Page 2 of Scattered Glitter

We stand there for a moment, taking in the scene. People laughing, dancing, and living in the moment. I feel a pull, a strange sense of belonging, and I’m about to step forward when a voice cuts through the noise.

“Hey! You two wanna join, or are you just gonna stand there judging us?”

I turn to see a guy leaning casually against the garage wall. He pushes himself off and walks over to us, his gaze locking onto me with an intensity that makes my heart skip a beat.

He’s about our age, maybe a little older, and he’s cute in a rugged sort of way. He’s got a mop of unruly blond hair that falls over his forehead, and he’s dressed in all black with a worn leather jacket clinging to his lean frame. But it’s his eyes that catch me—ice-blue and piercing—the kind of eyes that seem to see right through you.

“Never seen you around here before,” he says smoothly.

Rosalee tugs at my hand, ready to bolt. “Yeah, we were just about to leave.”

But I can’t stop looking at him. Something about the way he stands there, so sure of himself, draws me in. He notices, and a slow smirk spreads across his face like he’s used to having this effect on girls.

“Got something to drink here?” I ask, more to keep him talking than anything else.

He chuckles, nodding toward the back of the garage. “We do, but only for friends. And I don’t even know your name.”

“Novalee,” I share quickly. “And that’s Rosalee.”

“The twins, Novalee and Rosalee.” He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Sounds like your parents are creative people.”

I snort. “Theyweredrug addicts, so honestly, I’m glad we’re not named Crystal and Meth.”

He bursts out laughing, and it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard. It has a hint of something wild underneath. He looks at me, eyes twinkling with amusement. “You’re trouble, aren’t you?”

I shrug, playing it cool despite my pulse hammering in my ears. “What’s your name?”

“Ace.” He leans in a little closer, his breath smelling faintly of alcohol, and his lips are curled into that same damn smirk.

“Your parents are pretty creative people, too, huh?”

“You have no idea.” He slips an arm around my shoulderas if we’ve known each other forever. “Let’s get you something to drink,friend.”

He starts to lead me toward the crowd, but when Rosalee lets go of my hand, I stop in my tracks, and we glance back at her. She’s standing there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, and I give her a pleading look. She sighs, then shoots Ace a glare and steps closer to me, gripping my hand tightly once more.

“I don’t wanna stay here, Nova,” she whisper-shouts over the music.

Ace just grins. “Oh, come on,Glitter, don’t be like that.”

I grin and lean into Ace a little more, wrapping my free arm around his waist. It’s clear he’s already picked up on the fact that Rosalee needs a bit of coaxing to come out of her shell.

“Yeah,Glitter, don’t be like that,” I tease, feeling the warmth of his body against mine as Rosalee’s glare turns into a reluctant smile.

While we walk, I slip my hand into Ace’s back pocket and swipe his phone.

It’s always good to have more than one.

Or I could sell it for a few bucks.

His fault for getting that close to strangers.

We step inside the garage, where the music pounds louder and the crowd presses in closer.

Rosalee glances around, her eyes landing on a table covered with red Solo cups. “You got red wine?”

“You’re funny.” Ace laughs, grabs a couple of cups, and hands one to each of us.

Just as I’m about to take a sip, Rosalee stops me with a hand on my wrist, sniffing her cup suspiciously. Ace rolls his eyes and takes the cups back, taking a big gulp from each to prove they’re safe.

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