Page 176 of Scattered Glitter

“Glad to hear you’d rather do that in Koen’s,” I muse, not bothering to hold back a grin as her glare sharpens even more.

“Fuck you, Sylus,” she snaps, and that’s when Levi, catching the tone, steps over.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she answers with a sigh. “Let’s just go. I’ve done what we came here to do.”

“So,” Koen starts, but then has to stop and clear his throat, obviously still a little dazed. “You’re going to see him again?”

She nods, then continues flatly, “We’re going on a date Tuesday.”

“Let’s get out of here, then.” I slip an arm around hershoulders, giving her a squeeze. “You did good tonight, Sparkle baby. Really good.”

As we head toward the exit, I smile down at her, satisfaction simmering beneath the surface. She glares back at me, lips pursed like she’s two seconds from another scathing remark, and it only makes me want her more. She’s fire wrapped in glitter, and I’m more than willing to get burned.

I pull her a little closer, and despite her attitude, she leans into me. It’s one hell of a rush, loving this girl. But it helps to know she can play the game and still come back to us exactly where she belongs.

Let Harrington have his date. I know where she’ll be at the end of the night.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Alaric

It’s a door.

A fucking door.

How can something so ordinary, something everyone else seems to move through without thought, feel like a wall, a barrier that’s kept me caged for so long? My hand trembles as it hovers over the door handle as Jinx weaves between my legs, her green eyes peering up at me as if sensing the storm brewing inside me.

It’s not just fear. It’s a shame that crawls under my skin and settles deep in my chest, clawing at me every time I so much as glance at the door.

I’m humiliated about how I acted yesterday. Koen, Sylus, Ezra, and Levi were all there dressed to the nines in suits and masks. They looked like they belonged in that world as if they were born for it. And me? I felt like a fucking fraud just standing near them.

“Everything will be all right,” Koen says quietly, leaning against my doorway. “You don’t have to do anything, Ric. Just… be there. That’s enough.”

“Yeah, man,” Sylus adds, smirking at himself in themirror as he adjusts his tie. “You don’t even have to talk to anyone. We’ll cover for you. Just think of it as standing in a fancy room with free food.”

Ezra stood farther back, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, studying me like he was trying to figure out the exact combination of words that would get me through that door. He settled for not saying anything, but the weight of his gaze was heavier than all the words Koen and Sylus threw my way.

I wanted to believe them. God, I wanted to believe it could be that easy.

I’d tried. I’d put on the damn suit, even wrestled with the mask until it sat snug on my face, suffocating me in more ways than one. I made it down the stairs, each step feeling like it was dragging me deeper into a pit.

Levi turned as I reached the bottom, his glittering suit almost blinding me. His grin was easy like this was all just another performance for him.

“You’re halfway there,” he tries to reassure me, his voice bright and full of misplaced confidence. “Just trust your wings, yeah?”

But I couldn’t.

The walls felt like they were closing in, the air thinning until every breath burned. My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else—Koen’s steady reassurances, Sylus’s teasing, even Levi’s grin.

My fingers slipped from the doorframe, and I turned away, retreating upstairs before anyone could say another word.

I couldn’t do it.

I didn’t even make it to the car.

So, I had to watch her dance through Sylus’s video call, my chest tight with envy and regret. I’d wanted to be there. For her. With her. But I wasn’t strong enough.

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