He looks down at the piece of paper. He jerks his head up to me and looks confused.
“You want to leave early? Are you okay?” he asks.
Bear sits straight, looking at me. I was hoping that he wouldn’t pay much attention to this, but of course, he would. It seems he won’t leave me alone.
I nod slowly and make a motion of sleep, hoping he would understand that I am tired. He glances at Bear, as if they’re having a silent conversation. Pres looks back at me and stares.
“You can take the rest of the night off. Go home and get some sleep,” he says.
I shake my head. I need the money and just want to go home at nine or ten. I don’t want to get the whole night off.
“No buts, you have been working long hours since you got here. It’s clear that you need more sleep. I’ll still pay you for a couple of hours since I am telling you to leave,” he offers. “You need to rest. I don’t want you to pass out on the job and get hurt.”
I give him a look, but he ignores it. Sighing, I turn around and head toward the door. I am so mad that he is making me leave early.
“Take Bear with you to make sure you get home safe,” Pres calls, stopping me in my tracks.
I walk toward his desk.
I don’t want Bear to take me back to the motel. It’s like I can never get away from him. He has already seen my scars, and I don’t like that. He doesn’t need to walk me home as well. I don’t need a babysitter.
No! If I am going home early, he isn’t walking with me, I write.
I slam the piece of paper on the desk, turn around, and leave the room. I hope he will listen to what I say and not argue with me. I know I shouldn’t have done that, since he is my employer and can fire me anytime, but I am tired and fed up with Bear following me everywhere.
I don’t make eye contact with anyone as I walk through the clubhouse. Whiskey, Ink, and Gears are all talking to each other and staring at me. I don’t glance at them and walk out of the front door, slamming the door.
I instantly regret my actions because all the bikers outside stare at me as I walk past them. I keep my head high, not letting their stares affect me at all.
Once I make it past all the bikers, I slow my pace. If he is sending me home early, then I might as well enjoy the outside before I make it back to the motel. I know once I get into my room that I won’t leave.
As I walk farther away from the garage, I start to admire the scenery, slowing to gaze at the trees. I have always loved nature, and this town has a lot of fields and trees. I looked a little this morning, but I missed this part. I never took the time when I first arrived in this town to just look around. My focus was on finding a job and working.
In the distance, I hear a bike and I look over my shoulder. He is too far away for me to see who it is. I speed up slightly, not caring about the scenery anymore. The bike gets closer, and I can finally make out who it is, and it doesn’t shock me at all.
Bear is the one on the bike.
It seems like since he came back, he can’t stay away, and it freaks me out. It reminds me of Jared and how we first started. Jared would not leave me alone until I finally gave in, and he turned out to be a monster. We haven’t even had a conversation yet, not that I would let it happen. Ever since Bear came into my life, he has been on my mind, having thoughts that I never normally have.
I step through the motel doors before Bear can park his bike and get off. I don’t want him anywhere near me. Running up the stairs, I pull out my key to the room. I put the key in and turn it,yanking the door open. After slamming it shut, I lean against it, trying to calm my breathing.
Why would he take an interest in me? Why is he everywhere I go?
My breathing starts to slow after ten minutes. I heard Bear leave on his bike, but I’m still waiting for him to come back. He was persistent before, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it again. I rub my face with my hands and push myself off the door. I look through the peephole before I make my way toward the bathroom and hop in the shower. Once I am done with my shower, I dry my hair and make my way toward my bed. I crawl under the covers and just relax, eventually falling asleep.
5
BEAR
The guys told me that we had a new mechanic and part-time bartender, but they never said it was a girl. We have women in our club, but they are the whores of the house. If you want to sleep with them, they’ll let you. They stay in a different part of the house.
Brooke is different, though. She covers her whole body with clothing and stays to herself, but that doesn’t stop me from admiring what I can see. She has brown, wavy hair that she puts up into either a messy bun or a ponytail. Her brown eyes light up a little when she works on cars.
Some of the guys try to talk to her, but she doesn’t reply. She won’t even write on a piece of paper for them. She is the first girl to really ignore us. Every single girl who steps foot in the club is always trying to get with one of the brothers. Maybe that’s a reason I want to get to know her more; she doesn’t want anything to do with us.
I’ve tried to talk to her, but she is staying clear of me. Her trying to stay away from me only makes me want to keep trying to get to know her. Her body language and the way she covers up, as if she’s hiding, intrigues me. I want to know why she flinches whenever someone tries to touch her.
Earlier today, I went to Pres, telling him that Brooke needed some rest. I watched her working earlier, and she almost passed out from standing up for so long. That’s when Brooke walked in a couple of minutes later, asking if she could leave early. Pres immediately looked at me, and I gave a slight nod. I know I am not the president, but I oddly care for Brooke and want what’s best for her.
