Page 146 of Gathered Sparkle

“Koen?” Novalee’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I turn my gaze to hers, blinking as the weight of the past falls back into the shadows of the present. “You okay? You’ve been staring at that car for a while now.”

I let out a breath, shaking my head. “Yeah, just… memories.”

She doesn’t push, giving me the space to decide if I want to share. It’s a thing I’ve noticed about her, how she balances knowing when to press and when to back off. It’s unnervingly comforting.

“That car,” I say finally, nodding toward the Mercedes. “It’s not just a car. It’s… Oscar gave it to me. And Nicholas and I went out a lot in it. It was my whole pride when I was seventeen.” I huff a laugh. “And I raced it way too often. It’s the reason why I lost my license more than once. And I was just remembering how I had a conversation with Oscar in there after the first time.”

Her brows lift, curiosity flickering across her face. “The heavy kind of conversation?”

“Yeah.” I chuckle dryly. “You could say that. Oscar always had a way of cutting through the bullshit and getting to the point. He was the one who first called me out on my shit. And I guess I miss him. He would know what to do.” She leans back, resting her head against the seat, waiting for me to continue. I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve been telling myself for years that I chose Levi because it was the right thing to do. That Nicholas did something unforgivable, and I was justified in walking away. But now, I don’t know. I think I didn’t want to face the truth.”

“You’re allowed to change your mind about the past, you know. To see it differently now that you have more pieces of the puzzle.”

I huff a quiet laugh, my lips twitching upward. “Leave it to you to simplify it like that.”

“It’s not simple,” she counters. “But it’s also not too late to fix it. Believe me, if I learned anything, it’s that as long as you’re alive, there is time to fix stuff.”

Her words hang in the air, and I look back at the Mercedes.

Fixing it.

Fixingus.

This is going to be hard but not impossible.

I already noticed how easy it would be to fall back into the friendship that was once everything to me. Maybe it’s time I start owning up to the shit I’ve avoided for years, starting with Nicholas, who seems to have finished his lesson with the kids because he’s walking over to us, or rather to his car.

No,mycar, dammit.

His gaze lands on the Bronco, and I can see the moment he recognizes us because his posture turns, laced with an edge of tension like he’s preparing for a fight. He rounds the car, and I roll down the window.

“Your backflips were smoother a decade ago. You’re getting old, Snickers.”

A flicker of amusement crosses his face, quickly replaced by exasperation. He leans down, forearms resting on the frame. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Ever heard of texting?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

He exhales a sharp breath, shaking his head. “And what do you want?”

“I need a few things,” I start, tilting my head toward him. “I wanted to talk to Veronica again. Make sure she knows about the show and, well,showsup. Also, Nova and Ric need Heights uniforms.”

Nicholas’s gaze slides past me to Novalee, who’s still holding my hand. Her fingers squeeze mine when his eyes find her, and I catch the slight stiffening in her posture.

Fuck.Poor Little Thief.

I squeeze her hand back in reassurance, letting my thumb trace circles on her skin. It’s subtle, but I know she feels it when her shoulders relax a bit.

Nicholas turns back to me, his jaw tightening. “I still wasn’t able to get the evidence you need.”

“You will.” I try to reassure him because I see how much it’s eating at him, and I need his confidence to pull this off. “Even with your mother, earning trust doesn’t happen overnight.”

The words are barely out of my mouth when Nicholas’s eyes flick to Novalee again.

Did I just put my foot in my mouth?

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