I grimace. “I don’t want to cause any problems for the school.”
“She’s the one causing problems! You’re just sticking up for yourself.”
I exhale a long breath. “Let’s just get through today. Hopefully, once Molly sees that she doesn’t have a leg to stand on, she’ll tuck her tail and go back to her own life.”
Dominique shoots me a dubious. “I highly doubt that.”
So do I, but I have to hope that this will all be over soon.
“Will you turn that off?”Avery yells.
Alyssa whips around to glare at him over the back of the couch. “Shut up! I want to hear what they’re saying.”
Avery stomps over to her and rips the remote out of her hands, switching off the television. “You don’t need to listen to that garbage, and neither does Aunt Presley.”
I twist the burner on the stove to shut it off, and walk into the living room. “Your brother is right, ‘Lyss. We don’t need to concern ourselves with drama.”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “But they’re talking bad about you, and Stephen and Chance. They can’t do that.”
“The media spreads lies all the time, babe.” I lower myself onto the couch beside her, and take her hand in mine. “It sucks, but that doesn’t mean we have to feed into it. I don’t want you watching stuff like that.”
“I hate them,” she grumbles, looking away.
“Hey.” I tip her chin, turning her gaze back to mine. “We don’t have room in our hearts for hate. We’re not going to let them bring us down to their level. We are strong, and we rise above it. You got me?”
She nods.
I feel awful that the kids have to experience something like this. I wasn’t prepared for the reporters camped outside our house when we got home from school today, and I wasn’tprepared for my face to be plastered all over the news—but I can handle myself. It’s Avery and Alyssa that I need to focus on.
The doorbell rings, and I jump up to let Stephen and Chance inside.
“Get your ass inside.” Stephen shoves Chance through the doorway. “I don’t need to bail you out of jail for beating up a reporter.”
Chance flips them off, and their camera flashes go crazy before I close the door. “Fucking vultures.”
I smooth my palms along his chest. “Calm down, Grumpy Man. Everything is fine. We’re all safe inside.”
His jaw clenches. “They shouldn’t be out there. I’m getting you security.”
Alyssa bounces into the foyer. “Like bodyguards? That’s so freaking cool!”
Stephen scoops her up and flings her over his shoulder. “You don’t need a bodyguard. You’re a badass girl who can defend herself.”
“Language.” I rub my forehead. “Do you think they’ll go to their schools?”
“They’re not allowed on school premises, so they’ll have to stay at a distance.” Stephen sets Alyssa on her feet, and gives Avery a fist bump as we walk into the living room. “But I’m already handling it, so you have nothing to worry about.”
My eyebrows jump. “Handling it how?”
“We’re professional hockey players, pretty girl. We have management teams for shit like this.” He grimaces at another curse word leaving his lips. “Sorry.”
We each take a spot on the couch, Avery at my side with his nervous, wide eyes. I squeeze his knee for reassurance. “So, what is your team planning to do?”
Stephen sits back against the couch and spreads his arms wide along the back of it, totally relaxed as if this isn’t a bigdeal. I suppose he’s used to being in the spotlight like this. “My lawyer has delivered cease and desist letters to Molly and her posse of homophobes. If they want to picket, they’ll have to do it somewhere else. I’ve hired a security team to guard your school for the next month, and I’ve hired them for Avery and Alyssa’s schools as well. I’m having my own personal security team stay outside your house round-the-clock; unfortunately, there are no laws about paparazzi harassing you here, but my men will keep you all safe. This story will blow over, and it’ll die down. The same thing happened to Jason, Kourtney, and Celeste when the three of them announced that they were together. Once another hot story comes out, everyone’s attention will move onto that.”
I glance over at Chance. “You okay?”
He was just outed to the world against his will, and though he said he was ready, that doesn’t mean he’s ready for being thrown into this media frenzy.