Page 10 of Unbroken Promises

“This was in my car when I left the rink.”

Seb grabs at one of the photos. Tilting his head to the side, he squints slightly, taking in what he sees. “Wait a minute. I recognize this. This was back from our beach trip last July.” His tone is questioning as he casts his gaze up from the picture and over to where I am sitting.

Sliding a hand into my hoodie, I pull out the crumpled paper that I have read and reread at least a dozen times in the last hour. I toss it onto the table next to the pile ofphotos.

Caleb goes to grab the paper, but Finn quickly reaches out, grabbing his wrist to stop him.

“Don’t touch that!”

Instinctively, Caleb freezes. Having been roommates with Finn their freshman year of college, Caleb is well acquainted with Finn’s quirks and various shifting moods. Reaching to his left, Finn grabs at an unused fork sitting on a napkin and carefully touches the edge of the paper, turning it to face him so that he can read the words more clearly.

“We have a problem.” I say the words quietly as he continues to read.

Finn gives a slight nod as he glances up at me, his face grim; Caleb and Seb both strain to read the note from their awkward angles. “Yeah,” Finn replies, “we have a big fucking problem.”

Chapter Nine

Danica

Present Day

The air escapes my lungs with the brutal force of impact as I am tackled to the ground. With a grunt, I roll slightly to one side and hook my leg around the first object I can find, my attacker’s bent knee. He anticipates my next move, and I am quickly flipped to my stomach, hands pinned to the floor on either side of my head as a heavy weight settles on top of me. I freeze, momentary panic setting in at the memories that come rushing back with alarming clarity. Trying my best to force it down, I inhale deeply, holding it for a moment as I feel the pounding of my heart, before letting out a long exhale.

After a moment I feel his face brush against my cheek as he leans across my back, breath softly blowing against my ears. “You are on the ground; your attacker is stronger than you and has your arms pinned down. They know they have the upper hand. Take a breath. Think.”

His words break through the wave of panic trying to force its way into my soul like a riptide; they are all I need to focus once more on the task at hand. Hooking one of my knees to lock around my attacker’s, I simultaneously slide our connected hands on my right so that they are outstretched above my head and roll into my attacker, throwing him off balance. Resettling myself as I now sit on top of him, I slam the heel of my palm into his face, quickly jumping up and moving to kick sharply at his temple before backing away.

Breathing heavily, the man in black stands, giving me a sharp nod.

“Good, Danni. You’ve got this.”

“Yeah, but I froze. I panicked.”

“You didn’t though.” He stares pointedly at me. “I saw the signs of panic as it hit you, but you worked through it. Even without my reminder, you were already focusing on your breathing, still alert to your surroundings.”

Groaning in frustration, I run my hands jaggedly through my hair, smoothing back the curled tendrils that have escaped my ponytail.

“Still. I can do better. That was shit, and I know I can do better.”

His perceptive gaze pierces me and I feel it in my soul. Jonathan has been working with me for years now; honing my skills in self-defense while helping me to work through my trauma through physical exertion. I love gymnastics, but with the rage that fills me, sometimes I just need to punch some shit. Jonathan gets that. He gets me, and he has been around- teaching me to use him as my own personal punching bag- for several years now, all thanks to Finn.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Ellis?”

I shake my head, unable to answer my friend.

With eyes narrowed, I can see his tongue run over his teeth through under his lips as he considers me. He does this sometimes, like a subconscious habit that he can’t help but do when he is thinking through a problem. And apparently today I represent that problem.

“Alright. Boxing, ice cream, or sex?”

My stomach drops and I feel the faintest hint of butterflies as they try to flutter. But my pulse doesn’t increase in speed, I don’t have an uptick in breathing, my heart doesn’t skip a beat. Still, Jonathan gets me. By now, he knows me well enough and can read me like an open book, which can be really fucking annoying sometimes.

Rather than answer, I turn on my heels and head over to the square mat in the center of his private gym. Ducking under the rope, I step into the ring and reach for my gloves which are resting on a stool, and throw a coy look over my shoulder as I start to put them on. His grin is the only answer I need.

Seven Years Earlier

-July-

“I need your help.” Plopping down on the couch, I wiggle around, trying to make myself comfortable as I squeeze in between two of my favorite people. Finn shifts, uncomfortable with the sudden closeness, as Bash casually drapes his arm across my shoulders.

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