Page 78 of Gathered Sparkle

I wish I could figure him out. Does he hate me? Is he just hurt? And what the hell am I supposed to do with all of this tension between us? But now’s not the time to dwell on it.

The servers return, carrying plates of food so elegant they look more like art than meals. Each plate is set with care. Veronica and I are served first, the others following. When I look down, the filet mignon glistens, perfectly cooked, surrounded by sides that smell divine. It’s the fanciest meal I’ve ever seen.

And it looks fucking delicious.

Ugh. Of course it does.

“Please, eat,” Veronica urges.

Ezra lifts his fork first, cutting into the steak and taking a bite. “This is excellent,” he says, nodding toward her.

“Thank you, Ezra.” Veronica smiles at him. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

I look up and over to Koen, who also takes a bite, before complimenting Veronica.

It would have been so easy for her to poison their food.

The thought has my stomach churning, and I push the food around the plate, my appetite evaporating. Nicholas’s hand settles on my knee, startling me out of my thoughts. I glance up, and he looks at me, then the food.

I’m overthinking this, and it shows.

I take a deep breath, force myself to cut a piece of steak, and lift it to my mouth.

Damn. It’s good.

“It’s delicious,” I compliment.

“I’m so glad to hear that, Rosie.” Veronica’s smile widens, satisfaction dripping from her every feature. “I told the chef to make this special for us. It’s not every day we have a chance to celebrate.”

Celebrate. Right.That’s one word for whatever this is.

I glance around the table, my gaze lingering on Koen, who’s quietly eating with his usual composure, except right now, it feels forced. Levi is chatting quietly with Ezra, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. Nicholas sits silently beside me, his hand still resting lightly on my knee.

We’re all playing a part tonight, carefully dancing on the edge of a knife. And Veronica is watching us all with the faintest hint of amusement.

Her attention lands on Koen, “Have you decided if and when you want to perform shows again?”

“Yes. Actually, we’re planning one in a little over a week.”

What?

My breath hitches, and I try to keep my face neutral as my mind races. How has no one told me about this? My gaze flicks to Nicholas, and sure enough, he’s already looking at me. His expression is steady and unreadable, but I know what he’s thinking.

He thinks he can get what we need in not even two weeks. And apparently, so does Koen. When I glance at Levi, he’s nodding subtly, clearly in agreement. My stomach churns.

A little over a week.

A little over a week until we take her down—or go down ourselves.

“Oh, that’s exciting.” Veronica reaches for her glass of wine and takes a sip. “I was worried you might not get back to it aftereverything. I mean, it’s not like you need to do shows. You’re already icons. But you two are half the magic of the Strip.”

“Such a nice thing to say.” Levi cuts in. “Thank you, Veronica. No, we miss it, and we want to get back. But it felt appropriate to have a longer pause after Oscar.”

“I understand completely.” Veronica presses a hand to her chest, her expression softening. “I had to take some time for myself too. I know we weren’t on the best terms toward the end, but he was still the love of my life. A complicated love, but love nonetheless.”

Nicholas’s hand tightens on my thigh briefly before he pulls away to pick up his fork.

“He left a big hole in many lives,” Ezra agrees.

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