Page 6 of Knight
CHAPTER TWO
Gwen
What did I hope to find by picking a college across the country from the place I had called home all my life?
Well, the answer was just not that simple.
I had no real reason to leave. I had an amazing dad, like, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Being so far from him made me miserable. And the club, I missed everyone there. They were my family. One huge, rowdy, overprotective family. They all loved me like I was their own and there wasn’t a day that went by where I felt lonely, that was for sure.
You see, my dad was the president of the Steel Paragons Motorcycle Club, Gray Fort chapter. I was a club princess, a title I wasn’t all that happy with. While I was a girl, I wasn’t a huge fan of what princess usually implied. Maybe that was a big part of why I flew the coop and went so far away. I wanted to spread my wings and prove to myself, and others, that I could make it on my own.
After three years the only thing I proved was that I just felt incomplete without the club life. I learned that I was different. And while I was alright with that, it didn’t exactly make it easy for me to fit in. Some people looked down on me because there was no way I was going to hide the fact about where I’d come from and who my family was. Others were too afraid that a motorcycle club meant bad news, outlaws, and bloodshed.
So, after three years I was just done. I wanted my people back. I wanted that feeling of familiarity surrounding me. I wanted to be closer to home. I felt like a failure but I was tired of being unhappy. I was tired of feeling alone and on the verge of crying myself to sleep just about every single night. That made me feel incredibly weak, which was something I hated. While I’d always had a backbone, I had my limits.
It took one call to my dad—just one hard, emotional call—for him to tell me it would be alright and that we would figure something out. At the end of my junior year, Dad flew out, packed up my stuff, had it shipped back home, and took me back with him. I spent the summer back at the only place that wrapped me in warmth every time I walked through the doors.
Which was weird, because the clubhouse was anything but homey. It was like one giant man cave hotel. Nothing matched, nothing was new, and there was a constant smell of working man around.
To me, it was perfect.
“Princess, you gotta minute?” Dad said as he poked his head into my room.
We lived in an apartment built onto the back of the clubhouse. We had lived there since my mom passed away. It was just easier for both of us. The house reminded us too much of what we no longer had in our lives, and being at the compound meant that there was always someone to help look out for me.
“For you, dad, I have all the time in the world,” I replied with a huge smile.
“So I was thinking,” he said as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “You know how there is a new chapter down on the Carolina coast?”
I hummed an affirmative answer. I knew that it was a new development, but I didn’t really know the chapter that well given that I’d been away all this time. I had an idea of a few of the members that moved down there, but that was about it.
“Well, I was thinking that you could transfer down there. I know you have this need to be independent but I also get that you need to have this connection to the club. I’m not saying that I want you to go, I mean, I love having you here. But I want you to be happy. So if what you need is some space from your old man to live your life and figure things out on your own, I get it.”
He looked at me with a pinched expression. I almost wanted to laugh. This big strong man, who was my hero and my idol, looked a bit confused and scared right now.
“It’s still roughly nine hours away from here, but I figured I’ll be down there a good amount. And when the boys travel up this way, maybe you can tag along. Or if you would rather stay in Gray Fort, we can see about getting you transfered to one of the colleges here. I just thought I’d give you some options. I know you want to finish school, and being that you only have one year left, if you went there, it wouldn’t be that long if you hated it. You can always come back here when you’re done.”
He scratched the back of his neck like he was nervous. I looked at him a good long while, holding no expression on my face. I was just messing with him like I often loved to do. Hey, he was my dad, it was my job to keep him on his toes. He always said that I kept him young that way.
“You know what,” I said pushing my long hair behind my shoulder. “I actually think that sounds like a great idea. And you’re right, if I hate it, it’s only a year.”
The beach and my club, it sounded perfect to me.
He eyed me for a long moment and I got a feeling like there was something he wasn’t telling me. I could see it in his eyes. But that man was a lock box when it came to secretive information. I could tell he was contemplating on whether he should spill the beans or not, but in the end, he shook his head and patted me on the knee.
“Sounds like a plan,” he said as he took to his feet. “Let’s go to the diner for dinner in a bit, yeah?”
Oh, the diner! I had missed that place. Best fries, ever.
“Yes!” I squealed and bounced with excitement.
He chuckled at me as he walked out of my room and it felt as if I hadn’t been gone three years.
