Page 156 of True Blue

Indie looks skeptically, rightfully so; I didn’t inspire confidence. She doesn’t know this version of me—healing. Setting boundaries. Doing things right.

“And when she calls?”

“She can’t. She doesn’t have my number.”

Indie blinks, surprised and skeptical still. “Really.”

I nod.

“I’m done with them, Indie. All of them. My parents. Lily. My entire family, besides my sisters. When Nana passed and gave us that money, she was also giving me freedom. I don’t have to work as an electrician anymore,” I smile softly. “This one amazing woman told me I was a pretty good artist.”

“You are,” Indie whispers, almost too quietly to catch, and her eyes shift over to her suitcase. “You’re incredible, Teddy.”

I swallow thickly. “So, I’m going to go to art school.”

Indie smiles, a little sad.

“There are some good ones in Chicago,” Indie mutters. “I remember looking…”

“Yeah, but there’s a better one in Jersey,” I tell her.

Indie startles, and I tense, bracing myself for righteous anger. It’s not how I wanted to tell her. Not that I wanted to surprise her or anything, but I wanted to tell her a little more delicately. I received the email four days ago that I had been accepted for their spring semester.

“What?” she says, eyebrows shooting to her hairline.

“I’m moving to Jersey.”

A few expressions pass across Indie’s face. There’s confusion, irritation, and then—briefly, but there—a tenderness I latch onto.

“Why?”

“Because you’ll be there.”

“And if I never want to see you again after tonight?”

If she stabbed me, it would be less painful.

“Then I would respect your wishes, Indie,” I say, the words burning me. “You won’t see me, but I’ll never stop making it up to you. Any way I can.”

Indie’s brow furrows at that, but she looks affected by my words. Not displeased, but not entirely pleased either. If she truly wanted to never see me again, I would leave her be. I would follow her wishes, even if it hurts.

“How did you finally… leave?”

“I woke up… and you weren’t there.”

“Did you really expect me to be?”

“Yes,” I laugh bitterly. “I did. Like the selfish asshole I was. I thought that I could fix it later. Always later. I thought you would forgive me.”

“Not for that.”

I shake my head. “Indie, you’d be well within your rights to kick me square in the balls right now. And I would let you.”

Indie shrugs, some amusement causing her lips to twitch. “Thought about it.”

I give her a brief smile before I sober up.

“I freaked out when I realized you left me. It was like a veil being lifted from my eyes. Or… fog finally clearing. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain; my mind felt so tangled, but all I could think was that I had ruined everything. I had hurt you, and you left. My mom said you left.”