28

I stood in my kitchen, lost in a haze of half-thoughts and simmering frustration. The kale sat wilted in its bag, the chocolate chip cookies whispered promises of comfort, and yet none of it mattered. I was supposed to be focused—prepping a quick meal, finding some semblance of routine—but my mind was elsewhere, spiraling.

Levi. The way he'd smirked at me in the grocery store, the lightness in our conversation that had felt so effortlessly easy until Mia showed up, casting a shadow over everything. I could still picture her wrapping her arms around him, all confidence and charm, while I stood there like a deer caught in headlights. It gnawed at me, that moment, that reality. Why did it sting so much?

I grabbed the kale, trying to channel my frustration into something productive. Chop, chop, chop. But with every slice, I felt the tension tighten in my chest. Why was it so easy for him to fall back into her orbit? I wasn't supposed to care, right? We were just friends. Friends who competed over everything, who bantered and sparred. So why did it feel like a punch to the gut when I saw them together?

"Stop it," I muttered to myself, glancing at the clock. My thoughts were spiraling, dragging me into a pit of self-doubt. I should be able to brush this off, to laugh it away, but here I was, stuck in my kitchen, staring at a pile of groceries like they held the answers.

I chopped harder, imagining the kale as my frustration—slice, slice, slice. But it didn't help. The more I thought about Levi, the more I realized I was lying to myself. I didn't want to just be friends; I wanted to be the one he laughed with, the one who made him smile like that. The realization hit me like a wave, and I gripped the knife tightly, frustration coursing through me.

"Ugh!" I dropped the knife onto the cutting board, stepping back as if it had burned me. What was I doing? How could I even think that? He didn't look at me like that; he looked at Mia like she was the sun. And I was just... there. A friendly rival. Nothing more.

I leaned against the counter, closing my eyes. This was ridiculous. I had to be stronger than this. Why was I letting him get under my skin like this? I was supposed to be indifferent, right? Just another day in the grocery store, just another errand run. But it felt like so much more now, and I hated that I cared at all.

"Why can't I just be normal?" I whispered to the empty kitchen, the echo of my voice bouncing back at me like a cruel joke. I turned back to the ingredients, feeling overwhelmed.

What was I even supposed to say if I ever confronted him? "Hey, Levi, you know that cute girl who makes you smile? Yeah, well, I think I like you." That would go over well. I scoffed at the thought, pushing the bag of kale aside.

I fumbled through the cupboards, searching for something—anything—to distract me from the knot tightening in my stomach. But the more I rummaged, the more frustrated I became. It was a cycle, a loop I couldn't escape. The stupid grocery store, the stupid interaction, the stupid feelings I was pretending didn't exist.

My phone buzzed on the counter, a message from Spencer flashing across the screen. I almost didn't want to look, fearing it would force me to confront the chaos swirling inside. But I couldn't ignore her, so I picked it up.

"Hey! You okay? Just checking in!"

I stared at the screen, fingers hovering over the keys. I could tell her everything, pour out my confusion and frustration, but what would that accomplish? "Yeah, fine," I typed back, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "Just cooking."

"Cooking up something good? Need company?"

I almost laughed, the irony cutting deep. Company? What did I want from company? To chat about kale while I secretly wished for something more with Levi? "Nah, just a quiet night."

I set the phone down, staring at the mess I had created in the kitchen. Maybe I could just lock these feelings away, pretend they didn't exist, and keep everything simple. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Levi's smile, and it made my heart race and ache all at once.

"Why can't I just be happy?" I muttered, frustration boiling over as I kicked the cabinet door softly.

In that moment, I felt utterly stuck, caught in a web of my own making. I should be able to shake this off, to move on like it was nothing. But every slice of the knife reminded me that I wasn't just friends with Levi anymore. I was tangled in something far more complicated, and I didn't know how to untangle it.

Hi, thank you so much for reading!

What do you think will happen, especially now that Cora has finally realised that she feels something for Levi? Will he reciprocate it or will Cora not say anything?

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