Until the World Stops - L.A. Witt Page 0,58

comfort zones with each other were a hell of a lot smaller. When we were on the couch, we still sat on our respective ends if he was playing a video game or I was doing schoolwork, but if we were watching TV or a movie, we didn’t stay so far apart. Sometimes I rested my head on his lap and spent the whole movie trying not to fall asleep from the way he stroked my hair. Other times, he curled against my side with my arm around his shoulders.

We tried and failed to binge watch a few series on his days off. Wasn’t like we could go anywhere, so why not? Most of the shows were good. We didn’t lose interest, per se. Just…something about cuddling together for a while inevitably led to a touch, a shiver, and then we’d wind up making out on the couch while the show went on in the background.

For about a week, we couldn’t look some of our neighbors in the eye because they passed the time during isolation by walking laps around the parking lot, and they’d decided to make their rounds one afternoon when Casey and I were having a spontaneous quickie in the living room. So spontaneous, in fact, that we’d completely forgotten to close the blinds, and our neighbors had inadvertently gotten an eyeful of, “Oh, I guess they are gay.” Awkward.

The world was on fire and it felt like we were in hell, but at least when we were home, I was in heaven. I legitimately couldn’t say if the sex really was that good or if it was just better than everything else in the world right now.

Whatever. It was hot and I was hooked.

Though sometimes, in the back of my mind, there was this little niggling doubt that wouldn’t shut up.

I’m completely dependent on Casey. Can I say no to sex with him?

But that was irrational. He was just as stuck in this situation as I was. Maybe if we’d started fucking under normal circumstances, it could’ve made things questionable, but we were locked down together. We were leaning on each other.

Right now, as I was standing in front of the stove getting some dinner going, I shook myself and tamped down those uncertainties. I was overthinking things because I was living through a goddamned global pandemic and I was overthinking everything.

Oblivious to my mind going in ridiculous circles, Tilly jumped off her kitchen perch with a heavy thump and trotted into the living room. My heart sped up, and I listened. Sure enough—the familiar sound of Casey’s car pulling into the parking lot.

I smiled to myself. Who’d have thought there’d ever come a time when I’d be excited to have him home instead of wishing I could be someplace else? Which meant I clearly had been overthinking things a minute ago. Having him home made me happy and made me feel like everything was as right as it could be in this wild world, so…yeah. Overthinking things.

Casey came in through the front, and of course had his usual conversation with Tilly while he took off his shoes. As he headed this way, my heart beat faster.

“I’m sorry,” he was saying to Tilly as he came into the kitchen. “I know, I was gone for ages. I’m sorry.”

I chuckled. “She really knows how to guilt trip you, doesn’t she?”

“Oh my God, yes.”

Usually he’d take her upstairs so he could change clothes before coming down to eat dinner and unwind. This time, he didn’t. Instead, he gently deposited Tilly on her perch beside the kitchen window, and he lingered in the kitchen. To me, he said, “Ooh, that smells good.”

“Yeah?” I glanced at him, pretending just the sight of him didn’t make my skin tingle. “It’s a stir fry. Found a recipe online and decided to give it a shot.”

“Nice.” Casey stepped behind me, and as he slid his hands over my waist, he kissed the back of my neck. “Any chance it can just simmer for a few minutes?”

I bit my lip. “Maybe. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I was gonna take a shower.” He paused to nibble my earlobe. “Be a lot more fun if you joined me.”

I started to say I didn’t want to let the food burn, but that thick ridge pressing against my ass made the stir fry in front of me a lot less important.

Fuck it. I turned off the heat, moved the pan to another burner, and put a