Page 21 of Born to Scar

I am free. It took me years to break free, and I won’t be going back there. My freedom is mine. There isn’t a person on this planet who can take it from me.

“You can’t have my freedom, Cam. No one can have it. My father thought he could. He tried to take Jenny’s, but he will never have mine. No one will.” Shit, that was too much. He didn’t need to know all of that.

“I don’t want it. I want my own. My entire life has had me shackled—shackled to be my father, shackled to think I’m better, shackled to think that money and power are everything.”

“Money and power are great things to have.”

“Sure, but not everything.” He clears his throat. “You showed me that when you found out about the race that night. Your raw excitement. The love you have for the ride, for the race. It was more excitement than I had felt in years. I was living through you in that moment.” He shakes his head, scooting closer to me.

I can see him enough now to see the happiness in his eyes.

“I haven’t ridden in…a long fucking time. Thanks for making today so fun.” When I smile, his eyes light up. Like he’s been waiting for it all day. “This road we are on is wicked.”

“It’s a favorite around here.”

He nods. “I can see why.”

We sit back in silence. I’m not sure what he’s expecting out of this. He still has his life, and I have mine. We are like water and oil. They don’t mix.

Neither do we.

CHAPTER 10

CAM

This girl can ride. I should have known when her five-foot-nothing self did that wheelie. But watching her race and take those curves when we were chasing her down was a thing of beauty.

Both of those guys care for her. I think I made a mistake in judging Jared so quickly. That’s how I know I’m changing, how she’s changing me. Before her, the thought of sharing would have been an immediate deal breaker. I’m too possessive, but she cares for Jared the same way he cares for her.

She cares for Micky, but it’s different, platonic. Still, it’s clear that she has two other men who care deeply for her, and I don’t know where that would leave me.

She wants to care for me but doesn’t know how.

“Indy?”

“Hmm?”

“Will I have to compete with Jared?”

Her head snaps my way. “I’m sorry?”

“He cares for you, Indy. And you care for him.”

She nods. “That’s true, but there is no competition. Love—eh, caring,” she corrects, “has no limit. If I had my way, I’d have you both.”

I scoff, even though I knew to my core it’d be this way.

“I never said I expected you to agree with it. It’s not conventional and probably not something you would have ever considered,” she adds quickly. “But if you can’t, there will be no us.” If I can’t? Does that mean she’s already talked this over with him? Is he okay with an arrangement like this?

“If I can’t?” I ask aloud.

“Yes, if you can’t. He already knows about whatever the fuck this is with you and me. But I’m not going to hurt him trying to convince you.” She sighs. “Cam, that’s not the problem. Love is fluid. Caring is fluid. It should never be forced into the box our society molds it to. You can love and care deeply for more than one person at a time. You can want and need more than one person at a time. I’m not talking about slutting around or even an open relationship. I’m talking exclusivity between the three of us.”

She pauses, shaking her head, as if she got off track before continuing. “The big problem is…are you going to be able to do this? Racing and pulling your bike out as an act of defiance is completely different than this, me…” She trails off, letting the silence linger.

I just stare at her profile, waiting for her to continue.

“Cam, are you really ready for any of this? We are degenerates. The low of the low here. You saw and heard how the cops were with me, what he called us. All because of how we look. We stay out of everyone’s way, but we’re still crucified. After all, we have tattoos, and we have piercings. It’s because we choose to live outside of the social norms they try to force us into. Every single one of us would give the shirts off our backs to help someone in need. Jared is a goddamn software engineer for fuck’s sake. It doesn’t matter. They will see you the way they see you.” She gently shakes her head.