Page 6 of Creed

I set my phone on the counter and take a deep breath, hating the resentment burrowing in my heart.

She only called to make sure I wasn’t moving closer to my dad. A continuous game between them about the child that forever connects them. She got the answer she wanted, so there’s no reason to continue the charade of being my mom.

Heavy knocks startle me and I open the door to Quinn’s bright smile. She walks past me, placing the takeout bags on the counter.

“How mad would you be if I disappeared for a few hours?” she asks with a pout.

I raise an eyebrow, hiding my laugh with a roll of my lips, thankful for the distraction. “No way you got picked up between here and the restaurant.”

My best friend smirks. “The owner was rather chatty while I waited for our food.” Her eyes sparkle with interest.

I shake my head. “You know the rules. Location on, text me at least once every few hours, and then when you’re going to bed so I don’t worry.”

Quinn laughs. “Yes, Mom. Would you like a selfie and his license plate?”

My lips pinch together because I know she’s being facetious, but I would like that. Quinn is one of the smartest women I know, but she also has a very big appetite for sex, and it’s put her in some scary situations. Says more about the men than her, because they rarely want to let her go.

She rummages through the takeout bags, grabbing whatever she got and throwing it in the microwave.

With a wink at me, she grabs her overnight bag and hurries to the bathroom. I watch her, some of the loneliness creeping back in.

Maybe it’s time for me to try to find someone as well. Life would be slower moving in Bluport, even with me working for the county instead of the city.

My thoughts drift back to the biker I let fuck me in the bar. It’s not something I’d ever done before, and yet I can’t stop thinking about it. It may have been one of the best nights of my life, so careless and reckless, but in the hands of one of the sexiest men I’ve ever encountered.

I slink over to the counter, taking slow bites of the pulled pork and mac and cheese when Quinn finally bounds out. She moves toward me, kissing my temple.

“I will not be spending the night, but thanks for letting me get my rocks off.”

I roll my eyes with a chuckle. “We both know if he’s good, you may spend the night.”

She shakes her head. “No. I only have the rest of the weekend with you. No dick is that important. A few hours to spare? Sure, why not.”

I push her off me. “Go get your orgasm, bitch. You’re getting clingy, and I told you I was never going to help you pick out which vibrator to use again.”

Quinn laughs. “Bitch, please. I know you love that I sample the goods so you know what to buy.”

Shaking my head, I turn back to the food as she happily skips out.

* * *

The scrape of our forks is the only sound, and every moment of silence is frying my nerves. It’s been over a week since I moved into town, and this is the first time he’s made time to see me. The department gave me another week to settle in before starting.

“I went to the beach the other day. It’s as beautiful as I remember.” I needed to get out of the house as soon Quinn left, feeling suffocated by being alone.

He shrugs, grabbing his beer and taking a deep chug. “Better if we could keep those homeless fucks out of Main Street. They just keep coming back like cockroaches.”

My eyes drop back to my plate. It’s a sentiment I know most of the department carries, but it always hurts my heart.

I’m not naive to the statistics of those more likely to commit crime, but most of the time it’s out of survival, and who can really blame them? They need help; a lot of people who commit crimes need help.

I clear my throat and then reach over to take a sip of water, desperate to steer away from the subject. “Have you had a chance to talk to the sheriff?”

My father grunts, a frown flickering on his face. “About what?”

My heart sinks into my stomach. “About starting as corporal instead of deputy since I have years on the force.”

His eyebrows furrow and he looks up at me with a hard glare. “That would look like favoritism, Morgan. That would not go over well.”