Page 7 of Gathered Sparkle

Every fractured, vulnerable part of me.

He’s my person.

I let out a breath. “Survive for me, how about that?”

“Got it.” A small smile tugs at his lips, and he presses a kiss to my temple. “We’ll survive for each other.” He pulls back to meet my eyes, then lifts his pinky finger between us.

I’m done with pushing him away. I want this. I wanthim.

Slowly, I lift my hand, hooking my pinky around his.

“Okay,” I whisper, sealing the promise between us.

“Okay?” he echoes. There’s a hint of surprise and so much hope in his eyes. He knows I’m saying yes to more than just surviving.

“Okay.”

We’re doing this.

Together.

“Okay,”he repeats, his lips curving into that crooked Sylus smile, which always makes my heart stutter, before he dives in for another long kiss. The vibration of a phone against his thigh makes us break apart, and he pulls away with a reluctant sigh. His breath is shaky as his thumb brushes my cheek while he presses another short kiss to my lips. “Sorry.” Sylus grabs his phone from his pocket and places his forehead against mine. “Ez.”

“The fuck, Sy?” Ezra’s voice comes through, muffled but unmistakably tense. “Where are you? Speeding off like a maniac? We couldn’t find you, and I don’t want to park in front of the Heights.”

Sylus’s lips twitch in a smile as he glances at me. “I gathered Sparkle and drove her out of the danger zone.”

There’s a pause on the other end. Then Koen asks, “She’s okay?”

Is he worried about me?

Or worried because I might’ve messed things up?

“At least physically, she’s fine.” Sylus leans back, his gaze searching mine, his thumb never stopping its gentle strokes on my cheek. “But she’s upset about getting caught.”

I suppress a scoff. Upset isn’t the word I’d choose.

I fucking hate myself for it.

“Yeah, that wasn’t ideal.” Ezra sighs, his frustration evident.

I bite my lip and look away, ashamed. Sylus’s fingers move, gently guiding my chin back so I’m forced to meet his eyes. “It’s fine, Ez,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine. “We’ll find another way.”

“Now they know what we’re up to.” Ezra’s still tense. “That’s fucking—”

“Ez, shut the fuck up.”

“Listen,” Koen jumps in. “Can we talk this out when we’re all together? I need to see her. See for myself that she’s okay.”

My heart flutters at his words.

He needs to see me?

“All right.” Sylus nods. His eyes search mine for a reaction. “Should I drive you back to the mansion?”

Ezra hesitates.“I don’t know, man…”

“I can go back to my place,” I speak up quickly. “It’s fine.”

---