To Sweden With Love

It was about 6 o'clock in the evening when Patric picked me up to go to the rink. I mean, I can't really complain that he's being a good friend. Liv is dealing with her own thing right now.

He came to my door to get me. Anybody else would have just beeped for me to come out.

He greeted me with a hug.

"I needed that," I said as he let me go.

He put his arm around my back and led me down the sidewalk to his silver Lexus.

I hopped in the passenger side, and we drove off to the rink.

It was mostly a silent ride. I didn't have much to say. He didn't force me to talk about whatever was on my mind. He asked me how I was doing.

"I'm okay. A little better now," I responded.

"Because you're with me now?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Yeah, totally."

We pulled into the parking lot outside of the rink. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. I hope what I was about to do was the right choice. Letting out everything that's been bottled up in me from the last six months. Olivia doesn't even know everything. She's been so busy preparing for her wedding that we really haven't had any time to just talk about stuff.

Patric held open the back entrance door for me. He led me into the stands of the arena and we just took a seat in a random row.

He took a small sigh. "So tell me, what's going on?"

I could feel my stomach churn. "Everything I'm about to say is really personal to me. Olivia doesn't even know some of this..."

He nodded his head.

"I was in a very emotionally and verbally abusive relationship... with Adam. He took a lot from me. He forced me to do a lot of things I didn't want to do. It was to the point where I never wanted to go to work, so I would call off a lot. Which I ended up getting let go because I wasn't working as well as I was when they hired me," I inhaled and then tried to continue. "If I didn't do what he asked me to, he would grab me by my wrists and---" I started shaking and had to stop.

Patric placed his hand on top of mine. "Hej, hej. It's okay. That's all over now."

"Until he called me today..." I sighed. "I'm just afraid he's going to show up at the house and hurt me or something."

"I won't let that happen," he consoled me.

"My home isn't what it used to be. I can't even stay there without feeling like I'm being watched."

"Let me talk to my wife and maybe you can stay with us for a couple days," he insisted. "You can help us out with Isabella. She'll definitely keep you preoccupied."

That made me smile. That little girl of theirs is just too precious.

"That'd be great, but what am I going to do after that? I can't just go from house to house mooching off of everyone. I just want to feel safe in my own house again."

"Don't worry about that right now. We'll figure something out." He assured me.

"Thank you," I put my head on his shoulder.

He put his arm around my shoulders. "It'll be okay. It'll be over soon."

We sat there in silence for a while before he suggested going for a skate. I agreed to that. I haven't gone skating in the longest time.

"I figured you could use a little fun," he suggested.

"Oh, I forgot. I don't have skates!" I exclaimed.

"That's okay," he said, pulling me onto the ice with my sneakers on.

I slipped and almost fell, but he caught me before I hit the ice.

My heart skipped a beat and I smiled, embarrassed.

Then all of a sudden, my phone rang. Patric skidded over to see who it was for me. "It's him again."

"Answer it and say he has the wrong number?" I suggested.

He answered my phone. "Hej? Oh, I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number... Nej? I don't know anyone with that name... Yeah, you too."

I looked at him with a sad look on my face and mouthed a 'thank you'.

He skidded back over toward me and gave me a tight hug. I breathed in his scent. He smelled so nice.

I didn't want to let go of him. Until I came to a realization... "What if he comes looking for me?!" I exclaimed.

"I'll be there if he does," he confronted me and then pulled me in for another hug.

He made me feel so safe.