Page 153 of Gathered Sparkle

And it shouldn’t fucking matter.But it does.

I leave the penthouse and get into the elevator, which softly hums as it descends. I try to get my thoughts back to what I’m about to do for Novalee, but it only makes every word Sylus threw at me bounce around in my head.

When the doors slide open, I stride into the underground garage and over to the Mercedes. Sliding in, I toss the folder to the passenger seat and let out a breath. The purr of the engine vibrates through the cabin as I pull out of the garage and into the Vegas night.

The lights blur past, neon streaks against the darkness, and I focus on the road, trying to sort through the mess in my head. I need to do this right. I need more than words. I need action. Something real to show her I mean it. That I see her, all of her, and I’m not going anywhere.

The bright lights of a small florist’s shop cut through the dark as I park in front of it and sit for a moment. Then, I kill the engine and step out.

The shop smells of a chaotic mix of sweetness and earth, and the riot of colors makes my soul sing. Rows of roses line the wall to my left, and I start toward them automatically. Red roses are a sign of love. Romantic. Safe. But then Novalee’s voice echoes in my head when she told us about her sister. Rosalee. Rosie.

I freeze mid-step.

Roses are for Rosalee.

This is Novalee.

She deserves something that’sher, that’s as vibrant and unique as she is.

My gaze sweeps over the shop, and that’s when I see them.Fire lilies.Their petals curl in vivid shades of orange and red. Their edges kissed with gold. They’re bold, fiery.Perfect.

“I would like twelve of those, please,” I murmur to the girl behind the counter, pointing toward the lilies.

She looks up from the arrangement she’s working on and smiles. “Good choice.” She turns to pluck the stems with ease and asks, “Anything else?”

I scan the shelves again, spotting some white freesias, a few sprigs of eucalyptus, and a scattering of small blooms in shades of purple. They’re soft and unassuming, but together, they’ll balance the intensity of the lilies.

I pluck some of everything out of their buckets and hand them over to the florist.

“I want it to look like…her,” I say, surprising myself with the admission.

“Got it. Vibrant and a little wild,” she says with a grin, already assembling the bouquet.

I watch as she works, pulling the bouquet together with ribbons of gold and silver that remind me of the glitter Novaleehad all over her when we first met. When she finishes, it’s stunning, fitting but not overdone.Just right.

Paying, I leave with the bouquet in hand, the scent of fire lilies filling my nose as I place it in the passenger seat of the Mercedes. “Sorry, Koen.”

This car will smell like lilies for weeks.

I’m about to make my way to the driver’s side when a small shop next to the florist catches my eye. The windows are cluttered with all kinds of knick-knacks and random things. And there, hanging inside the glass, are glow-in-the-dark stars.

Our first kiss flashes through my mind.

The quiet night under the open sky, her voice full of wonder as she pointed out constellations.

Before I can think too hard about it, I’m inside the shop, the bell above the door jingling softly. I grab a pack of them, then another, just in case, then pay quickly, heading back to the car and sliding the stars onto the passenger seat next to the bouquet and the folder.

Twenty-five minutes later, I punch in the gate code and pull up to the mansion. The headlights wash over the driveway as I park near the front, far enough from the garage to keep the noise down. I step out, clutching the bouquet, the folder, and the bag of stars, feeling like an idiot and hoping I don’t look like one.

The front door opens as I approach the stairs, and I’m greeted by Sylus’s smirk and Alaric’s unreadable gaze. Perfect. Just what I needed. The welcoming committee.

“Where is she?” I ask, skipping the pleasantries.

Sylus leans against the doorframe, looking far too amused. “Hello to you, too, asshole.”

Alaric crosses his arms but tilts his head toward the house. “Living room. She’s with Koen, Levi, and Ezra, watchingMasterChef. I think she fell asleep.”

Sylus snickers. “Yeah, she didn’t see you.”

---