He pulls me into a hug and holds me. I hug him back and try to relax.
“I know several people, if not everyone, in the club will support you all the way. They are so proud that you are comfortable enough to talk to them. They will be even more proud of you for being willing to be vulnerable and show them your scars. They love you and will always,” Bear says, kissing my head.
“Really?” I whisper, unsure.
I am so insecure about my scars, and I don’t like it when people stare too long.
“Yes, really. You go pick out a T-shirt you like, and we will walk down together,” he says.
I give him an unsure look, starting to second-guess myself.
“It will all be okay. I’m going to be with you every step of the way,” he says.
Before I can change my mind, Bear walks to our closet. He comes out a second later with one of his older shirts and hands it to me.
“Here is a T-shirt you can wear. It might be a little big, but it’s one of my smallest and oldest shirts,” he tells me.
Nodding, I take it from him. I make my way toward the bathroom, but stop. He normally gives me privacy, so I don’t feel uncomfortable. but I don’t have to worry about him. I know he doesn’t care that I have scars; it’s everyone else I have to worry about.
I quickly pull my shirt off and put his shirt on. I turn around and see Bear giving me a small smile. I smile back and walk toward him, wrapping my arms around his torso.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispers, kissing my forehead.
He takes my hand and leads me outside our room and toward the stairs. The closer we get to the main room, the more I try to hide.
We walk into the room, and everyone stops talking to stare at us. I start to fidget and hide behind Bear, trying to get their eyes off me.
“Mind your own business!” Bear yells.
Most of the bikers go back to what they were doing. Every once in a while, I catch someone staring.
I still cling to Bear as we make our way toward the bar. Whiskey, Ink, Gears, and Pres are sitting together. I watch as all of them, but Pres turns to us and smiles.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” Gears says.
“You really do look beautiful.” Ink gives me a bigger smile than before.
My eyes well up with tears at their words. I can tell from their voices that they are genuinely saying that. I bring my hand to my eyes and wipe them.
“Are you okay?” Bear asks, blocking their view.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
I am all right. I thought they would have said something mean to me, but they prove me wrong again and tell me that Iam beautiful. I normally wouldn’t cry over this, but my emotions have gotten the better of me recently.
“Here are your pancakes and some fruit for both of you,” Butch says, interrupting us.
I look over Bear and give Butch a smile.
“Thank you,” I say.
I sit next to Gears and start to eat, not waiting for Bear. Whenever Butch puts food in front of me, I stop what I am doing and dive in.
Before I even realize it, all the food is gone, and I am still hungry.
“Butch?” I say, trying to get his attention.
“Yes?” He turns around.
