Until the World Stops - L.A. Witt Page 0,84

that Casey had married me so I could use his benefits and stay out from under my parents’ thumbs, but now things were getting unbearable between us. If it was this miserable for me, it had to be for him too.

I owed him for everything he’d done for me, and as much as it hurt to think about, the best way I could repay him was to do him the kindness of leaving.

So, with a heavy sigh, I started my truck again and headed home.

When I got there, I didn’t say a word to Casey. I just took my laptop into my bedroom and quietly closed the door.

And with that all too familiar lump in my throat, I started looking up the steps I needed to take to divorce him.

Chapter 23

Casey

I was halfway home from work when my phone rang with a familiar ringtone, and my heart went into my throat. I grabbed the phone and said, “Hang on, I need to pull over.”

Once I was safely on the side of the road, I paused to take a deep breath. Then I put the phone to my ear, and with no small amount of trepidation, I said, “Hey. What’s up?”

“Hey, Casey.” My dad sounded…good?

I swallowed. “How are things?”

“I just wanted to let you know your mom’s doing a lot better.”

I closed my eyes as a breath rushed out of me. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Her temperature hasn’t come back up since her fever broke the other night, and she’s actually been eating today.” He laughed, and it was the first time I’d heard him do that in I didn’t know how long. “She was complaining about how awful her soup tasted, so I think she’s on the mend.”

I sagged against the driver seat, my head spinning so fast with relief that I thought I might pass out for real. “That’s, um…” I shifted into Park just in case my foot slipped off the brake. “That’s great to hear.”

“It is. I’m going to give her a couple more days, and if she keeps getting better like this, then I think I might go sleep for a week.”

I laughed despite the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I don’t blame you. I think I might take some leave and do the same.”

“Good idea.”

“How is she? I mean, she’s better, but…”

“Well, from the sound of it, she’s going to be recovering for a while. Probably at least a few weeks, if not a few months. And there’s no telling how long some of the effects will last, but…” He sighed with unmistakable relief. “It looks like the worst is over and she’s out of the woods.”

“Thank God. Can I, um… Can I talk to her?”

“Sure. She’s awake, so just give her a call.”

Oh. Right. Because she was quarantining away from my dad and brother. “I’ll do that. And you and Sean are still doing okay?”

“So far, so good.”

“Awesome. I’ll, um, give Mom a call, then.”

“Okay. Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too.”

After we’d ended the call, I sent another one to my mom, and even though I knew she was doing better, my heart went into my throat. I cringed, expecting her to sound terrible like she had the very few times we’d talked recently.

“Hey, baby.” Her voice was still rough and hoarse, but she sounded better than she had since she’d first gotten sick.

“Hey,” I said. “Dad says you’re doing better?”

“Finally. Everyone says I’ll probably still feel pretty off for a while, but this is the most human I’ve felt since I got sick.”

I sighed. “Thank God.”

“Tell me about it.” She laughed softly, which made her cough, but the cough didn’t sound as terrible as it had recently. “Don’t get this thing, Casey. It sucks.”

I chuckled. “I’m doing the best I can not to. I promise.”

“Good.” She coughed again. I really wanted to stay on the line with her, but her voice still sounded strained, and I didn’t want her to start coughing too much.

“I’ll let you go,” I said. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too.”

“Take it easy, okay? You’re still recovering, so—”

“Excuse me. I’m the mother here.”

I laughed, trying really hard not to cry with relief. “You’re right. You’re right. Sorry. But you, uh, are taking it easy, right?”

“Yes, honey. I’m taking it easy.”

We ended the call, and I closed my eyes and exhaled, letting my forehead rest against the steering wheel as all the worry tumbled off my shoulders. For the first time in I didn’t know how