33

The next day as I stepped out of Spencer's apartment, pulling my jacket tight against the evening chill. We'd spent the day catching up, and I had left her place feeling a little lighter, the warmth of our laughter lingering like a protective shield around me.

As I walked down the street, my mind wandered back to the club from the other night. I couldn't shake the memory of Levi's intense gaze across the crowded room, the way he'd watched me with that possessive edge that made my heart race. I'd convinced myself it meant something—that maybe, beneath all our bickering, he felt something too. But that was a dangerous line of thinking, and I needed to shake it off.

I turned a corner, and that's when I saw them.

I guess I was wrong. Maybe the drink I had was too strong for me to comprehend that maybe he felt it too.

Levi and Mia were standing by a small ice cream truck near the park entrance, its neon lights casting a soft, playful glow on their faces. They were laughing, and Mia was holding a cone with two scoops of chocolate chip—the same flavor I remembered Levi once admitting was his favorite. They looked like any ordinary couple out for a casual evening stroll, sharing laughter and easy conversation, lost in their own world.

I stopped in my tracks, my stomach twisting as I watched Mia tilt her head back, laughing at something Levi had said. He leaned closer, his gaze warm and his posture relaxed in a way that made my heart ache. He looked... happy. Happier than I'd ever seen him with me. And that realization stung more than I wanted to admit.

Before I could look away, Mia lifted her cone, offering Levi a bite. He leaned in, taking a small taste, his lips quirking into that familiar, infuriatingly charming smile. It was a simple, casual gesture, one that shouldn't have meant anything—but to me, it felt like a punch to the gut.

They were just coworkers, I told myself. Mia probably didn't even mean anything by it. But the way Levi looked at her, the way he seemed so at ease. There was a softness in his eyes, a warmth that made me feel like an outsider intruding on something private and... special.

I swallowed, forcing myself to keep walking even as my gaze lingered on them. It wasn't like I had any right to feel jealous. Levi wasn't mine, and whatever I thought we'd shared was just my imagination. But seeing him with her like that, sharing ice cream and stolen laughs under the soft glow of the streetlights, made me feel small, insignificant.

My phone buzzed snapping me from my thoughts, and I realized Spencer had texted me, asking if I'd made it home yet. I typed a quick reply, trying to distract myself from the scene in front of me. But no amount of texting or small talk could erase the image of Levi and Mia from my mind. Their laughter, their closeness, the way they seemed so absorbed in each other—it all felt like a slap in the face.

I bit my lip, telling myself I should just keep walking and forget this whole thing. But my feet refused to move, and instead, I found myself leaning against a nearby lamppost, watching them from a distance like some pathetic, lovesick fool. They hadn't noticed me; they were too wrapped up in their own little world to care.

Mia leaned in closer, wiping a smudge of ice cream off Levi's cheek with a playful smile. He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked down at her, and my heart clenched at the sight. I wanted to be the one making him laugh like that, the one he shared those soft, unguarded moments with.

It was stupid, really. We'd spent so much time trading insults and one-upping each other that I'd never imagined I'd want anything more. But now, seeing him with Mia, seeing the way he could be so open and vulnerable with someone else, made me realize just how much I'd been lying to myself.

Maybe I wasn't just annoyed by him. Maybe, somewhere along the way, I'd started to care about him in ways I couldn't understand, let alone admit.

I forced myself to turn away, taking a deep breath as I walked in the opposite direction. But even as I put distance between us, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just witnessed.

★★

To clear my mind, I decided to visit a club, Spencer being busy on a date with Ethan. It just didn't feel right to disturb her, so here I was alone in a club to clear my thinking and enjoy a little.

The soft thud of music pulsed through the crowded venue, a mix of trendy pop and smooth jazz that set a hypnotic rhythm. I stood by the long, marble-topped bar, tracing the rim of my champagne flute as the room buzzed with laughter and bursts of conversation. Tonight was supposed to be a chance to unwind, to feel the tension drain from my shoulders and disappear into the sea of glittering gowns and sharp suits.

But peace was elusive, especially when Levi Carson was in the room.

The shift in the air was unmistakable. It was as if the universe had set a trap just for me, the current of anticipation tightening around me before I even saw him. I took a slow sip of my champagne, trying to convince myself that my pulse hadn't quickened. Yet when I finally turned and met his eyes, my heart betrayed me, thudding loudly against my chest.

He stood there, impossibly composed. His dark hair was just tousled enough to give him that irreverent edge, and those blue-gray eyes-focused entirely on me-sparked with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"Cora," he said, his voice smooth, the kind of voice that had a way of crawling under my skin.

"Levi," I replied, forcing a practiced smile. I wasn't going to let him see how unprepared I was. "What a coincidence."

The smirk tugging at his lips deepened as he glanced over me, his gaze lingering on my dress-a deep emerald green that caught the light just so. I'd chosen it for myself, a small act of defiance in a world where appearances always mattered. "Didn't expect to see you here," he said, the edge in his tone suggesting he found my surprise amusing.

"Funny, neither did I," I said, lifting an eyebrow. "I came to relax, not to play whatever this is."

He chuckled softly, stepping just close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. "And yet, here we are." His voice was lower now, meant only for me. I forced myself to breathe, to keep my eyes locked on his without wavering.

The silence that settled between us was thick, brimming with the unspoken. I glanced around the room for a moment, catching the blur of glittering gowns and gesturing hands. When I looked back at Levi, a question popped into my mind, unbidden.

"Where's Mia?" I asked, trying to sound casual, though the words felt like stones on my tongue. Mia was his co-worker, but she seemed to be around him more often than not, and tonight her absence was conspicuous.

His smirk faded for just a second, his eyes narrowing slightly before he regained that unreadable expression. "Mia? She's not here. Work kept her busy tonight," he said, his tone even. "Besides, she's just a friend, Cora. Nothing more."

There was something in the way he said that made me pause, as if he wanted me to hear it clearly, to let it sink in. Before I could respond, he took another step closer, his gaze locked on mine. "You know," he said, his voice dropping, "you look good when you're trying to prove a point."

The compliment was like a sudden flame, sparking warmth that I tried to extinguish. But the truth was, when Levi Carson looked at me like that, it was impossible not to feel the pull. Still, I kept my smile steady and lifted my chin.

"I always look good," I said, my tone sharp enough to deflect. "You're just now paying attention."

For a split second, the air between us shifted, heavy and raw. His jaw clenched, the subtle movement betraying the impact of my words before he let out a breath and the mask slipped back into place. "I'm always paying attention, Cora," he said, the edge in his voice softening into something that felt dangerously sincere. "Especially when it comes to you."

Before I could register the shift in his expression or the way his eyes softened, Levi leaned in, the warmth of his breath brushing my skin. His lips met my cheek in a fleeting, barely-there kiss that sent a jolt through me, leaving my skin tingling.

"Enjoy your night," he whispered, the corner of his mouth lifting in that familiar, infuriating way. He pulled back, his eyes holding mine for one last beat before he turned to disappear into the crowd, a playful wink sent over his shoulder.

I stood frozen, the world blurring around me as the echo of his presence lingered. The music shifted to something slower, deeper, as I touched my cheek absentmindedly, the imprint of his kiss searing into my skin like a secret.