Page 122 of Gathered Sparkle

“I… I don’t like to drive in cars,” I manage, gripping my bracelet and focusing on my breath the way Koen taught me. In. Out. Steady.

“Should we turn around and get the bike? I only took the van because we need to pick up some gadgets for it, but if it’s—”

“No, it’s fine,” I cut him off, trying to sound steadier than I feel. “I’ll manage. Can we grab some stuff from my place too?”

“Sure.” Sylus pulls the van to the side of the road and kills the engine. His seat belt clicks as he undoes it, and then he’s leaning over, his fingers undoing mine.

“What are you doing?” I ask as he pulls me into his lap, settling me sideways across his thighs with my back resting against the driver’s side door.

“Keeping you safe.” He fastens the hip seat belt over both of us.

“This doesn’t look safe,” I mutter, though I can feel my body relaxing against him.

His arm wraps around my waist, and he presses a kiss to the side of my neck before starting the engine again. “You feel safer in my lap than over there?”

“Funnily enough, yeah,” I admit. My brain knows this setup is objectively ridiculous and anything but safe, but my body doesn’t care.

“Good.” He squeezes my waist and drives back onto the road. “Now, tell me about your day.”

I glance up at him, raising an eyebrow. “I woke up sticky with cum and sore, only to find some pretty hot pictures of myself on my phone. Turned me on so much, I had to reciprocate the favor.”

Sylus groans, his hand tightening on the wheel as he adjusts his hips under me. “Yeah, I appreciated that. So did Harrington.”

“What?” I snap, sitting up straighter. “Nico? What the fuck? Where even were you? And where did this van come from?”

He smirks, his gaze flicking between me and the road. “Told you I’m going to fix this for you. I’m working on it.”

“And how exactly are you working on it? Showing him dirty pictures and videos of me?”

He gets that far-off look like he’s seriously considering it. Before he can say anything, I bite his cheek—not hard, but enough to make my point. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

He chuckles, entirely unbothered. “It might help. He looked like he wanted to jump through the screen and give you a hand. Which, to be honest, same.”

I think back to the way Nicholas looked at me last night. So damn hurt. I’d much rather see heat in his eyes.

Maybe I should send him a nude.

No. Bad Nova.

Sylus pulls up to my apartment building and parks the van. Then, leading the way upstairs, I unlock the door. Once inside, I motion for him to wait. “Hang on, I need to grab a few things.”

I head straight to the bedroom, crouching down to pull a bag from under the bed. My hand brushes against the velvet box, and I pause, fingers lingering on it. Ace has been so sweet. Maybeit’s time I show him how much I missed him too. I pull the box out and set it on the bed, then start packing—clothes, essentials, everything Sylus missed last time. As I do, it hits me like a freight train.

When did I just start living there?

What the fuck, Nova?

I shake my head, trying to clear the sudden wave of panic. This isn’t the time for an existential crisis.

When I’m done, I notice that the bag is way too fucking heavy for me. “Sylus, can you help me with this, please?”

He steps into the room, grabbing the bag from my hands and slinging it over his shoulder. His gaze catches on the velvet box. “What’s with that?”

“It’s a present for Ace,” I explain, tucking it under my arm.

“Oh, do I get one too?”

I give him a pointed look. “I thought you got one this morning.”

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