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Chapter 3: The Rewrite
Levi didn't sleep much that night. Not because of the pain—though it was always there, a dull ache under his ribs—but because of Milo Reyes and the way he saw straight through him like X-ray glass.
By the time Levi made it back to drama class the next afternoon, he was already on edge. So when he saw Milo sitting alone, flipping through that same beat-up notebook, something inside him tightened.
He walked over and dropped his bag with a thud.
"You rewrite the scene?" Levi asked, crossing his arms.
Milo looked up, eyes unreadable. "Yeah. Read it."
Levi hesitated, then snatched the paper. It wasn't flashy—just dialogue on lined paper, scribbled in blue ink with crossed-out lines and side notes. But it felt raw.
> LEO: You ever pretend you're fine just to stop people from asking?
JAMIE: Yeah. But the pretending starts to feel real after a while.
LEO: Not for me. It just feels like lying.
JAMIE: Sometimes lying is safer.
Levi swallowed hard. "So this is us now?"
Milo tilted his head. "Only if it fits."
Levi sat down slowly, rereading the lines. "It does."
Milo watched him. "You wanna run it?"
Levi nodded.
They started reading, and something shifted. The words didn't feel like acting anymore—they felt like breathing. Like bleeding onto the stage. Every pause, every glance, every silence carried weight.
By the end, Levi's throat felt tight. Milo's eyes were still on him.
"You're good," Milo said quietly. "Even when you're trying not to be."
Levi gave a small laugh. "Yeah, well. Don't get used to it."
Milo smirked. "Too late."
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Author's Note:
If this chapter touched your heart, please don't forget to support Kiss Me Where It Hurts with your Power Stones! Your love keeps Levi and Milo's story alive.
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