I take a gigantic step back. “I’m sorry. Am I makin’ you uncomfortable?”
When her eyes lift to mine, her expression is bewildered. “What? No. Wait, should it be?”
I back up until my back hits the far wall and then I slide down to sit on the floor. I lower my eyes in case she finds my gaze intimidating.
“Do you mind if I ask what you’re doing?”
“Making myself less threatening.”
“You think you’re threatening?”
“I know I am. It’s my size. It’s always been a problem.”
She’s nodding yes, but her expression shows no sign of true understanding.
“Remember when I said Rick and I were shuffled from one foster home to another, but for different reasons? Rick had a hard time sitting still, following directions, and used to fight a lot. I was considered undesirable because of my size.”
“You were always jumbo sized?”
I smother back a smile because she’s making it sound like I’m just a jumbo-sized shrimp rather than a monstrously large human.
“I was always big for my age. I was six foot tall and two hundred pounds at thirteen and just kept getting bigger. I’m used to people being scared of me. Maybe some guys use it to their advantage, but I didn’t want people thinking I was a bully or whatever. All that was bad enough, but girls have always been wary of me, so I try to make myself small and non-threatening.”
I glance up. Natalie’s looking at me with concern in her big, brown eyes. She gets up, walks across the room, and holds out one hand to me. “Come on. Get up and sit on the sofa. You don’t have to worry about stuff like that when you’re with me.”
Instead of taking her hand, I push up off the ground and stand up, hating the way I tower over her. “Alright, if you’re sure, I’ll sit with you.”
When we settle onto the sofa, I’m still careful to keep some space between us.
She immediately tells me, “Sorry about your childhood. That must have been rough, right?”
I nod. “Your brother was the first person who didn’t make me feel like a slow-moving freak. He was always nice to me, from day one.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Ever since I heard that I had a brother, I tried to imagine what he’d be like. Rick turned out to be much nicer than I dared to dream.”
She shifts around to face me. “Rick said you became friends in a foster placement. Does that mean you grew up together?”
“No,” I say. “We met up in a foster placement when we were fourteen. For some reason, we just clicked. He was the first real friend I ever had and we’ve been inseparable since.”
She studies me for a moment. “Do you mind if I ask a question?”
“Ask away. I ain’t got nothin’ to hide.”
She asks hesitantly, “Are you two a couple?”
“Yeah, we’re a couple of badass bikers,” I shoot back, straight faced.
“You know what I mean. If you are, that’s fine. And if you don’t feel comfortable answering that’s fine too.”
I chuckle. “Look, I’ll save you from having an awkward conversation with your brother. One of the big things we have in common is liking ladies. We don’t do weird stuff like date each other’s exes, share women, or talk about anything sex related. That shit might be okay for other men, but we don’t roll that way.”
She smiles at me. “You’re very direct. I like that in a man.”
I don’t know if she’s just innocent or tryin’ to flirt with me, but I change the subject anyhow. “Don’t tell him that I told you this, but he secretly listens to those podcasts about providing for and protecting your woman. He believes in that shit hardcore.”
Her face lights up. “So, my brother is a romantic at heart.”
I’m shaking my head before she even gets the sentence out. “More like he believes in clear communication and beating any man’s ass that messes with his woman.”
