“Nothing. I was just… thinking about my Mercedes.”
The fact that Nicholas not onlyborrowedmy car—hell, let’s call it what it is, he basically stole it—but now also uses it like it’s his own should piss me off. But it doesn’t. I know I’ll get it back. Nicholas wouldn’t keep it, not forever. That’s not the kind of person he is. And deep down, I’ve always known that.
So why didn’t I know that everything with him and Levi was a misunderstanding?
Of course, Nicholas hurt Levi. I won’t deny that. But I also know Nicholas better than anyone. I should have seen that there was more to the story, that the pieces didn’t add up. Instead, I dropped him like a hot potato as he accused me of doing.
I told myself I saw what he did to Levi, saw the fallout, and that was all the truth I needed. But that was bullshit, wasn’t it? I didn’t even ask. I didn’t dig deeper. I sided with Levi, stuck with him, and let it burn Nicholas in the process.
And now? Now I can’t stop wondering what it cost us.
What it costhim.
“Koen?” Novalee’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I turn my gaze to hers, blinking as the weight of the past falls back into the shadows of the present. “You okay? You’ve been staring at that car for a while now.”
I let out a breath, shaking my head. “Yeah, just… memories.”
She doesn’t push, giving me the space to decide if I want to share. It’s a thing I’ve noticed about her, how she balancesknowing when to press and when to back off. It’s unnervingly comforting.
“That car,” I say finally, nodding toward the Mercedes. “It’s not just a car. It’s… Oscar gave it to me. And Nicholas and I went out a lot in it. It was my whole pride when I was seventeen.” I huff a laugh. “And I raced it way too often. It’s the reason why I lost my license more than once. And I was just remembering how I had a conversation with Oscar in there after the first time.”
Her brows lift, curiosity flickering across her face. “The heavy kind of conversation?”
“Yeah.” I chuckle dryly. “You could say that. Oscar always had a way of cutting through the bullshit and getting to the point. He was the one who first called me out on my shit. And I guess I miss him. He would know what to do.” She leans back, resting her head against the seat, waiting for me to continue. I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve been telling myself for years that I chose Levi because it was the right thing to do. That Nicholas did something unforgivable, and I was justified in walking away. But now, I don’t know. I think I didn’t want to face the truth.”
“You’re allowed to change your mind about the past, you know. To see it differently now that you have more pieces of the puzzle.”
I huff a quiet laugh, my lips twitching upward. “Leave it to you to simplify it like that.”
“It’s not simple,” she counters. “But it’s also not too late to fix it. Believe me, if I learned anything, it’s that as long as you’re alive, there is time to fix stuff.”
Her words hang in the air, and I look back at the Mercedes.
Fixing it.
Fixingus.
This is going to be hard but not impossible.
I already noticed how easy it would be to fall back into the friendship that was once everything to me. Maybe it’s time I start owning up to the shit I’ve avoided for years, starting with Nicholas, who seems to have finished his lesson with the kids because he’s walking over to us, or rather to his car.
No,mycar, dammit.
His gaze lands on the Bronco, and I can see the moment he recognizes us because his posture turns, laced with an edge of tension like he’s preparing for a fight. He rounds the car, and I roll down the window.
“Your backflips were smoother a decade ago. You’re getting old, Snickers.”
A flicker of amusement crosses his face, quickly replaced by exasperation. He leans down, forearms resting on the frame. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“Ever heard of texting?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
He exhales a sharp breath, shaking his head. “And what do you want?”
“I need a few things,” I start, tilting my head toward him. “I wanted to talk to Veronica again. Make sure she knows about the show and, well,showsup. Also, Nova and Ric need Heights uniforms.”
