55

"Someone is glowing.", Spencer remarked standing in front of me, holding her home baked brownies.

I missed those brownies so very much. And I missed her alot.

"You are too.", I answered grinning.

Spencer sat down beside me, her eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and warmth. "Well, maybe I have Ethan to thank for that," she said, her tone light but meaningful.

I raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of the brownie. "So, Ethan's the reason for all this glow?"

"And what about you? Levi is winning over you." she teased, nudging me with her elbow.

"What?" I tried to sound nonchalant, but my voice betrayed me. "He's just Levi."

Spencer laughed softly. "I think you mean he's your Levi."

I didn't deny it, which only made her laugh harder.

After a moment, her tone turned thoughtful. "You know, it's crazy how things turned out. If someone had told me a year ago that we'd all end up like this. I wouldn't have believed them."

I nodded, the memory of the chaotic path we'd all taken flashing through my mind. "I think Mia surprised me the most. I mean, she and Levi were just... work acquaintances and friends, and now she's practically a part of the group. I didn't expect to like her this much."

"Neither did I," Spencer admitted. "But she's genuine. Plus, she had Levi's back during all those late-night meetings, which, let's be honest, probably helped him survive the chaos."

"And somehow," I said, smiling, "we all ended up here, sharing brownies and laughing about it. Who would've thought?"

"True" Spencer finished for me, smirking. "Also Levi's crazy about you. Even Nathan said so."

I frowned. "Nathan?"

Spencer nodded, reaching for a brownie herself. "Yeah. He mentioned it to Ethan the other day. Apparently, you're all he talks about during their hangouts with Mia and him."

I blinked, taken aback. "Wait, so Nathan and Levi actually talk about me? With Mia?"

Spencer shrugged. "Of course they do. It's what guys do when they're head over heels. Nathan said Mia practically teases Levi about you every chance she gets."

That caught me off guard. "She does?"

"She does," Spencer said with a knowing smile. "And honestly, I think she and Nathan are part of the reason Levi started opening up more. They've been a good influence on him."

I couldn't help but smile at that.

"Nathan's good for Mia. They balance each other out in a way that's really sweet to see."

"Yeah, Levi's mentioned how much Nathan looks out for her," I said thoughtfully. "It's kind of nice to see them happy together. They fit."

"Just like some other couple I know," Spencer teased, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the grin creeping onto my face.

"Oh, you mean you and Ethan? The human definition of joined at the hip?"

"Funny," Spencer shot back, grinning. "Coming from someone who can't go five minutes without Levi looking at her like she hung the moon."

"Oh, please," I said, rolling my eyes. "At least we have banter. You and Ethan are practically a walking hallmark movie. It's almost sickening."

Spencer leaned back with a dramatic sigh. "What can I say? We're setting the standard for true love, unlike you two, who argue over every little thing."

"Excuse me." I said, feigning offense. "We do not argue. We engage in intellectually stimulating debates. There's a difference."

"Sure," Spencer quipped, crossing her arms. "Because fighting over who gets the last slice of pizza is so intellectual.

Meanwhile, Ethan just gives me the whole box because he knows how to treat me right."

"Maybe that's because Ethan knows better than to challenge you," I countered with a grin. "Levi, on the other hand, enjoys the thrill of losing to me. It's practically his favorite hobby."

"Or," Spencer said, leaning in with a teasing smile, "maybe he lets you win because he loves how smug you get. It's his love language-seeing you all fired up and adorable."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be my best friend, you're giving Levi way too much credit."

"What can I say?" Spencer teased, shrugging. "You two are like free entertainment. Between the bickering, the eye contact, and the tension so thick I could cut it with a knife, you should be charging admission."

I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress the smile tugging at my lips. "Please, you and Ethan are the real spectacle. The way you two can't stop sneaking off for private moments? Subtlety is not your strong suit."

Spencer smirked. "And yet, you always notice. Don't worry, Cora, you and Levi are still my favorite disaster duo. You make chaos look cute."

"Chaos?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "At least we're interesting. You two are so predictable, I could set my watch to your date nights."

"Predictable?" Spencer gasped with mock offense. "Says the girl who blushes every time Levi walks into the room. Face it, Cora, you're a hopeless romantic."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Hopeless romantic? That's rich coming from someone who cried because Ethan bought her flowers for no reason."

"Touché," Spencer admitted with a grin. "Fine, we're both ridiculous. But at least I don't deny it."

"Neither do I," I said, smirking. "I just like to keep Levi on his toes."

"And he loves every second of it," Spencer teased.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Just don't let him hear you say that. His ego's big enough already."

Spencer laughed. "Deal. But you know I'm right."

She paused for a moment, her expression softening as the teasing faded. "You know," she said, leaning her head on my shoulder, "life has a funny way of putting the right people in your corner, even when you least expect it."

"Yeah," I murmured, a warmth spreading through me as I smiled. "It really does."

It's hard to believe how close we are to the end of Cora and Levi's journey.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout this story!

- sky