It only takes one moment to change your life forever.
It only takes one decision to alter the course of your future.
It only takes bravery to open your heart.
But once your heart is open...it's open to being shattered.
Lyra and her mom had little in...
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Lyra:
Trenton and Tallis' words stay with me all day and all night. I can't stop thinking and replaying them over in my head. Maksim wasn't abusive, he was just strong and determined. He pushed me, yes hard, but only to make me the best skater that I could be—right? "Neryashlivo! Vy byli neryashlivy! Gde tvoya golova?!" (Sloppy, you were sloppy, where is your head at?). Maksim grabs my shoulder hard and shakes me. Suddenly Trenton and Tallis's words come back to me and I shake his hold off and say, "Please done touch me again, like that." The slap takes me unawares and I gasp. I hold my stinging cheek and gasp in pain. It was a hard slap to my face. "You will never speak to me like that again, I am your Trener, your master of the ice, You will show me respect." "The way you show me respect," I snap and instantly regret it as he slaps me again, "I do not like these teeth your've grown. It is what comes of letting people watch a closed practice. From now on the practices will be closed. And you will mind your tongue around me. I grit my teeth. But nod my head, not wanting to be hit again, "Da, Trener. May I try again?" "May you try again?" Maksim narrows his eyes. "You will not try again. YOU WILL DO IT AGAIN, perfectly." I nod, and take off. This time I push all thoughts of Trenton and Tallis out of my head, in fact I push all thoughts of all my stepbrothers out of my head an focus fully on the here and present. I feel myself getting the air I need and pull in my arms and the second I land I know I executed it cleanly, beautifully. "There, there, you see. You see what discipline will do." Maksim comes back up to me and grabs my chin—hard. His eyes narrow into slits and he growls at me. "You will never speak to me so, again, do you understand little doll?" I swallow. Little doll. God. I hate it. I am not a little doll. I am no one's little doll anymore. But I remain silent under his punishing grip. I'm a survivor. I will survive this too.
*****
Zachariah:
"You can't....you can't go in there!" I hear my secretary's shrill voice just as the door to my office is slammed open and Trenton come barging in. "I'm so sorry, I tried to stop him, he wouldn't..." "It's okay Maria. This is my brother." Trenton had never come to my office before, certainly never barged in. He wouldn't have come if it hadn't been incredibly important. "And push back all my appointments." "But you have the Pearson..." "It can wait." "But the deal..." "Maria it can wait. Push it all back." I put steel in my voice and watch as she blanches and nods her head dutifully. "All right, sir." She exits the office and Trenton gives me a dirty look. "You screw her?" "God you're so vulgar." "Did you fuck her, is that better?" Trenton says snidely. I shake my head and drop my head into my hands. I life my head and shake my head again. "I haven't slept with Maria. She's just my secretary." "She has a hardon for you, bro." Trenton says. "I frown." "No she doesn't." "Trust me, I've seen that look before, many, many times before. And she wants you, badly." "I've never slept with Maria and I never will. I don't..." "Don't tell me you don't fuck where you work. I know you and Xav have screwed interns before. Remember I was there when that crazy one came to the house that one time." I sigh. "That was a mistake. One that we rectified, and quickly." Trenton snorts. "You're idiots fucking employees." "And you're much better? You have remember the names of the girls you slept with just a night prior. And just how many of the girls at ADP have you gone through." Trenton swallows and rubs his neck. "Touché. Just think it's kinda not...well right to screw around with employees." "That's why we don't anymore." God I can't remember the last time I got laid—it had been a long time, a very long time. "And there will be no more screwing around now that we've found our girl." Trenton nods. "That's why I'm here." Suddenly I sit up straighter in my chair. "Has something happened to Lyra? Is she okay, is she..." "Fucking chillax bro. No I want you to get Carter to put up cameras in the rink for us, discreetly." "You want us to do what?" I tilt my head to one side. "Listen, it's just a gut feeling I have. And I need to be reassured, I think we all need to be reassured. Can or can you not do it?" "Carter is the best technician in the company, of course he can." "They have to be small, discreetly put around. I don't want her coach to know that that there. Hell, I don't want her to know there there." "Trenton what is this about?" "Listen, when I have more, I'll tell you. But right now, I just need you to do this for me, bro." Trenton swallows. "I've never asked anything of you, nothing. I'm asking you now to do this for me...for us." I nod. "Of course, Trent." Trent lets out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you." I smile then. "What are brother's for?"
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