30

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the park, I felt the weight of my emotions pressing down on me like a heavy blanket. The air, once filled with laughter and light banter, now felt stifling and thick, suffocating in its silence. Levi had just walked Mia to her car, and I couldn't help but watch them from a distance, my heart twisting painfully at the sight.

The way he smiled at her, the easy laughter they shared, cut deeper than I wanted to admit. Every glance, every touch between them felt like a dagger in my chest, a reminder of everything I longed for but could never have. I felt like an outsider in my own life, and suddenly, the dam I had been holding back broke.

"Cora, are you okay?" Spencer's voice sliced through the haze of my thoughts, drawing me back to the moment. I forced a smile, but it felt brittle, cracking under the weight of everything I was trying to suppress.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, but my voice trembled, betraying my facade.

"C'mon, don't give me that. You've been quiet," she pressed, her brow furrowing in concern. I glanced back at where Levi and Mia had just been, the sinking feeling rising within me again.

"Honestly, I just... I can't keep pretending," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Seeing him with her hurts more than I thought it would."

"What do you mean?" Spencer's tone shifted, her concern deepening.

I could feel the tears welling up, hot and stinging, threatening to spill over. "Every time I see them together, it feels like a reminder of everything I can't have. It crushes me," I confessed, my voice breaking as the tears began to fall.

"Cora..." Spencer stepped closer, her eyes filled with empathy. "You don't have to hide how you feel. It's okay to be upset."

And suddenly, I felt completely unravel. I buried my face in my hands, the tears flowing freely now, each sob tearing through me. "I think I am falling in love with him." I choked out, the words tumbling from my lips like an avalanche.

Spencer moved in closer, wrapping her arms around me, holding me tightly as the tears soaked her shoulder. "You're not alone, okay? Let it out," she whispered softly.

I cried for all the moments I had bottled up, for the laughter I felt excluded from, for the way my heart ached whenever I thought of Levi and Mia together. Each sob felt like it was ripping away layers of the facade I had carefully constructed. "I hate feeling like this," I murmured, my voice muffled against her shoulder. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"You're feeling real emotions, and that's okay," she said, her voice gentle and reassuring. "You're human, Cora. It's normal to feel pain, especially when it comes to someone you care about."

"I just wish it would stop," I sobbed, pulling back slightly to wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. The tears kept coming, a relentless tide that felt like it would never recede. "It's like I'm drowning in it, and I don't know how to swim back to the surface."

"Time will help," she reassured me, brushing my hair back gently. "You'll find your way through this. You're stronger than you realize."

As I sat there, still shaking with emotion, I suddenly became aware of Ethan standing a few feet away, his expression a mix of concern and sympathy. I hadn't even noticed he had joined us.

"Cora, are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer, his eyes searching mine.

"I... I don't know," I admitted, looking down at the ground, feeling exposed and vulnerable. "It just hurts. Seeing them together, it hurts... it's just too much."

Ethan's expression softened, and he glanced at Spencer before turning back to me. "You matter to all of us, Cora. You're important. Mia is just a friend of Levi, he is just trying to make her comfortable around us."

"But..." I hesitated, my heart racing at the thought of Levi finding out how I felt. "Please, don't say anything to him. I can't handle that right now. I don't want to make things weird."

"Of course," he said, nodding solemnly. "Your feelings are yours, and you don't have to share them if you're not ready."

"I just feel so lost," I whispered, the tears still spilling down my cheeks.

Spencer squeezed my hand, her gaze warm and understanding. "Just take your time. You'll figure it out."

I nodded, but the ache in my chest felt heavy and relentless. "It just hurts so much to watch them together. I want to be happy for him, but I can't help feeling this way."

"It's okay to feel jealous or upset," Ethan said gently. "Those feelings don't make you a bad person; they make you human. Just don't let them consume you."

I took a shaky breath, feeling a flicker of hope amid the chaos of my emotions. "I'll try," I said, wiping my eyes again. "But right now, it just feels like too much."

As the sun sank lower, casting a dusky glow over the park, I realized that I was standing at a crossroads. The path ahead felt uncertain and daunting, but in that moment, surrounded by Spencer and Ethan's quiet support, I also felt a sense of connection that I had been missing.

I may not have all the answers, and the ache in my heart might not fade overnight, but for now, I was heard. And maybe that was enough to keep me from drowning.

Writing this chapter was an emotional experience. I tried to capture the complexities of her feelings.

Cora's feelings serves as a reminder that it's perfectly normal to feel vulnerable and that expressing those feelings is not a bad thing. The support from friends like Spencer and Ethan emphasizes how important it is to have people in our lives who understand and listen, even when things get tough.

- sky