Page 47 of Derek
“Tampons.” I nod and hear her snicker. “You’re not going to say ew or something?”
“I’m in my forties. Real men don’t act like little pricks over a natural bodily function.” She mutters something, but I don’t hear her. “Say that again?”
“I said, Carter must be a little prick then because I asked him to take me, and he turned white and shuddered.” I feel my hand tighten around the steering wheel at her words.
“First off,” I start, trying to keep my temper in check. “Carter is a little prick. Second, don’t ask him for shit. You need to go to town, you ask me.”
“You were busy. I didn’t want to bother you.” I sigh as I pull into the parking lot and turn off the truck.
“You ain’t a bother. Why are you smiling?” Both her dimples are front and center as she giggles.
“Your accent is just so cute. I thought when I got here, everyone would sound just like you, but they don’t… yours is just so different. I love it.”
“I need you to stop.” I manage out through a nervous breath. “Stop complimenting me like that.”
“Why?” she asks softly, her head cocking to the side.
“Because,” I breathe out while scratching my beard. “You don’t talk like that about people you’re not interested in.”
“But I am interested in you.” I groan while dropping my head on the steering wheel.
“Indyyyyy…” I whine, and she laughs.
“Don’t worry, I know,” she clears her throat. “Indy, it’s not you, it’s me. I’m fucked up in the head with my lonely darkness.” She says in a mocking voice. It’s fucking terrible. “I am doomed to walk this road alone, a solitary man with only my dark and brooding thoughts to fill the deafening silence.” I roll my head to look at her grinning face.
“You having fun, little Darlin’?” She lets out a giggle, and I can’t help but laugh. “Come on, let’s get your tampons.”
“And snacks. I need some junk food.” Shaking my head, I get out of the truck.
“Fine, fine.”
* * *
“Goddamn it.”I groan under my breath as I start looking through the aisles of the store. I got stopped by some old family friends, and Indy ended up sneaking off. Now I can’t find her, and her phone is either back at the house or she’s ignoring my calls.
As I’m about to go up to the front to have them call her name so that I know she’s okay, as well as I can get the fuck out of here, I see a crowd of people across the store, and my heart sinks. Has she fallen? I leave the shopping cart and run towards the crowd, and then I hear it. Or I hear her. Indy is singing, and my god, it’s beautiful, like if a cartoon princess and a mythical siren had the most alluringly voiced child.
I push through the crowd and find Indy sitting on the floor with children surrounding her as she sings what I’m assuming to be a song from a children’s movie as the little girls sing along with her. Indy stands up, and I start to help her when I see her have difficulty, but stop as she steadies herself. She continues to sing as she twirls the girls around with her hands. She’s beautiful, beyond beautiful. And her voice, I’m not sure I’ll ever tire of hearing her sing.
Once she finishes the song, much to my disappointment, the crowd begins to cheer, and I watch her face go pink as she gives a small curtsy. Her eyes land on me, and her entire face brightens as she makes her way over.
“Hi!” she breathes out. “Did you finish talking to your friends?”
I stare at her in disbelief. “You do realize that breaking out into song is not normal in any setting, let alone the grocery store.” Indy shrugs her shoulders.
“Why would I want to be normal? Besides, it’s Lanie’s birthday today.” I watch as she waves to the small blonde before walking back with me to get the cart.
* * *
I walk outsideon the back porch to see Indy leaning on the railing, looking up at the black sky.
“You can’t see these back home.” She whispers, eyes not moving.
“Yeah,” I sigh as I lean on the railing beside her. “When I was a kid, my brothers, Theo, and I would go to the lake at the edge of our property and swim and try to follow the stars like sailors.” I don’t know why I told her that, but it was the right move considering the smile on her face.
“A lake?” She grins. “Fun fact, I’ve never swam in anything but a pool. I always wanted to swim in a lake under the stars. It’s actually kind of on my ‘Not Bucket List.’”
“What is a “Not Bucket List”?” I ask and watch her smile dim slightly.
