Chapter One #2
“Yeah. I have to be at the game tonight to meet the guys,” I say. Conrad and Ethan step out of the way, and I manage to slip by without coming near them and go to the closet. All of the boxes have my name on them, and they are surprisingly organized. “Who boxed all of this up?”
“I believe Conrad and Ethan did,” Tate says, picking up two boxes at once. I freeze for a second, hearing that they handled my stuff. I am going to have to go through everything now, because there is no telling what they did to it, knowing I survived.
The guys all grab my boxes, and I am left with just my laptop bag. A wave of dizziness hits me, and I stop and put my hand on Tate’s arm. I close my eyes and try to relax for a moment, so maybe it will pass. “You okay?” he asks. “Ari?”
“I’m okay. Just dizzy,” I say.
“How often does that happen?” Logan asks.
“I’ve just been doing a lot today,” I lie. My anxiety feeds the symptoms of my brain damage. “When I leave here, I’ll go grab a bite to eat and chill.”
“Are you cleared to drive?” Jaxon asks.
“I am.” I laugh.
When we get out to my car, they load everything into the trunk before hugging me. “You'd better keep in contact,” Tate says.
“I will. We have a game against each other in a few weeks, so I’ll see you then,” I say.
“Those guys better treat you well, or I’ll kick their asses.”
“Ray said they’re hesitant but harmless. Not that it means much, considering I was…” I start to say, but stop.
“Was… Are you going to continue that?” Tate asks, narrowing his eyes at me.
“You remember,” Jaxon says.
“No,” I say. “I was high out of my fucking mind on acid, and it looked like demons. I have no idea what I saw, but it didn’t look human. So, like I said, wildly unhelpful.”
“Would you tell us if you knew?” Jaxon asks.
“Yes,” I lie. “Maybe one day I’ll remember. If I do, you four are the first ones I’ll call.”
“Please, drive safe,” Tate says, squeezing me in a hug.
“If not, maybe I’ll lose the other pinky and my hands will match,” I say, and they all chuckle. “See? Dark humor heals.”
“It suppresses,” Logan says. “We love you, girl. Text us when you get there.”
“I will. Go back to practice,” I say, hugging everyone again.
Once I get into my car, they wave goodbye and wait for me to drive away before they start walking back toward the building.
I feel like I can finally breathe as I drive away from my past. Ray, my stepfather and the assistant coach of the Detroit Reapers, told me that he had all of my belongings moved into the house.
I’m not super thrilled with having to move in with the first-line team, but if I am going to be their assistant, I need to be nearby.
I am nervous to meet them, but I’m terrified of being anywhere near an ice rink.
When I pull into a reserved parking spot, I get out and hurriedly walk inside. I hit traffic, and now I’m late. They knew I was driving from Toledo to pick up my things from the Titans today, so they shouldn’t be upset. What an awful first impression, though.
I follow the signs until I finally get to the door to the rink I need in order to get to the team.
When I walk through the door, it’s like a gut punch when all the familiar sounds hit me.
The sounds of cheering, clapping, and all the various sounds of sticks hitting ice, and things I never really paid attention to before.
I pull earplugs out of my bag and put them in before fully stepping in.
It takes me a moment to find Ray. When I do, his face lights up. “Hey! You made it!” he says as he hugs me tightly.
“Hey. Sorry, traffic was horrible,” I say.
“It’s alright. Hey, Dom,” Ray says, nudging the man beside him, facing the rink. I have my back to the rink and players for now. Like fuck if I am stepping onto that ice.
“They’re killing it tonight,” Dom says, turning to look at me. Dom is a fierce-looking man, but a gentle soul. He visited me many times over the last six months, but we’ve been talking for the last few weeks about me coming here. “Oh, hey. Didn’t think you’d make it tonight.”
“Yeah, I tried to get here sooner. It took me a while to actually go in to get my stuff,” I remark.
“You went by yourself?” Ray asks. “Ari, I could have done that.”
“You, the assistant coach, would go into your rival team's rink to get my stuff?” I ask. “The guys were there for practice, so they helped me load up.”
Ray and Mom were by my side every single day they could.
In the beginning, before I woke up, I didn’t know if they even slept or let go of my hand.
My neurologist said they held my hand from the moment they got to me until he made them go grab something to eat.
My biological father died in a car accident when I was little, and Mom remarried to Ray when I was eight, so he’s been here for most of my life.
He is a sweet man and the closest thing to a father that I have.
He has been begging me for three years to come work with him here, but I wanted to make my own way.
I didn’t want to be in this world because he put me here, so it made family dinner interesting with me working for his rival.
“How did Mal react to seeing you?” Ray asks.
“He asked if you guys knew I was on drugs. I said you knew I was drugged and attacked. He was just a dick in general. I kinda cussed him out and implied I was going to sue him,” I say, and Dom laughs.
I gasp and jump away from the glass when a player slams into it. “You good?” Ray asks. He knows I hate being babied, so he tries not to dote on me too much. I know he’s worried, though.
“Yeah,” I say. “I just haven’t been back in or around a rink since. I’m okay.”
“You’re one strong bitch, girl. I don’t know if I could do it,” Dom says before turning and smacking his hand on the Plexiglass. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Justice?”
“She’s spiteful. Her mom tried to get her to take a job away from hockey, but you see how that went,” Ray says.
“No fucking way they’re taking this from me,” I seethe.
Ray knows that I remember who hurt me, but he also knows and respects why I’m not saying who it is.
Shortly after I woke up, I slipped up and said something about it when the team was mentioned.
I expressed that I wasn’t ready, and since then, he hasn’t pushed.
“Now you’re with us,” Dom says. The buzzer sounds the end of the game, and Dom claps to celebrate their win. “Ari, just a heads up. They know where you came from and… They’re bitter. Just stand your ground and don’t take their bullshit.”
“Ray, I have to live with these men,” I say worriedly.
“Hey. You’re safe with them. Okay? I would not let you be there if I thought for a second they would hurt you. They’re just a bunch of assholes to people they don’t know,” Ray says. As the players step off the ice, pulling their helmets off, they frown at me.
“I’ll introduce you in the locker room. Don’t start your bullshit here,” Dom says, pushing one of the men back and pointing toward the door.
A few minutes later, I walk into the locker room with Dom and Ray. “Cover your dicks,” Dom says. The room is filled with mostly undressed men. Some have absolutely nothing on, but some have towels or boxers. “First line. Come over here.”
We go to the right side of the room, where six men have gathered. “Hunter, you’re on my last nerve. Put a fucking towel on,” Ray snaps.
I am used to this, and although the man has a giant dick, it’s just a dick. I know what it means to work in this world. “They’re fine,” I say.
“See? Puck bunny wants to see my dick,” Hunter says with a grin.
“Shut the fuck up,” Dom snaps. “This is Arianna. She is your new assistant. She’s been doing this for three years, so she knows her shit. Don’t be assholes.”
“What happened?” Hunter asks me, referring to the scar.
“Goddamn it. It’s been four seconds, Hunter.” Ray sighs.
“It’s fine, Ray.” I laugh before looking at Hunter. “I was attacked six months ago and ended up with a traumatic brain injury, among various other injuries.”
“Damn. That’s rough. The fuck did they do?” Another man asks. “I’m Mateo Vanhill. I play right defense.”
“A lot. The scar is from getting my face smashed against the ice. I have a matching one on the back of my head,” I say.
“They in jail?” another man asks. “I’m Conner Harding. Right wing. He is Kip Maxwell. Left wing. They’re Jovian Barnett, goalie, and Elijah Rhodes, center.”
“They’re not in jail. I was drugged with acid prior, so that I… Shit looked weird. I couldn’t make an ID.”
“Weird thing to drug someone with,” Elijah says. “Can you keep up?”
“With a bunch of bonehead hockey players? Yeah. I think I keep up,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Don’t be a dick,” Dom says to them. “Ari is a tough girl who was put through hell with the Titans. For transparency, Ray is her stepdad.”
“A puck bunny with a traumatic past and a free ride. How original,” Jovian says coldly.
“An asshole goalie with a god complex and mommy issues. How original,” I retort, making Hunter laugh.
“You do have mommy issues.” Hunter laughs.
“Shut the fuck up,” Jovian quips. “Is she who is moving in?”
“Seriously?” Elijah asks.
“Yes, she is moving in with you all,” Dom says.
“If any of you assholes hurt her, I’ll make sure you walk with a limp for the rest of your miserable lives,” Ray threatens.
“No one is going to hurt her,” Hunter says. “Although I might want to play with her.”
“As long as she gives you permission.” Dom shrugs, earning a glare from Ray.
“I won’t.” I laugh. “I keep to myself, so you won’t see much of me unless you have to.”
“Good,” Elijah says.
“What do you need from them?” Ray asks.
“I still need to sort through my shit from Toledo. I haven’t looked at it since before that night—and some of the players were the ones who packed it up—so I need to make sure nothing was fucked with.
I’ll do that tonight, but I need everyone’s contact information and files.
Preferably digital. Current schedules and any changes they want made or preferences,” I say.