that kind of conversation with Indie when I bought her. I guess I didn’t think this pledge of loyalty needed to be stated outright the way my father did.

There might’ve been a natural tendency for McKay and I to cultivate an adversarial attitude towards one another. It would’ve been natural, given the circumstances.

But Indie and I never did have that kind of relationship.

Of course she has my loyalty. I’m on her side. Always.

But is she on mine?

And how does McKay fit in?

There’s no rulebook that spells all this out.

For now, I guess it’s fine. We’re all on the same side.

But if McKay owes me, and I owe him, and Indie owes me, and I owe her—then what happens when we’re not on the same side anymore?

“Indie Anna!” McKay is yelling from the bottom of the stairs. He shoots me an apologetic look. “Sorry. I told her to be ready. She said she was.”

“She’s a storyteller, McKay. When are you gonna understand that?”

He points his finger at me. “Do not yell at her. I’m telling you, she’ll be fine as long as you keep your cool. But if you yell at her, she’ll shut down and stop listening. So no matter what happens, you tell her it’s all fine.”

“What if it’s not fine?”

“You lie to her, Adam. Jesus Christ. You’re the best liar I know. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

“I can hear you, ya know.”

McKay and I look up and find Indie at the top of the stairs.

“I’m not a kid, for fuck’s sake.”

“You are a damn kid,” I growl at her. “And don’t you cuss in front of me. Now get your ass down here and put your shit in the truck.”

Indie opens her mouth to talk back, but McKay beats her to it. “Do as you’re told, Indie. We’re not playing. It’s time to work.”

She walks down the stairs dragging her pink roller-case behind her so that it bumps with a loud thud on each and every step. She simultaneously glares at me and pouts at McKay. Which is a hard thing to pull off, but Indie never was afraid of doing something hard.

I roll my eyes at McKay, then walk to the door and give them a minute for any last words.

Just as I’m pushing through the screen I hear McKay whisper to her. “Be good. And do as you’re told. And if Adam yells at you, you have to ignore it. He’s just…”

But that’s all I hear because I’m outside now, hopping down the porch steps.

I get in the truck and start the engine. It takes Indie a couple more minutes before she joins me. McKay puts her small suitcase in the back cab, then buckles her in to her seatbelt in the front next me.

He gives me a little two-finger salute. “See ya on the other side.”

Then he closes Indie’s door, taps the side of the truck with his hand two times, and we pull away.

Indie and I don’t do much alone. I mean, without McKay. I’m the one who takes her to church. McKay doesn’t really care for church. So we drive into town for that alone. But other than that we’re not usually alone and at first the silence is uncomfortable.

I don’t know how to talk to her. I didn’t have sisters growing up. Just McKay. And I don’t really talk to the girls I’m with. Not even Misha. We just screw around and she cooks for me sometimes, but the whole reason I like Misha is because she keeps to herself. The sex is the only thing between us and she’s happy with that.

“You wanna play a game?”