21. Like it or Not

I leaned against the car door as Indy pulled up outside my apartment. The exhaustion that settled over me wasn't just from the hospital stay.

It was deeper than that.

Weeks of stress had drained me, but I couldn't let it take over. I had to keep moving and stay strong, even if every part of me was screaming to rest.

Indy parked, glanced at me and sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this? We could go somewhere else, maybe somewhere with fewer stairs."

"I'm fine," I said. "I just want to be home."

"Home," she repeated, eyeing the narrow staircase leading up to our second-floor apartment. "Alright, but take it slow."

I nodded, opening the car door and stepping out.

The first step was fine.

The second, too.

But by the time I reached the middle of the staircase, my chest was burning, and my legs felt like they were weighed down by lead. I gripped the railing, willing myself to keep going.

Indy hovered nearby. "You sure you're okay?"

"I've got it," I insisted, forcing myself to take an