Page 132 of Gathered Sparkle

Fuck, we have to move faster. I look around for Sylus.

Quick, quick, quick.

Finally, he reappears, brushing past me again, and the phone is suddenly back in my hand. I pivot smoothly, planting it back on the table exactly where it was, as though it had never moved.

“You drunk asshole!” Stepping between them, I push Ace back with a scowl, forcing Blackwood to let go of him with the move. “You ruined my dress! And the whole evening.”

Ace blinks at me, then adopts a sheepish grin. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Ugh, just leave,” I order, rolling my eyes for Blackwood’s benefit.

“Riccardo!” Sylus strides up again at that moment. “I’m sorry, guys. My friend had one too many tonight. Come on, buddy.” Sylus grips Ace by the arm, but I notice he holds onto the fabric of his shirt rather than him. “Let’s get you out of here before you cause more trouble.” He turns to Blackwood with anapologetic smile. “Sorry for the mess. I’ll order a drink for you guys on our way out.”

Blackwood mutters something under his breath, waving them off as a server rushes over and starts cleaning the table.

“Oh my God.” Annabelle slides her hand across Blackwood’s arm. “You okay? That was insane.”

He nods, his irritation visibly easing under her attention. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a damn mess.”

I have to get out of here before he remembers what started that mess in the first place. My eyes find Annabelle’s, and she acts immediately, standing and coming to my side.

“Come on, babe. Let’s fix your dress. We’re not letting that guy ruin our night.”

I nod, smoothing out my expression as I follow her lead. “Yeah, good idea. I need to clean this up.”

Annabelle throws Blackwood a dazzling smile, one last flourish of charm to tie it all together. “We’ll be right back.”

As we walk away, weaving through the casino floor, I allow myself a deep breath. My heart is still pounding, the adrenaline still coursing through me, but a triumphant smile pulls at my lips.

Holy shit, we did it.

Annabelle leans closer. “Did it work out?”

I glance at her, my grin spreading wider. “Yeah, it did.”

Her responding smile is wide as we slip into a quieter corridor.

We pulled it off.

Annabelle was perfect, effortless, and charming. Sylus did his job even faster than I could have imagined. And Ace… God, Ace. He proved, once again, that when things go sideways, there’s no one better to have on your side.

And by some miracle, I have him back on mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Alaric

The stillness of my room is a lie, masking the storm raging inside me.

My knuckles are white as I grip the edge of the bed. The hum of my therapist’s voice through the phone is steady, the only thing I’ve been clinging to for the past twenty minutes, which is pretty much the entire time since we got back from the Heights Casino.

The second we stepped through the door, I bolted upstairs, ripping off my suit like it was suffocating me. I barely managed to pull on a pair of sweats and a shirt before fumbling to dial her number, my chest heaving as though I’d been holding my breath the entire way home.

My lungs burn, and my head swims, but her voice anchors me, pulling me back from the edge I’d been teetering on since Blackwood laid his hands on me.

“You can be proud of yourself, Alaric,” she reassures me. “You’ve made such fast and amazing progress. It’s perfectly okay that a stranger touching you was so triggering. It’s entirely normal. But the fact that you were able to hold it together in the moment to postpone your reaction? That’s a huge stepforward.” I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Breaking down now, after the fact, doesn’t make you weak,” she continues. “It’s a sign of growth. You’re letting yourself process it, and that’s healthy. This is how you heal, by letting yourselffeelin a safe environment rather than bottling it up.”

I nod again. Hearing her frame it that way makes the knot of shame in my chest loosen if only a little.

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