Page 208 of True Blue

40

TEDDY

MARCH

Indie’s leg bounces next to me as we wait outside the conference room, unable to sit still. Her fingers tangle together in front of her in her lap, and she’s been chewing at her lip anxiously in a way that makes me want to reach over and pull it free. So I do, which makes her look at me.

I place my hand over her knee, gently squeezing, and her leg calms beneath my palm. She glances at me, her eyes lingering on the cuts along my cheek and temple. Her brow pinches together unhappily the same way it has every time she looks at them, even though I’ve assured her a thousand times by now that I’m fine.

Because I am.

After this morning with Indie, and a quick call to Dr. Meyer, I am fine.

Dunk is inside the room being interviewed now. He walked in this morning with a box of paperwork and a fresh-pressed suit and tie. He looked ready for war, and when I mentioned that to him, he smiled ferally. That smile gentled, though, when he looked at Indie and shook her hand.

“Lovely to finally meet you in person, Dr. Miller,” he said, holding her hand between both of his. “You are as radiant as Theodore here described.”

Indie looked at me, and I winked, which made her smile. Good. I want to keep that expression on her face.

Last night, when I got back to the hotel, she was still asleep. I wasn’t too surprised. Yesterday took a lot out of her, between flying in the night before, barely sleeping, and sitting through a questioning that stripped her down to her bones.

I slid into bed behind her, careful not to wake her, but she flipped over almost immediately, searching for me even in sleep. She tucked herself into my chest with a small sigh, her cheek pressed over my heart, and the peace I felt after leaving my mother only multiplied with Indie in my arms.

Then I woke to Indie’s sharp gasp.

My eyes snapped open, already reaching for her, worried she was hurt or having a nightmare, only to find her staring at my face in horror. Her hands hovered over my cheek before she gently traced the cuts along my skin.

That worry lasted about three seconds before her eyes blazed with murderous rage.

“Do no harm, baby!” I yelled, grabbing her around the waist before she could unlock the hotel door. “Do no harm!”

“I’ll make an exception for your mother!” Indie snarled viciously, and fuck if the furious look on her face didn’t make my cock twitch. “What did she do? Did she hit you? I’ll fucking⁠—”

Sex was a good distraction. A very good distraction. Letting Indie ride me hard to get her anger out was a morning well spent, in my opinion, because for a little while she forgot about everything but us.

“Everything is going to be fine, baby,” I whisper to Indie, soothing her worries. Her brow softens, slightly.

“You sound sure.”

“I’m positive.”

“How can you be so sure?”

I wink, and it makes her smile.

Good.

The door opens, and Dunk exits the conference room. Indie and I stand immediately, walking toward him as he adjusts his suit jacket. The box he carried in is gone, and I assume the committee is looking through it now.

My sisters texted earlier that they called in and gave their statements. Phoebe called Indie to let her know that she, “Let them hear it. Especially Dinkus.”

Indie almost smiled at that.

“They don’t have shit,” Dunk mutters as I shake his hand. Indie lets out a shaky breath, and he gives her a small smile. He then taps his watch and gives me a pointed look, “Tick-tock.”

I nod in understanding, and as if on cue, we hear the click of heels on linoleum.

All of us turn to see Dawn walking down the hallway, looking very different from the woman I left last night.