23

The crisp air stung my cheeks as I wandered through the quiet neighborhood, but it did little to clear my head. No matter how hard I tried to push the thoughts away, they kept looping back—Levi, Mia, the way last night had left me tangled in a mess of emotions I didn’t know how to unravel.

I turned the corner, heading toward the small park at the edge of town, my usual escape when my thoughts became too loud. The crunch of leaves beneath my feet was steady, rhythmic, grounding. I focused on the way they scattered in the breeze, on the distant sound of rustling branches, on anything that wasn’t the question nagging at me.

Why hadn’t Levi texted?

And more importantly—why was I waiting for it?

As I stepped onto the park’s winding path, movement near the pond caught my eye. Someone sat on one of the worn wooden benches, hunched slightly, staring out at the still water. The sight sent a jolt through me.

Levi.

Of course, it had to be him.

I hesitated mid-step, debating whether to turn around before he noticed me. But it was too late. As if sensing my presence, Levi looked up, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then, as casually as if this were any other day, he lifted a hand in an easy wave, like we weren’t standing in the middle of something unspoken, like the air between us wasn’t thick with unresolved tension.

I could walk away. Pretend I hadn’t seen him.

But I wasn’t going to run from this.

With measured steps, I crossed the distance, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Hey," I said, forcing an easy tone. "Didn’t peg you as the type to sit and reflect by the pond."

Levi smirked, leaning back against the bench. "Even I need a break from my own brilliance sometimes."

I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head, and sat down beside him, leaving just enough space between us to feel safe. The silence that followed stretched long, heavy but not unbearable. I wasn’t sure who would break it first.

Levi did.

"About last night..." His voice was quieter now, careful.

I tensed, my fingers gripping the edge of the bench. I wasn’t sure I wanted to have this conversation.

But instead of an explanation or an apology, Levi reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small, crumpled notebook. He flipped through a few pages, then carefully tore one out, holding it toward me.

I frowned, hesitating before taking it. My eyes skimmed the page, and my breath caught.

It was a sketch.

Messy, rough, but incredibly detailed—the restaurant, the glow of the dim lights, the plants by the window, the table where we had sat. And there, in the corner, was a small figure. Me. Arms crossed, expression set in frustration.

I stared at it, my fingers tightening around the edges of the paper.

"You... drew this?" My voice was barely a whisper.

Levi exhaled, his gaze fixed on the pond. "Yeah." A pause. "You weren’t yourself last night. I noticed."

Something cracked open in my chest. He noticed. Even when he hadn’t said anything, even when I’d convinced myself he was too caught up in Mia to see me—he had.

"You didn’t say anything," I murmured, still staring at the sketch.

Levi ran a hand through his hair, exhaling a quiet laugh, almost self-deprecating. "Didn’t know how. But I should’ve asked if you were okay." He finally looked at me then, eyes steady. "I’m not great at this kind of thing, Cora. But I do notice."

The words settled between us, soft but certain.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, my fingers tracing the edge of the paper. Maybe Levi wasn’t as clueless as I had thought. Maybe he had been paying attention all along, just in his own way.

"Thank you," I said, my voice quieter now, but sincere. "For noticing."

And for the first time in days, the weight in my chest didn’t feel quite as heavy.

Hey everyone! Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed diving a bit deeper into Cora and Levi's complicated emotions. I wanted to show that even though they both struggle with their feelings, they're beginning to notice the small, unspoken moments that mean more than they realize. Levi's quiet gesture here was a way to peel back another layer of their relationship and show that he's paying attention in ways Cora didn't expect.

As always, their journey is just beginning, and there's so much more to come as they navigate these confusing, messy feelings.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! What did you think of Levi's gesture?

— sky