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I finished helping her clean up, but then I had to prepare myself for practice. Anthony and I had an afternoon session scheduled. Maybe it would help me take my mind off everything else that had gone on in the last twenty-four hours. That was my hope.
As I should have expected, my hope was in vain. Now that I’d gotten a restraining order against Guy, I needed to explain the whole shebang to both Anthony and Ellen. That had taken up a good half of our ice time. We spent the other half eating ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s, because I was an exhausted, emotional wreck, and I was supposed to give Sophie her first figure skating lesson after she got out of school.
Anthony took another bite of Cherry Garcia. “So if he shows up at the rink again, I’m allowed to call the cops and have his ass arrested, right?”
I laughed for the first time in way too long. “Yeah. Something like that, at least.”
“You don’t think he’ll try that, though, do you?” Ellen asked. “I mean, not once they’ve served him with the papers.”
I didn’t want to think so, but Guy had proven time and again that he’d do the unexpected. “Let’s hope not,” I said. “It’ll be much easier if he simply respects the court order and stays away. Maybe he’ll go back home.”
“Doubt it. I don’t think he’s that type.” Anthony stole a bite of my Chunky Monkey.
I swatted his hand away. “If Jesse finds out you’re having ice cream without him…”
“He’ll what?” He raised a brow. “Buy more. That’s what he’ll do. I promise.”
“And do you really need any more after this?”
“You can never have too much ice cream on a crappy day. That’s Jesse’s motto.”
Ellen winked at me. “It’s a good one.”
I chuckled and took another bite before Anthony stole too much out of my bowl. Seemed like a good enough motto to live by for the moment.
After we finished, I promised them both I’d be very careful and take care of myself, that I’d report anything Guy did as soon as possible, and that I’d buy some pepper spray to carry around with me. This morning, Cam had already made me promise I’d let him teach me some kickboxing type of stuff for self-defense, but I figured pepper spray would be another tool in my arsenal. With the way they were all acting, the police officers I’d spoken to this morning included, I was starting to realize exactly how dangerous this could become.
It all added up to leaving me feeling like I was too stupid to live. Maybe I had been, but I couldn’t afford to be any longer. I had to stop thinking Guy was harmless. I had to stop believing he would never do anything to hurt me, or anyone else. The absolute opposite was the truth, and there was no room for me to believe my own lies.
I headed back to the rink. Even though I was early, Sophie and Bergy were there ahead of me.
So was Levi. He was kneeling down on the floor in front of Sophie to help her lace up her skates, and he flashed a grin in my direction as soon as I came through the doors.
I waved at them, but Bergy headed me off before I joined them.
“Your brother filled me in on everything that’s going on,” he said, getting straight to the point. “I’ve already talked to the security guys here, and they’ve assured me they won’t let the bastard in. I thought I’d stay for Sophie’s lesson, though. Just in case.”
I blinked and nodded, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the rest of the world was far more in touch with the danger of my present situation than I was. “You’re…you’re not rethinking this, then? You aren’t worried—”
“I’m worried about you,” he cut in, giving me a pointed look. “Jonny’s been part of the Storm long enough that you should understand we’re not only a team. We’re a family. And that means his family is part of our family. And it means that 501’s girlfriend is part of our family. We take care of our own. You should start getting used to that, especially since you’re living here now.”
What came out of my mouth then was the silliest, most superficial thing I could possibly say: “I’m not Levi’s girlfriend.”
Bergy cocked a grin in my direction, and he chuckled. “All right. Whatever you say. You’re still part of the family because of your brother, so you’re stuck with us. Everyone in the Storm organization is on your side. Whether you like it or not. Besides, Sophie has decided to adopt you.”
“Adopt me?” At first, I thought he was being facetious, and I laughed.
“That’s what she told me. She said she’s 501’s best girlfriend, but you can be his other best girlfriend. And then she asked me to adopt you.”
That was enough to wipe all the negativity of the last twenty-four hours straight out of me. This little girl might as well be a magician, the way she warmed me through from head to toe. No wonder Levi doted on her.
I took a seat next to Sophie on the bench to lace up my skates. Levi sat on her other side and drew his skates out of his gym bag. Only they weren’t hockey skates. They were figure skates. I’d thought he was only here to support Sophie, or maybe because he was as worried for my safety as Bergy was after all I’d told him last night. I hadn’t expected that I’d truly be teaching both of them today. Hadn’t that only been to play along with Sophie’s idea? Wasn’t it something meant to mollify her for the time being, and then cooler heads would prevail? There was no reason he couldn’t come out there in his hockey skates. It wasn’t like he would be doing spirals or jumps.
Levi caught my eye and winked. “Sophie told Bergy we both needed figure skates. Now we’ve got them. You ready for this?”
Not even close, but today was turning into a day I wouldn’t soon forget.
TWO HOURS LATER, Sophie and Bergy were on their way out of the rink—Sophie beaming like I’d just given her a puppy—and Levi was waiting by the door to walk me out.
