Page 159 of Scattered Glitter

Before I became anchored in a past I can’t undo, where I live in silence and darkness, and every second drags on endlessly. The way she flits between light and heavy has that same easy rhythm I used to know, which I thought I’d lost forever. It’s like when she slipped into my life, she immediately found and tugged at some part of myself I thought was gone, dragging me out of the darkness, coaxing something real and reckless from the numbness.

A part of me balks at that. There’s a reason I stopped letting people get close. I know better than anyone that letting her in means dragging up a lot I’ve tried to bury. And thinking about her, this random stranger who’s starting to feel a little less like one, brings a gut punch of guilt, the kindthat gnaws, settles in your bones, and makes you question everything.

Am I betrayinghermemory by even feeling this way?

I remember my girl’s laugh, and how she made me feel like I was worth something, like I wasalive. And I can still see her, clear as day. Every laugh, every damn moment we shared is etched in my mind. If I let myself feelanything, does it mean I’m leaving her behind?

Then,Glitter, this woman, whatever name she’s hiding behind, somehow makes me remember that feeling. She’s waking something I didn’t think could be stirred again, cracking open the rusted lock on a door I’ve been too afraid to open.

And I’m not sure I want to slam it shut.

The first breath of fresh air I’ve had in longer than I’m willing to admit is as refreshing as it is terrifying.

I stare at her message, my finger hovering, torn between closing this off and leaning further in. It would be easier to lock this down to keep things quiet and safe. But tonight, safe feels too much likedeath.

And I guess I do actually want to be alive.

I think I want to take that risk, Brat.

A second passes. My heart hammers as her typing bubble appears, then pauses and flickers again. She’s making me wait. It’s maddening, but it’s better than silence.

Then maybe it’s time to come out and play, Captain Bossy.

I blink at the screen, and the message settles inside me like a dare.

I set my phone down. It’s been so damn long since anyone called me out like that.

And now?

The idea of sitting around and staying locked in here starts to feel too claustrophobic. Maybe all this time I’ve been waiting for something orsomeoneto remind me that there’s a world outside these walls, a life I could still have.

I close my eyes, her words echoing in my head.

Then maybe it’s time to come out and play.

I might just try.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Novalee

The laughter hits me first.

I’m a few feet away, close enough to see Nicholas but far enough that he hasn’t noticed me. He’s standing in the middle of the playground, helping a kid who looks about twelve attempt a backflip off a low step. The kid launches backward, and Nicholas catches him midair with careful hands, guiding the rotation. He’s focused, his hands steady on the boy’s back as he completes the flip, landingbarelyon his feet. The kid stumbles in the sand, laughing as he tries to catch his balance, and Nicholas laughs with him, his whole face lighting up.

I cross my arms and lean against a nearby post, taking my time to enjoy the scene. Nicholas is simply dressed in a T-shirt and shorts with a backward cap covering his brown hair, looking relaxed, carefree. I think back to how he’d looked at the gala, all polished and buttoned up, every inch the Harrington heir. Then there was the gym where, even with some of his walls down, he still seemed cautious, guarded. This Nicholas? The one laughing with kids, theone not looking over his shoulder every other second? This one is real.

I let my gaze linger, caught on the way his muscles move beneath the thin fabric of his shirt as he crouches down, encouraging another kid to take a turn. He looks good. Really, really good.

Fuck, Nova.

Am I really the one oglinghimnow?

It hits me how much all these guys have crept past my defenses. Sylus, with his sweet, relentless charm and that hot, persistent gaze that never lets up. Koen, who sees straight through me, making me feel safe in ways I didn’t think I could around anyone again. Levi, with his warm, easy friendship.

And then there’sCaptain Bossy.

He managed it with only texts.

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