*Claire*

They all looked at me, then looked quickly to Eric. He nodded and pulled me closer. “You can show them, solnishko. They won’t look at you differently either,” he whispered to me.

I slowly stood up and raised my shirt up high enough that they could see most of my scars. I heard a few of them inhale sharply. I dropped my shirt and sat down next to Eric again. He wrapped his arm around me again, pulling me to his side.

I took a deep breath and gave them ...