Page 83 of Gathered Sparkle

“You said you didn’t start it. What did he do? Why did you lash out?”

“All I did was find him alone because I wanted to ask him out.” Levi throws up his hands, turning back to Nicholas. “You didn’t have to push me off and yell at me that you’renot fucking gay.” His voice cracks as he adds, “You didn’t have to do that.”

Nicholas stares at him, his lips parted slightly as a disbelieving laugh escapes him. “You think I pushed you because of that?”

“Yeah.” Levi nods, his hurt evident. “That’s exactly what it was.”

Nicholas huffs another bitter laugh, shaking his head. “No, it’s fucking not.”

Koen furrows his brows. “Then what happened, Nico?”

Nicholas’s gaze darts between them before settling back on Levi. “I thought you came to make fun of me, to finish what you started.”

“What?” Levi blinks.

“I’d been bullied for weeks at that point. Don’t you remember the sneers and laughter every time I walked down the hallway at school?”

Koen answers first. “I do.”

Nicholas nods. “And that wasn’t even the worst of it. It wasconstant. Word got around that I liked flowers and that I was gay. Guys pushed me around, pulled my pants down in front of girls, and told them they could take a good look because I was gay anyway. Constant terror.” He swallows hard. “They called Veronica. Told her I was whoring around with guys. She threw a paperweight at me for ‘tainting the Harrington reputation.’”

Koen’s head jerks up at that, his eyes widening. “The slit in your eyebrow? You said you knocked your head.”

“Sheknocked it for me,” Nicholas bites out.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Koen asks, a hint of desperation in his voice. “I would have—”

“You would havewhat?” Nicholas cuts him off with a bitter laugh. “You showed me exactly what you’d do. You chose him over me without a second thought.”

“I did it because you hurt him!” Koen argues. “If you came to me and told me about—”

“About what?” Nicholas snaps. “Howyour twinwas making my life a living hell?”

“Why me?” Levi looks stunned. “Iwasn’t the one bullying you!”

“But you were the one spreading the rumors!” Nicholas fires back.

“I…what?” Levi stammers, his defensiveness giving way to confusion.

“You went around telling people how I liked flowers, how I’d never had a girlfriend, how you were sure I was gay. You asked guys if I’d hit on them or if I ever tried to kiss them!”

Levi’s eyes widen. “Fuck, that was… I didn’t do that to spread rumors. I was asking for myself! I was trying to figure out if there was a chance you might be into me too.”

“Still, you were the one who spread them.” Nicholas looks down at his feet, clenching his fists.

Holy shit.

The realization hits me the same time it does Levi, and I watch as his defensiveness surges even before he opens his mouth again. “Well, you could havestillnot acted like a fucking asshole and hurt me. We could have just talked it out. Shows what kind of person you are.”

“What kind of personIam?” Nicholas looks up at Levi again and steps closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You took my family away from me. Koen, Oscar. Youruinedmy life!”

Ezra steps in, shoving Nicholas back with a force that makes him stumble, and Koen reaches out to grip Nicholas’s upper arm to keep him from falling on his ass.

“Don’t youdaretouch him,” Ezra growls. “Lay a finger on him one more time, and I’ll cut it off.”

“Ezy, stop.” Levi tries to pull him back by the elbow, but Ezra shrugs him off.

“No! I held you for months after what he did to you. You still have nightmares because of thisdickhead.”

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