I will go as far as she needs.
If that means calling the cops, fine.
If it means filing reports, fine.
If it means changing all our schedules, fine.
If it means keeping her in sight, pairing off, making sure she’s never walking alone—fine.
If it means putting myself between her and whatever nightmare she’s been dragged through?
I don’t hesitate.
I rub a hand over my face and stare at the far glass, my reflection faint and ghostlike.
“I should have seen it,” I mutter to the empty rink.
My voice echoes back at me, too soft to fill the space.
I don’t talk to myself.Never have.But tonight the words spill out like they needed air.
I think about her leaning against the desk earlier, eyes bright with fear she was trying to swallow.I think about the question she asked—What if I make the wrong call?
She won’t.
But I might.
I’m not used to uncertainty.Not like this.Not when it comes to people I’m supposed to protect.
I skate again, slower this time.Breathing.Thinking.Planning.
We need structure.
We need clarity.
We need to know Adrian’s pattern, his history, his escalation trajectory.
We need to know where Wren is vulnerable—routes, times, blind spots.
We need to know what she needs, not what we assume.
I’ll gather the information.Quietly.Thoroughly.
Finn will come at it through emotion.
Atlas will come at it through loyalty.
I will come at it through logic.
Between the three of us, we can cover any angle.
If she lets us.
That’s the hardest part.
Trusting someone with your fear is harder than trusting them with your life.
I complete one last lap and drift to a stop near the bench.I pull off my gloves, sit down, lean forward with my elbows on my knees.
