Upon hearing what Oliver just said, Cora froze. Her mind went completely blank as her eyes fluttered in disbelief. She blinked once, her lips parting slightly as if to say sothing—but no words ca out. Then she blinked again, slower this ti, still staring at him as if her brain needed more ti to process what she had just heard.
Her heartbeat picked up. She blinked a third ti, her gaze darting around the room like she was trying to confirm if anyone else had heard it too. But it was just them—only her and Oliver in that quiet room. And still, she blinked the fourth ti before finally managing to whisper, her voice shaky, "So… you… I'm not imagining this, right? I'm not dreaming? Did you actually say what I think you just said?"
Her voice trembled between disbelief and confusion.
However Oliver didn't rush to answer. Instead, he looked at her with that sa composed smile a smile that sohow made her even more nervous. The corners of his lips lifted as he slowly repeated himself, "Yes, Cora. What if all of this… actually becos true? How do you see it?"
The words hung in the air like a spark in silence.
Cora's breath caught in her throat. For a mont, she just stood there, completely still, her mind racing but her voice refusing to cooperate. Her heart thudded against her chest, and she couldn't bring herself to respond. The idea of sothing fake turning real it terrified her and thrilled her at the sa ti.
But no words ca out. Not even one.
Oliver noticed the look on her face the way her eyes widened slightly, the shock written all over her features, and how she seed frozen between confusion and sothing else she didn't want to na. Seeing that, Oliver chuckled softly, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
"Well," he finally said, adjusting his watch and stepping closer to the door, "like I said before, I'm going sowhere very quickly." He paused for a second, his tone light but steady. "I'll be back soon."
At that mont, Oliver walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him. The sound of the latch clicking echoed softly in the air, but to Cora, it felt deafening like the room itself had just sealed her inside with her thoughts.
For a brief second, she stood there frozen, her heart still racing from the last thing he said. Then suddenly, her knees gave in a little, and she stumbled back, catching herself just in ti before collapsing onto the couch. Her breathing ca fast, uneven. She pressed her palm against her face, the warmth from her skin eting the coolness of her fingers, as she muttered to herself in disbelief.
"Wait… what's going on? What did he just say?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "Did Oliver actually say that? No… no, that can't be right. Maybe I didn't hear him properly. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on ."
Her fingers moved up to her forehead as she checked her temperature like soone who suddenly doubted their own sanity. "Do I have a fever or sothing?" she murmured again, her eyes darting to the closed door. "Or… could it be that he knows?"
Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she stared blankly ahead. "Could it be that Oliver actually knows about… my secret crush?" The words felt dangerous even as she whispered them.
Cora imdiately shook her head, trying to reject the thought. "No. No way. That's impossible. I've been careful. I've masked everything. I've hidden every single feeling so well," she said, her voice rising slightly in panic. "I never look at him too long, I never say too much, I never—" She stopped mid-sentence, pressing both palms against her face now.
"What is going on?" she whispered again, almost pleading this ti. "What did he an by that? What if… he really ant it?"
Her chest tightened as confusion washed over her. Every mory, every glance, every small smile Oliver had ever given her began flashing through her mind like scenes from a movie. She wanted to stop thinking, but her heart refused to listen.
"What is going on here?" she said again, softer this ti, her voice trembling as she sat there completely lost—half terrified, half hopeful, not knowing which feeling was stronger.
At that mont, Cora was lost in deep thought, completely unaware of how long she had been sitting on the couch. Her heart was still racing, and her mind kept replaying every single word Oliver had said before leaving the room. She tried to understand, to make sense of everything, but the more she thought about it, the more confused and excited—she beca.
Yes, she had feelings for Oliver. She knew it. She had known it from the very beginning—from the very first day she t him, from the mont he walked into her life with that calm confidence and that faint smile that could lt anyone's guard. It wasn't sothing she had planned; it just happened. Every ti he spoke, every ti he looked at her, sothing inside her fluttered in ways she couldn't explain.
But she had always been careful. She never wanted to complicate things. Oliver was not just anyone he was her friend, her closest companion, the one person who actually understood her without needing her to explain too much. She didn't want to risk losing that. She didn't want her selfish feelings to ruin what they already had. So she buried it. She locked it deep inside her heart and convinced herself it was best that way.
And yet now—now Oliver had said those words. "What if what we're doing as fake could actually turn true?"
Cora's lips parted slightly as her thoughts began to swirl faster. That could only an one thing—Oliver might also be feeling sothing for her. The realization sent a sudden rush of warmth through her chest. Her stomach tightened, her hands trembled slightly, and before she even knew it, her feet began to tap lightly against the floor in excitent. She couldn't help it.
Her cheeks flushed as she whispered under her breath, "Oh my God… could it be true? Could Oliver actually like too?"
Her heart was bubbling, her body trembling with a mix of joy and disbelief. She covered her mouth, trying to hold back the smile spreading across her face, but it was no use. Her entire body felt alive, giddy, full of energy she couldn't contain.
Then she quickly stood up, pacing back and forth, her fingers pressing against her chest as she tried to calm herself down. "Calm down, calm down, Cora," she whispered repeatedly, shaking her head and exhaling deeply. "You need to confirm first."
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