Page 139 of Timber

We don’t say anything as we tear the first few pages up into little balls and toss them into the fire.

He clears his throat, a pained look coming over his face. “If you know about the journals, I’m going to guess that Half-pint told you her story?”

It takes me a bit before I remember that’s his nickname for Levi and I nod. “Yesterday she told me and Sasha gave me the journals and pens.” I pause, swallowing thickly as my emotions tighten my throat. “I’m sorry that you both went through that. For what they did to both of you. They didn’t tell me everything that was done to you. Just that your scars are worse than Levi’s.”

A tear slips down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away, but he sees it anyway. He scoots over and pats the bench next to him. I get up and sit by him. Taking a risk, I rest my head against his shoulder.

As expected, his body tenses at the contact, but I don’t react, waiting to see if this is okay.

After a few moments, he relaxes slightly.

“For the record, Reaper, I don’t see you any differently because of your scars. In fact, they make me feel safer with you.”

That remark earns me a scoff and he angrily throws a ball of paper into the fire. “Safer? How? People have always given me a wide berth before, but now it’s even worse. I mean, they take one look at me and run the other way.”

Holy snickerdoodles...

The pain radiating off him is intense. How people have been treating him makes my anger rise. I jump off the bench, ignoring the pain, and stand in front of him with my fists on my hips.

“Then fuck them all! You don’t need people like that in your life. To me, I know I’m safe with you. Not just because you’re a badass biker who’s a mountain of a man with arms that look like if you squeezed someone’s neck, you could pop their head off.”

He huffs but I also see him trying not to smile.

“Your scars tell me you’re the toughest and most dangerous person in the room. You know why?”

Apprehension and nervousness fill his eyes as he looks at me. “Why?”

“Because they tell people that you will go to any length to protect those you care about. Even if that means you’re hurt in the process.” I step forward and cup his cheeks in my hands. “If those people don’t take the time to look past your skin, then they aren’t worth knowing. They’re judging a book by its cover when, in fact, there’s an amazing story hidden in those pages. You are Reaper, the president of the Junction Creek Steel Archangel’s MC. You are Tony Leyton. An amazing man who deserves to be loved, just like he is.”

He stares at me in shock and I give him a small smile before kissing his cheek again and retaking my spot next to him. I rest my head on his shoulder as I tear another section off, wad it up, and throw it into the fire. I honestly think he’s going to ask how I know his real name, but he never does. Levi had told me it the other day during our video call.

For a few minutes, Reaper doesn’t say anything as I continue throwing my little balls of paper into the fire. His giant hands grip his sheets of paper tightly as he stares at the fire.

I start to worry that maybe I overstepped when suddenly, he rips all the pages, multiple pages at once, into small little pieces of paper that he deposits on his lap. Then he surprises me by lifting his arm, pulling me closer into his side and draping his arm over me.

Smiling, I throw another piece of paper into the fire.

We stay like that for a few hours as we get to know each other more. I find out that he has a sister, Julia, but they don’t speak anymore.

“My nephew, Chris, was visiting me two years ago. He was fifteen at the time and looking forward to getting a car. I had a bike all lined up for him, too.”

My stomach twists and I know this isn’t going to be good.

“He loves cars and bikes and wanted to go to the garage to work with the guys. I got him all suited up, and he rode behind me on my bike. We’ve ridden together hundreds of times before. He knows he always had to wear his gear, and he knew what not to do and what to do. Julia’s ridden with us a lot, too.

“Anyway, someone clipped me and we went down. Hard. As soon as I looked up from where I landed, I knew it wasn’t good.” He pauses, taking a few deep breaths.

“Chris ended up being paralyzed from the waist down. Julia blames me for hurting him and won’t let me see him anymore. We text, but we can’t do any more than that. I see him around town every now and then.

“However, after the first few times that Chris and I talked in public and her reaming me out afterward, I stopped talking to him publicly. I know he doesn’t blame me, but it kills me that she’s cut my nephew out of my life because of someone else’s actions. Especially with him being right under my nose and not being able to spend time with him. She takes my money since I’ve been helping them for years even before the accident, but yeah. Can’t see him anymore.”

My heart breaks at the pain he’s been carrying.

I loop my arm around his waist, squeezing him, but have no idea what I could possibly even say to him. I could never imagine cutting my child off from a relative like she did. Especially when it wasn’t even his fault. If I ever meet her, I’m giving her a piece of my mind.

We sit there for a while after that when I hear the back door open and close. After a few minutes, Timber hands Reaper a beer and me a water before sitting down where I was previously.

Not too long after that, others wander out and before long, all the fire pits are lit and everyone’s relaxing together.

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