Page 10 of Twisted Ties

“Sure,” the patch says. I barely eat at the best of times, but when I’m not doing drugs, my appetite comes raging back. I take my plate over to Sledge and sit down. He looks surprised at first and then his face quickly changes to frustration. I pick at the bacon and look at him, but he won’t look at me.

“You avoiding me or something?”

“Or something…” He keeps eating as if I’m not there, but I press him for the truth.

“Why? You switched up.”

“What’s your last name, Simone?”

“Jackson."

"What's your father’s name?" His eyes laser into mine as he leans over his plate, and I think he’s going to jump across the table. He’s freaking me out and I’m not sure why he’s so twisted about it.

"Hunter Jackson." I can’t eat anymore. Sledge’s voice is normally calm and easy, but it’s like he’s ripping me to shreds through interrogation. My hands shake and I pull them under the table.

"Of the Savage Outlaws?" He’s not happy, I can feel it. I can feel the disgust as he sits back.

"Yeah, but my father is..." I try to protest. If I could have any other father, I would, but he was who he was. I hate the world I come from. It’s not what I want, who I am inside.

"Your father is the one who snitched and got my pops locked up for life! That's why this can never work. We can never be together,you're the enemy!" he hisses, running a hand through his hair. He gets up and walks away, leaving his paper plate.

I can’t take any more hits. Sledge’s rejection is the last straw. I bury my face in my hands, wanting to crawl under the table. Why couldn’t I have been born into another family? Why?

I let the tears fall and push away my plate. Embarrassed, I glance up to see if anyone has seen the tears dropping onto my paper plate.

Satisfied that no one has seen my tears, I wish for my hoodie so I can cover my blotched-up face.Shit. That girl is coming. What’s her name again? I think it’s Fiona.

“Hey honey, I came over to see how you’re doing, you okay?” Fiona’s careful concern soothes me, and I feel as if I can open up to her, so I come out with it.

“Sledge found out I’m Hunter Jackson’s daughter. He’s the same guy who ratted out his father in prison. So, shit! I thought I found a nice guy… my father’s dead. He doesn’t have to worry, I’m not like him. I swear Fiona, I’m not. I wanted nothing to do with the Savage Outlaws. If I could have my time again, I would have blown out of this town long ago,” I confess in a jumble of words.

“I get it, Sledge is a nice guy,” she sighs. “He’s a typical guy, he’s scared, that’s all. He makes you feel safe, right? I don't know what it is with these bikers, maybe commitment issues?"

“Yeah, he does make me feel safe.” I let the pause be there, but I feel better already. She’s nice, and pretty. Slash has done well for himself. “He's judging me for what my father did. I had no clue what kind of shit my father was into. He had many enemies; I never liked the man myself. Now, I'm losing the only man I’ve ever felt close to, the only man who makes me feel safe—like he wasn't going to use me as a punching bag just because he's too drunk to get hard. But my father royally fucked that up from his grave, too."

It’s hard to hide the bitterness, but I didn’t ask for any of this.

A pained look crosses her face. “Man, I’m sorry. I am. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

A wave of desperation washes over me. "What am I supposed to do Fiona? I can't go back to the Savage Outlaws, I finally made it out! You have no idea; their club is not like the Angels. It's a predatory place, everyone is out to get each other. I’m tired of having to always be on my toes, watching my back and sleeping with one eye open, waiting for the next person to attack me."

I want to throw up because I don’t know where I’m going to sleep, where I’m going to go. I have no idea of what to do. Tears start rolling and I want to curl up. I’m cursed.

"Hey hon, don't worry about it. We always have a place for you here," Fiona says slowly, rubbing my back. Making things worse, Slash walks over. I quickly brush my tears away.

“Hey ladies, what’s going on? You all right, Simone?”

“Um, she had a little tiff with Sledge, he’s giving her the cold shoulder about being Hunter Jackson’s daughter, and Simone’s worried about being back on the street or having to go back to the Outlaws. I told her that’s not gonna happen.”

I get myself together enough to look at Slash as his brow furrows in concentration.

“Look, I know it looks bad from Sledge, but I can put your mind at ease. You got a place to stay here. You’re not going back to the Outlaws. Sledge is copping it from all angles right now. He’s got club shit to deal with, personal shit of his own… it’s rough for him. Give him some space and he’ll be back around. I’ve known him since he was seven. You can count on him, no matter what.”

Slash reassuring me feels good and gives me hope.I just have to give Sledge time.

“Thank you both so much. I really appreciate it,” I say as a heavy metal ringtone interrupts us. Slash is getting a call.

"Shit, still nothing? All right, just head back them. We'll have to find another in," Slash confirms.

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