Page 143 of Gathered Sparkle

She’s my undoing and my salvation.

I bury my face in the curve of her neck, my eyes growing heavier with each slow beat of her pulse beneath my lips. “I love you, Nova,” I whisper again, the words tasting like truth.

She murmurs too soft for me to catch, but I don’t need to hear it. I know.

I close my eyes, my body wrapped around hers, and as sleep pulls me under, I hold on to the feeling of her, the proof that maybe I’m allowed to have this.

To love her.

To be loved back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Koen

The Mercedes rumbles beneath us, the growl of the engine filling the silence. My head rests against the window, arms crossed, while Oscar’s hands grip the wheel. He hasn’t said a word since we left the courthouse, but a storm is brewing beside him.

Finally, he breaks the silence. “What the hell were you thinking, Koen?” His voice is calm, too calm, and that’s worse than yelling.

I shrug, not looking at him. “I wasn’t.”

“No kidding,” he snaps, his grip tightening. “Do you know how lucky you are that they only took your license? You keep driving like that, and next time, it won’t just be a ticket. It’ll be you or someone else wrapped around a tree. Driving like that, with Nicholas in the passenger seat? You’re not only playing with your own life. Levi told me you drive like that when he’s with you too.”

Traitor twin.

I don’t respond, staring out the window as the desert blurs past.

“Why, Koen?”Oscar exhales sharply. “Why are you doing this? You know better.”

“Do I?” The words are laced with more anger than I mean.

He glances at me, his jaw tight. “Don’t start with that. You do know better. You should know what cars can do, Koen. What they can take away.”

My stomach knots. I know exactly what he means. Mom. Rosie. Gone in an instant because of one stupid crash.

“I wasn’t racing,” I mutter, but even I don’t believe it.

“Doesn’t matter. You think that would’ve made a difference to them? You think the car cared why it was going too fast?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, biting back the flood of emotions. “I wasn’t trying to—”

“What, Koen?” he interrupts. “What were you trying to do? Because all I see is you risking your life for nothing.”

“It’s not for nothing.” I turn to glare at him. “It’s how I… cope, okay? It’s the only thing that makes me feel anything.”

Oscar’s eyes flick toward me, softening for only a second. “There are better ways, kid. You don’t get to put your life, or someone else’s, on the line because you don’t want to deal with your shit.”

I huff, looking away again. “Whatever.”

We fall into silence for a while, the road stretching endlessly ahead.

“Levi’s training hard,” Oscar says suddenly. “You should see him with those pigeons. He’s going to be so good.”

“Yeah, well, good for him,” I mutter.

“You should join him.”

I snort. “I’m not doing silly tricks, Oscar.”

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