43

It had been exactly forty-eight hours since Levi Carson kissed me.

Not that I was counting.

Okay, maybe I was.

It wasn't like I meant to keep track, but my brain had decided to store that moment on an infinite replay loop. The way his hands had curled around my waist, the way his breath had mixed with mine right before our lips met—how the world had quieted for the first time in forever.

And now, two days later, we were sitting in my apartment, pretending things were totally normal.

Except they weren't.

Because every time I so much as glanced at him, my stomach twisted into a tangled mess of nerves. And the worst part? I was almost certain he knew.

Levi was stretched out on my couch like he owned the place, one arm draped over the backrest, his gaze flicking toward me every few seconds like he was waiting for me to say something.

I refused to give him the satisfaction.

Instead, I kept my attention fixed on the TV, though I hadn't processed a single second of the movie we'd put on. My brain was too busy trying to figure out the rules of whatever this new thing between us was supposed to be.

Were we officially dating? Did we have to talk about feelings now? And why did his presence feel so much more distracting than it did before?

Levi shifted beside me, his knee bumping against mine. A completely normal, accidental movement—except my entire body tensed in response.

"You're acting weird." His voice was laced with amusement.

I scoffed, finally tearing my gaze from the screen to glare at him. "I'm not acting weird."

"You totally are." A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You've been stiff as a board all night."

"That's just how I sit."

Levi arched an eyebrow. "So you normally sit like you're preparing for a pop quiz?"

I opened my mouth to fire back, but nothing came. Because he wasn't wrong.

Damn him.

Levi took advantage of my silence, shifting closer. "I get it, you know."

I frowned. "Get what?"

"This." He gestured between us. "It's new. We're new. And you're overthinking it."

I scoffed. "I don't overthink things."

Levi gave me a look.

"...Fine. Maybe a little."

His smirk deepened. "Good. Admitting it is the first step."

I huffed. "Are you always this insufferable?"

"Only when I'm right."

I rolled my eyes, but I could feel the tension in my shoulders easing—just a little. Because this? This back-and-forth, this push-and-pull? This was familiar.

And yet, it wasn't exactly the same.

Because Levi was looking at me differently now. Not just with that usual competitive spark, but with something warmer. Softer.

And that scared the hell out of me.

I turned my attention back to the screen, determined to focus on something—anything—other than the fact that Levi was sitting entirely too close.

The scene in the movie shifted to a slow-burning romantic moment, the kind where the two leads exchanged longing glances, the tension thick between them.

Of course.

I could feel Levi's smirk without even looking at him.

"Fitting, isn't it?" he murmured.

I refused to take the bait. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He chuckled, low and knowing. "Sure you don't."

Silence stretched between us, and I hated how my skin prickled with awareness of every little shift he made.

This was Levi. The same Levi I had spent years bickering with, competing against, trying to one-up at every opportunity.

So why did it feel like I was meeting him for the first time?

I swallowed, my fingers curling against the fabric of my blanket. "Do you ever wonder if this is a mistake?"

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

Levi didn't answer right away. And for a terrifying second, I thought maybe he did think it was a mistake.

But then he exhaled, shifting so he was facing me completely. "No."

I hesitated, my throat suddenly dry. "Not even a little?"

Levi tilted his head, studying me. "Are you looking for reasons to back out?"

"No." My response was too quick. Too defensive.

He saw right through it.

A small smirk tugged at his lips, but his voice was softer this time. "Cora."

I exhaled, shaking my head. "I just... I don't know how to do this."

"This?"

"This... us." I gestured vaguely between us. "We spent so much time bickering and arguing, and now suddenly we're—"

"Making out?" Levi supplied, completely unhelpful.

Heat rushed to my face. "That is not what I was going to say."

"But it's true." His smirk widened. "Want to do it again? For practice?"

I smacked his arm. "Levi."

He laughed, but then his expression softened again. "Look, I get it. This is new for me too."

I looked at him skeptically. "You seem to be handling it just fine."

"Because I know what I want." His voice was steady, certain. "I want this. I want you."

My stomach flipped.

Levi leaned in slightly, his gaze holding mine. "So if you need time to figure it out, that's fine. But just so we're clear—" he reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing my skin "—I'm *not* going anywhere."

Something in my chest tightened.

I didn't know how to respond to that.

So instead, I did the only thing I could think of.

I kissed him.

It wasn't a big, dramatic kiss like the first time. It was hesitant, uncertain. Like dipping my toes into something I wasn't sure I could handle.

But Levi met me halfway, his hand sliding to my waist, grounding me in a way I didn't know I needed.

And for the first time in two days, the uncertainty in my chest quieted.

Maybe I didn't know how to do this. Maybe I'd overthink it a million more times.

But as Levi pulled me closer, his lips curving into a small smile against mine, I had a feeling he'd make sure I figured it out.

One kiss at a time.