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“I can do it,” Olive offered, stepping forward.
But Cue Ball put his arm around Olive and pulled her to his side, subtly shaking his head.
“I got it,” Yarder grunted. “Figure out the food.”
“Okay,” Olive squeaked, clearly intimidated.
Yarder led me out of the common room and down a hallway lined with doors. “These are all bedrooms?” I asked, glancing around.
Yarder grunted in affirmation. “For the most part,” he confirmed, pointing to a door at the end of the hallway. “That door is church.”
“Church?” I echoed, my confusion evident. What kind of biker clubhouse had a church? Was I missing something?
Yarder glanced back at me. “It’s where we have meetings, babe. We call it church. It’s where all the private shit happens.”
I nodded, trying to process this new information. “Got it. No bibles and hymns, then.”
We passed a few more doors until Yarder stopped at one. “You’ll be staying in here,” he announced, unlocking the door with a set of keys.
I stepped inside and took in the room. There was a queen bed against one wall, a large TV mounted on the opposite wall, and a plain dresser in the corner. A doorway led into a bathroom, and a closet stood opposite the bed. A couch sat against another wall. It was spacious and somehow homey even though it was sparely decorated.
“This is nice,” I commented, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Everything I needed was right here in this room.
“It’s okay?” Yarder asked, looking at me expectantly.
I smiled, feeling grateful. “It’s pretty damn perfect,” I admitted, my eyes sweeping over the space. Yarder had seen where I lived before, and compared to my dingy apartment, this room felt like a luxury.
Yarder leaned against the doorway, a small smile playing on his lips. “There’s one thing, though, babe,” he began.
I looked at him, wondering what could possibly be wrong now. “What’s that?” I asked, bracing myself for bad news.
“This is my room,” he explained.
I furrowed my brow, not understanding what the problem was. “And?” I prompted, confused. There was a comfy-looking couch and a bed. I was fine sleeping on either one of them.
Yarder gestured towards the couch. “I’m okay with sleeping on the couch. This will be your space for the most part.”
I blinked in surprise, feeling a rush of gratitude towards him. “That’s more than okay with me,” I assured him, relieved that I wouldn’t be imposing on his personal space. “But you can have the bed. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch. Though I should have brought my blanket with me.”
Yarder chuckled at my comment. “I’ve got blankets for you, babe,” he added. “I’ll be the one sleeping on the couch. I’m not in here much other than to sleep a few hours every night.”
I looked around the room, noticing no trace of Yarder’s presence. “You couldn’t even tell this was your room,” I remarked, walking over to the dresser and opening a drawer. “Ope, there you are,” I whispered.
“You talking to my underwear?” Yarder teased, earning a laugh from me.
I blushed and quickly shut the drawer, feeling embarrassed. “I was just trying to find some trace of you in this room,” I confessed, feeling foolish. I hitched my thumb toward the dresser. “Found you in there.”
Yarder tossed my bag onto the bed. “Take however much time you need to unpack,” he offered. “I’ll let you know when the pizza gets here.”
Yarder had carried my bag for me, and he had to know there wasn’t much in it. “Uh, I won’t need much time to unpack, but it would be nice to take a shower,” I admitted, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over me. I had managed to give myself a half-assed wipe-down in the hospital bathroom, but I would love to just stand under the hot water and have it rain down on me before passing out on the bed.
Yarder nodded towards the bathroom. “Have at it, babe. I’ll bring you food when it gets here.”
“Thank you!” I called out as he turned to leave.
Yarder glanced back at me and nodded. “Whatever you need, Poppy.”
I closed the door behind him and let out a shaky breath. The shoe hadn’t dropped off the other foot after all. For the time being, I was safe. And with Yarder by my side, I felt safer than I had in a long time.
