Ice Cold

46

I felt pride well in my chest. Even though she messed up, she got right back up and finished. That was a quality of a true competitor.

"Do you think she's alright?" Wren asked me as we both clapped at the end of her performance. My heart warmed in my chest at the fact that he sounded genuinely concerned for my little sister.

"I'm sure she's fine," I told him as I watched her skate off the ice. It didn't look like she was favoring one leg over the other. Our mother was probably pissed, but I knew Livi could handle her.

After the next skater, I left Wren to go to the bathroom and grab us drinks. As I finished in the bathroom and came out, I was suddenly standing
face to face with my father.

I knew of the possibility of this happening when I came here, but that still didn't prepare me for the tightness in my chest just at the sight of him. The last time I had seen him, it had sent me into a spiral and he hadn't even looked at me. This time, he was staring right at me and it felt like I was about to fall over.

No matter how much I thought I could handle being face to face with him, nothing could have prepared me for it. It was still like I was just thrown to the wolves. It was like I was a speck that he could just walk on. I was minuscule and he had me under a magnifying glass. I felt helpless and weak in his presence.

"Landon," he said in a low tone. I had heard him say my name that way so many times. It was disappointment and anger.

I didn't say anything back. I couldn't. All I wanted was to walk away from him and back to Wren, but I was frozen in place.

"You shouldn't be here," he said. "You shouldn't be speaking to my daughter at all. You've distracted her and she tanked her performance all because of you."

"I-" I started, but he quickly cut me off.

"You are to cut all contact with my daughter," he snapped, moving in closer and making me feel smaller. "I have my ways of finding these things out, so I will know if you continue speaking to her."

I wanted to argue with him, to show him that he didn't scare me or have any affect on me, but I couldn't. Because it wasn't true and I couldn't even fake it.

"You've really let yourself go," he said, looking me up and down. "I've caught a few of your games on TV out of curiosity and it's not surprising that you've become sloppy. You're a failure because you lack discipline, and I will not allow you to rub off on my daughter. She has a future. She is a good girl. She doesn't need your influence on her."

"She doesn't know I'm here," I said, my voice weak, trying to protect Livi in any way that I could.

"Don't lie to me," he snapped. "I know that she does. I know that you two have kept in contact. Trust me when I say you will not like the consequences if you don't cut all contact with her."

My heart was beating fast, my breaths becoming shallow.

"As far as I'm concerned, Olivia is an only child," he continued. "You think that because you're no longer part of this family that you can do as you please, but I will make your life hell if you continue interfering. Do you understand? You are a worthless, disgusting failure and I will not let you drag my daughter down with you."

Every nasty thing he had ever said to me started flooding my brain. Every horrible thing he had ever done to me played on a loop. I knew he would follow through on his threats if given the chance.

"Landon?"

I looked over my father's shoulder to see my mother standing behind him. She looked at me with sad, wide, teary eyes. It almost felt like she missed me and that she was overcome with emotion at the sight of me. I almost walked past my father to go to her. Then I remembered her complacency. I remembered how she let my father abuse me. I remembered how she treated Livi.