the thing about love.

|5| s t u c k p o i n t.

FLASHBACK:

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APRIL 2018
FIVE YEARS AGO
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"I know you're more of an action guy, but it's romcom night." Olivia smiled, eliciting a soft laugh from Spencer who reached over to grab a nacho from her plate.

"You know no matter the genre, I'd never pass up hearing your commentary." Spencer smiled.

Recalling the numerous movie nights where Olivia convinced him to endure a variety of romantic comedies, Spencer eventually gave in. Especially once he finally understood why Olivia loved them so much. And, though he tried to hide it, she knew he secretly enjoyed them too.

"You're the only one who lets me talk during a movie. That's why you're my favorite." She giggled.

"Don't tell Simone I said that."

"Oh, I'ma tell her." Spencer said, grinning once Olivia's eyes met his before they both laughed and put their attention back on the movie.

The quiet moment between the movie's dialogue, laughter, and romance created a lighthearted atmosphere. As the silence settled between them, Spencer couldn't seem to focus on the screen for long, because someone else had his full attention.

He watched the way Olivia's cheeks rose when she laughed at the funny scenes, as well as being awed by the way her eyes softened at the romantic ones. That look... the image of her cheeks meeting her big brown eyes when she smiled was sure to always make Spencer's heart feel things he'd never felt before.

"Do you think love in the real world is how it is in the movies?" Olivia asked softly, breaking the quiet while pulling Spencer back to reality.

"I, uh, think it depends." He shrugged, considering her question.

"Sometimes, in a movie, it seems a little unrealistic, but other times, it makes you feel like it's the best thing in the world."

His words carried more weight than he intended, leaving the air charged with unspoken sentiments as Olivia furrowed her eyebrows with a small smirk in return.

"Best thing in the world?" She teased, letting the sound of Spencer's low chuckles soothe her ears.

"Hey, you've had me sit through so many chick flicks that I could be considered a romance expert now." He said, earning a genuine laugh from his best friend.

"Just look at how he looks at her." She said in a wistful tone as her smile grew and Spencer's eyes alleviated more into a tender gaze while absorbing her words, sensing a deeper undercurrent in her thoughts.

"The thought of someone looking at me... thinking of me, and feeling like we're the only two people in the world... I wanna experience something like that one day." She expressed.

"What if I told you that I've been doing that since the moment I first saw you?" Spencer asked with a warm smile as his words carried a sincerity that caught Olivia off guard.

Confused at first, Olivia's eyes met Spencer's, revealing the genuine emotion behind his words. She couldn't help but feel the goosebumps crowding her body as she tried to hide her blushing cheeks from him. But, with a smile and subtle warmth in her eyes, she gathered her next words.

"I'd say it's pretty corny hearing that line not come out of a movie this time." She giggled, making Spencer smile as he shook his head and laughed as well.