Page 103 of Scattered Glitter

Slowly, I pull my hair over my shoulder to at least cover it a little bit as I push the curtain aside, stepping out. Levi’s eyes widen, and he pulls in a sharp breath. His gaze sweeps over me, and there is genuine appreciation in his eyes.

“Yeah, you’re done here,” he mutters, turning without another word and walks to Kati, asking loudly if they have shoes to match the dress.

I shift uncomfortably, my eyes flicking to Koen. He hasn’t moved, but he’s standing so close with his eyes locked on me that I watch his pupils dilate. Heat rises to my cheeks, and I cross my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from the intensity of his stare.

He steps even closer, his eyes dropping to my shoulder, and without a word, he reaches out. His fingers are inches away when instinct takes over, and I pull back.

“Stop,” Koen commands softly. “Let me.”

My eyes shift from his outstretched fingers that hover over my shoulder to his brown ones. There’s something there, something genuine that feels like understanding. I hesitate, my heart pounding, and then slowly, I nod.

His touch is featherlight as he pushes my hair over my shoulder, his fingers brushing over the scar with a tenderness that takes my breath away. The warmth of his skin against mine makes me gasp. It’s as if I’m breathing in the same breath he exhales as he leans in to inspect the scar.

He traces the raised skin before his eyes meet mine again, and there are questions there, unspoken, lingering. He’s looking at me like he wants to understand, like he wants to know the story behind the scar,my story.

There’s an urge to let him in, be vulnerable for once, and tell him what I couldn’t tell anyone before.

Except it feels too raw, too real.

And we’re in a fucking store.

I shake my head the tiniest bit, and Koen nods, a silentunderstanding passing between us. After one last stroke of his thumb that makes me shudder, he pulls his hand back, but his eyes never leave mine.

Kati reappears, breaking the spell between us. “These should do the trick,” she says, her smile bright as she approaches us with a pair of silver stilettos in her hands.

I take the shoes, glancing down at them. They’re beautiful, with delicate straps that glitter in the light. Before I can bend down to put them on, Koen takes them from me, and without a word, he slowly sinks to his knees in front of me.

The sight of him there, on his knees, stirs something deep inside me. My pulse quickens, and heat blooms low in my belly as my imagination starts to wander, thinking of all the dirty things he could do from that position.

Pushing the dress higher, checking what kind of panties I’m wearing…or maybehe pushes them aside, licking me until I forget my name.

Koen glances up at me sharply, and then, almost as if he can read my thoughts, his hands remain steady as he guides my foot into the shoe by touch alone, adjusting the straps, his fingers brushing against my skin. His palms are warm and his touch is sure as he glides his hand over my calf, his fingers lingering longer than necessary.

When he’s done with the straps, he grips my calf firmly, and the warmth of his touch seeps into my skin. My breath catches when his eyes meet mine again, dark, full of a knowing glint that makes my stomach twist in anticipation. He gives me a gentle squeeze that intensifies the heat already pooling inside me.

What is happening?

Finally, he rises to his feet, still holding my gaze as if challenging me to say something, to acknowledge the unspoken tension crackling between us. I say nothing,biting my lip to stop the words that are dangerously close to slipping out.

The shoes fit perfectly, almost as if they were made for me. I swallow, trying to steady myself, from the high heels and the feeling Koen’s touch left in its wake.

“Do you feel okay like this?” Koen’s voice is soft, almost too gentle, and the warmth creeps up my neck to my cheeks once again.

I take a breath, forcing myself to chill. “Yeah, it’s… it’s good.”

Koen nods, his lips curving into that small, knowing smile that makes me want to smack him and maybe kiss him, which is a new and dangerous thought.

Instead, I look down at myself, running a hand along the dress’s silk. It’s beautiful, but there’s still that nagging feeling, a need to hide, to cover up what I don’t want anyone to see.

“Can I wear glitter?” I ask, meeting his gaze. “For the party, I mean.”

Levi chuckles from a few feet away. “Of course you can. It’s fucking Vegas. You can come as glittery as you want.”

Right.

“Okay. Then it’s perfect,” I whisper.

It scares me how comfortable I’m becoming around them. It isn’t only Koen’s touch that makes me feel grounded or how Levi’s grin makes me forget, even for a second, but about everything that weighs me down. It’s the feeling that maybe there is a life beyond the scarred pieces of me.

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