Page 106 of Mimic

The gates opened without question, and I roared through them. I had to get away. I had to clear my head. I rode out oftown. My old lady at my back. I heard the pipes behind me. I didn’t look back to see who it was. I didn’t care.

I had to get away.

We rode for hours. At one point, I looked back and saw Johnny behind us. I knew King had sent him to watch over me. To make sure I didn’t do something stupid.

We stopped at a motel in Brady, about two and a half hours east of Diamond Creek. Johnny went inside and came back with two keys. He handed one to Indie, as I sat on my bike staring at nothing. The only reason I’d stopped was that Indie was getting tired.

I wasn’t ready to go home.

“I’ll call King and let him know we’ll be home tomorrow. Don’t go anywhere without me.”

“We won’t. Thank you, Johnny.”

Johnny hesitated before walking to his room.

“Come on, let’s go inside.”

I looked up at Indie. I hadn’t said a word since we left the clubhouse. There was nothing to say. I swung my leg over the bike, and Indie held out her hand.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Don’t give me that look. You would have left without me and I’d be freaking out with everyone else. Give me the fucking key.”

“No.”

I snatched the room key from her hand and walked in the same direction as Johnny. Looking at the number on the plastic key chain, I walked over to the door with a ten on it and unlocked it.

Tossing the key onto the dresser, I went straight to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. My hands braced the sink as I hung my head.

The front door slammed shut, and I knew Indie was pissed. God, I loved her angry. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror. I was an asshole. I hadn’t even listened to her. What could she possibly say to explain why she never came back?

Why she never told us about our father? We could have looked for him. We could have gone to him when she disappeared. Now he was dead, and we’d never get to know him. Never know what kind of man he was.

I hid in the bathroom as long as I could, until Indie knocked on the door. “Johnny dropped off some food. Come out here and eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Bullshit. Get your ass out here before I knock the fucking door down. You know I can do it.”

I smiled despite the mood I was in.

Another glance in the mirror told me I was a pussy. I should have stayed and asked her questions. Asked her about all the shit that Dakota said. She would only lie. She’d swear she’d never said those things. How could I believe a woman who kept so many secrets?

Opening the door, I stepped into the main part of the room. It was a fleabag motel, but it got the job done.

“Johnny got burgers. Here.” She held one out until I took it. I wasn’t hungry, but I opened it and took a bite anyway, knowing she’d give me shit if I didn’t eat.

“Let me know when you’re ready to talk.” Indie sat back on the couch and turned on the TV.

“I don’t want to talk about her.”

“We don’t have to.” I watched her flip through the channels until she landed onFriends.

“How can you watch this shit?” I asked, sitting beside her on the couch.

“Because it’s the farthest thing from reality to me. It’s something mindless I can get lost in when I need to escape.” She turned her head to look at me. “She loves you.”

“Please don’t.”

“She won’t go away. You can ignore her all you want, but she won’t go away because she loves you. Moms don’t leave because they want to.”