Page 114 of Gathered Sparkle

Before I can even beg him to stay, he turns on his heel, opens the door to the garage, and walks through without looking back.

He’s gone.

And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fix what I’ve broken.

The moment the garage door clicks shut, my legs give out, and I sink to the floor, my knees hitting the cold marble as the sob I’ve been holding back tears free from my chest.

“Nova?” Annabelle rushes over, pulling me against her. She sinks down with me, her knees brushing mine on the floor as she strokes my hair, cradling my head to her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let it out. Just let it out.”

The sound of an engine revs to life behind the closed garage door, and I squeeze my eyes shut, fresh tears spilling over. The sound fades, but the ache in my chest grows, expanding until it feels like it’ll consume me whole.

I don’t know how long she holds me, rocking me slightly, her hand running through my hair and trying to smooth away the pain.

“Sparkle,” a deep voice cuts through the fog, and I blink through blurry eyes to see Sylus crouching in front of me. His face is tight with concern as his thumbs brush against my damp cheeks. “Baby, what happened?”

“Nicholas.” Annabelle answers for me.

His expression darkens instantly. He starts to stand, his hand curling into a fist. “I’m going to kill the fucker—”

“No!” I grab at his shirt, tugging him back down. “Please, don’t. He didn’t do anything.Idid. I’m the bad one.”

“Baby—” he starts, but I shake my head.

“I am.” I sob. “I hurt him. It’s my fault. All of it.”

It’s even worse than I thought.

Annabelle strokes my hair again as she glances at Sylus, muttering softly, “I don’t know what to do. This isn’t her.”

Sylus lets out a sharp breath, his anger visibly wrestling with his concern. His hands slide under my legs and around my back, lifting me effortlessly into a bridal carry. He adjusts his grip, cradling me closer against his chest as he starts toward the stairs, but I stop him. “Belle.”

I can’t leave her here in a house full of strangers.

At least strangers to her.

“Done.” Sylus kisses my cheek before he yells over my head. “Dove!”

Levi rushes into the hallway, Pebble fluttering slightly on his shoulder as he stops short, his wide eyes darting between Sylus and Annabelle. “What the hell happened?” he demands as he steps closer, his gaze dropping to me. “You okay, Little Bird?”

“She’s okay,” Sylus answers for me, though his tone is strained.

Levi’s focus sharpens on Sylus as if he doesn’t believe him but goes with the flow anyway. “What do you need?”

“Can you drive Belle home in your fancy Jeep, please? I don’t want her getting stuck with a rideshare.”

“Of course I will.” He steps closer to Annabelle, placing an arm around her. “Whenever you’re ready, girl, but you can stay as long as you want.”

Annabelle nods, but her attention stays on me. She reaches out, her fingers wrapping around my forearm in a gentle squeeze. “Text me later, okay?”

“I will. I’m sorry.”

Sylus doesn’t wait any longer. His grip tightens as he carries me toward the stairs, the sound of Levi and Annabelle’s quiet voices fading as we ascend. My head falls against his shoulder, and I press my face into the crook of his neck, sobbing against his skin as he carries me up the stairs.

“Shh,” he murmurs as his arms tighten around me. “Shh, Sparkle. I’ve got you. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Nicholas will never forgive me.

The thought loops relentlessly in my mind, growing louder with every passing second, as tears spill down my cheeks and soak into Sylus’s shirt while my fingers clutch at the fabric.

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