Page 84 of Gathered Sparkle

Fuck, this is escalating fast.

I shoot a glance at Sylus and Ace, who both look tense as well.

Nicholas looks like he wants to take another step closer, but Koen holds him back. “Easy, Snickers.”

“Oh, and Levi’s some fucking angel, huh?” Nicholas yells at Ezra. “He’s never done anything wrong?”

“Shut the fuck up!” Ezra shouts.

“Ezy—” Levi tries again, but Ezra turns and grabs his face in both hands, then kisses him hard. The room falls completely silent except for the collective gasps of Koen and Sylus.

When Ezra pulls back, he keeps his hands on Levi’s face, looking directly into his eyes as he promises, “Nobody will ever hurt you again, love. Not even me.”

Levi looks dazed, his eyes wide, his lips parted as he stares at Ezra. He nods, a tiny movement before Ezra takes his hand and leads him out of the room while we all turn to watch them go.

Hell, yes!

Koen clears his throat, his gaze bouncing between Nicholas and the door Ezra and his twin disappeared through. “Well, that wasunexpected.”

Ace leans against the counter. “Was it, though?”

I notice the little smug sheen in his eyes I know so well and have to suppress a laugh.

After a few more moments of silence, Koen breaks it. “I’m sorry, Nico. I saw what was going on, and I should have acted. I just… I didn’t know it was that bad.”

Nicholas exhales sharply, his shoulders dropping as he lets himself sink onto the couch. “You didn’t know because I didn’t tell you.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want you to know. I was ashamed.”

Koen moves closer, guilt etched into every line of his face. “Ashamed of what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Nicholas shakes his head, his gaze fixed on the floor. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

He looks smaller, somehow, like the fight has been drained out of him. I’m not sure what to say. How do you fix something that’s been broken for so long? But the silence feels worse, a gap that’ll swallow him whole if someone doesn’t reach out.

So, I do. I sit down beside him, placing a hand on his knee. “You okay?”

“Sure,” he says, but his voice carries none of the conviction it needs to be believable as he pulls his knee out from under my touch.

Ouch.

Sylus drops down onto the couch beside me. “Why are you even here,Harrington?”

“I don’t know.” Nicholas sighs, his frustration bleeding through his words. “To fucking debrief that dinner from hell? Make a plan?”

Sylus leans back, crossing his arms. “We have a plan.”

“Then share with the class?” Nicholas arches a brow.

Sylus huffs, but before he can retort, I chime in, “Yeah, share with the class. I’m still not sure what thisamazingplan is supposed to be. Nico and I are at least as smart as you, so I’m pretty sure we can keep up.”

Nicholas lets out a soft laugh, the tension in his shoulders slightly easing.

It’s not much, but I count it as a win.

I smile at him, but then Sylus hooks his arm around my waist and tugs me into his lap, his hold possessive as he presses a kiss to my throat. “Stop trying to soothe the dickhead.”

“Insecure much,Walker?” Nicholas asks.

“At least it doesn’t slip out when I fuck her, and she leans forward to kiss me.”

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