Koen tries to defend him. “It’s Nicholas. He wouldn’t?—”
“Save it,” Ezra snaps.
The sound of the door to the garage closing cuts through the awkward silence, and moments later, Nicholas strides into the living room. His expression is closed off, but a storm is brewing behind his eyes.
Levi’s lips twist into a smirk that’s anything but friendly. “Well, hello there, asshole.”
The jab lands like a lit match on dry tinder. Nicholas’s composure cracks, and he erupts. “Who’s the asshole here, huh? You want to compare notes, Levi?”
The tension skyrockets as they step closer to each other, and I instinctively move between them, planting my hands against their chests. “No. This shit stops now. All of it. If we’re going to do this, if we’re going to work together, we do ittogether.No more picking fights. No more taking sides. Got it?”
Levi glares past me at Nicholas. “He fucking started it!”
“When did I fucking start it, huh?” Nicholas throws his arms out. “I just got here, dammit!”
Koen grips my upper arm gently and pulls me out from between them, whispering, “C’mere, Little Thief.”
Levi scoffs. “You started itthirteen years ago.”
“Are you fucking kidding me, Paste?” Nicholas’s laugh is harsh, bitter. “Idid notstart it.”
“You hurt me!” Levi pushes his hair away from his temple, jabbing a finger at the faint scar there. “I needed stitches because of you.Thisis because of you!”
“I already told you I was sorry for that the moment it happened.” Nicholas crosses his arms, his jaw tight. “But honestly, you fucking deserved it.”
“Nico—” Koen starts, but Nicholas cuts him off.
“No! You’re the fucking same, Koen. You dropped me like a hot potato after that night. You never even asked whathedid orwhyI reacted the way I did. Fucking great best friend you are.”
“Whatdidhe do?” I ask, and the room falls into a thick silence as all eyes turn to me. I glance around, then back at Nicholas. “What? Let’s get it all out in the open and finally bury that dumb fight.”
“It’s not adumbfight—” Levi starts, but I cut him off, my eyes still on Nicholas.
“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.
