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Chapter 13: Kent
Last Updated:
2023-02-18 13:15:14
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Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 14: Cole
Kent’s been heading into Zoom’s headquarters for several hours each day, acting as my personal advertisement. By the end of my first week catering lunches, everyone at Zoom had signed up for at least two meals per week. Now, by the end of January, I’m catering Zoom’s Friday lunches, the bank downstairs on Thursdays, providing dinners multiple times a week for our entire apartment building, and getting inquiries from nearby offices.It’s amazing—and busy. I’ve even rehired two kitchen crew members for deliveries and a sous-chef to assist with prep and packaging on busy days. Money’s flowing again—not quite what it was, but definitely enough to relieve stress. And it’s getting better each week.I still personally deliver Zoom’s lunches. They took the first chance on me, and it feels right to stay connected. Plus, if I’m being honest, I love getting to see Kent during the day.Yeah... about Kent.I’m completely, hopelessly falling for the man. Badly. It’s getting harder and harder to reme
Last Updated : 2023-02-21Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 15: Cole
It takes about twenty minutes to get from Zoom’s headquarters back to our apartment. Kent follows closely behind, parking next to me, and is already at my door before I can even unfasten my seatbelt. He jerks the car door open, immediately leaning in to kiss me fiercely.A deep moan escapes me as his tongue slips into my mouth. His fingers knot tightly in my hair while his other hand wraps gently but firmly around my throat, and heat rushes straight to my cock.Kent pulls back just enough to whisper against my lips. "What’s gotten into you?" I gasp, breathless and grinning, not complaining one bit.“You,” Kent growls, his eyes dark and filled with raw hunger. “Seeing you in that fucking chef’s coat, those tight jeans hugging your ass. Your arms, so jacked from working out. God, Cole—you’re tan, scruffy, sexy as fuck, and all I can think about is your big cock stretching me open."He holds my gaze as he hurriedly unbuttons and unzips my jeans, releasing my already throbbing cock.“Fuck,
Last Updated : 2023-02-23Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 16: Cole
(April 2021)My phone buzzes on the coffee table, Jeff Carpenter’s name flashing across the screen. I hold it up, tilting it toward Kent, who gives me a puzzled glance.“What does Jeff want?” Kent asks, pausing the movie we've been watching, comfortably cuddled together with the garlic-parmesan popcorn I'd made.“No clue,” I shrug. Kent grabs the empty bowl, disappearing toward the kitchen as I answer the call. “Jeff?”“Cole! Great to hear your voice, buddy. I've missed having you around here,” Jeff’s voice booms enthusiastically.I raise an eyebrow, bemused. Missed me? Jeff was always friendly enough, but we weren't exactly friends. He laid me off, let my entire team go, and I haven't heard from him in a year. Forgive me if I'm not feeling the warm fuzzies.I keep my tone neutral. “Hey, Jeff. What's going on? Something you need?”He ignores my subtle brush-off, pushing forward smoothly. “We’re finally getting the restaurant back up and running. Of course, I immediately thought of you—
Last Updated : 2023-02-25Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 17: Cole
I stare at Kent, disbelief clouding my thoughts. "What do you mean you're not my boyfriend? Of course you are."Kent looks directly into my eyes, something fragile flickering beneath the surface—like he's pleading for understanding, terrified I'll push him too far, yet equally desperate that I won’t pull away.“Cole, that's not what we agreed. We’re friends with benefits. Fuck buddies. That’s it,” he says softly, but there's an edge to his voice—fear hidden beneath a forced casualness.Shock grips me. Nearly a year spent together: waking up in each other’s arms, lazy afternoons cuddling on the couch, calling each other sweet names. Nearly a year of intimacy, of deepening trust. And he's dismissing all of it just like that?“Yeah, we started that way,” I reply, pleading openly with him. “But things changed. We changed. Kent, we’ve been practically a couple for a year. I know you've developed feelings for me. Even going back to work, seeing old friends—you've never looked elsewhere. You'
Last Updated : 2023-02-28Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 18: Kent
What the fuck just happened?It's like I blacked out, and by the time I came back to reality, Cole was out the door, telling me to call him if I wanted to fuck.Did I seriously tell him I wanted to go back to just being fuck buddies? That's not what I want at all—I want what we've had this entire time. The thought of him calling me his boyfriend just scared the shit out of me, and my mouth got ahead of my brain.Fucking Stephen is ruining my life again.Cole’s the first guy I've allowed myself to truly feel something for since Stephen completely shattered my trust. And now, I’ve let fear sabotage the best thing I've ever had. What am I so damn scared of anyway? Cole isn't Stephen—Cole would never hurt me the way Stephen did.God, I've screwed this up so fucking badly.No, I don't want to go back to being fuck buddies. Honestly, I don't know if I'm ready to label what we have, but I absolutely know I can't lose Cole. Because... fuck. I'm pretty sure I might actually be in love with him.
Last Updated : 2023-03-03Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 19: Cole
That kiss with Kent left me completely shaken, but I couldn’t let myself give in. It’s true I had errands planned for the day—returns at the post office, an oil change, dry cleaning—but nothing pressing. Nothing I couldn't easily put off.Yet, I couldn't stay.Changing my plans, even for Kent, would’ve been a boyfriend move, not something a casual fuck buddy would do. If that’s what Kent wants, fine—I’ll keep it casual. But I won’t let myself get caught again. I won't change my day, my life, or myself just to ease his guilt.Because that’s all it is. Guilt. He realized he hurt me, and now he's trying to patch it up with sex. But that's not enough anymore. Not for me. I want someone who cares. Someone who loves me. Someone who sees my heart—not just my body.But that’s not Kent.So, I’ll steel my heart and keep this strictly physical. No tenderness, no gentle caresses, no whispering sweet words. He wants sex—I'll give it to him—but it won’t be with my heart.After four hours of driving
Last Updated : 2023-03-04Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 20: Cole
Kent lays on top of me, his ass in my face, knees planted on either side of my head. I take a long lick from his balls up to his puckered hole, continuing along his crease as far as I can reach.“Fuck, Cole! That feels so damn good. I’ve missed what you do to me. Please—”I don’t let him finish. I spit on his hole, spreading him open wider with both hands, pushing my face between his cheeks.My tongue laps hungrily at him, tracing the tight ring of muscle before thrusting inside. He moans loudly, grinding his hips against me, pushing himself deeper into my face and dragging his cock across my chest.I allow him only a few moments of enjoyment before smacking his ass sharply with both hands. “Suck my cock. Get me ready to fuck you.”Kent moans in eager compliance. Taking my dick in his hand, he guides it to his mouth and sinks down on me. I reward him by spitting on his hole again, slowly working my finger inside him, stretching him open.His deep groans vibrate down my cock, driving me
Last Updated : 2023-03-07Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 21: Kent
It’s been months since Cole and I had our fight. For a while, I only saw him on weekends, and even then, our interactions were mostly limited to sex. It was heartbreaking.Things slowly improved, and now we’re hanging out as friends again—watching TV, playing video games on the PS4 in the living room, cooking together, or just talking. But anytime things start to get even slightly intimate, Cole either bails or immediately turns it sexual.It’s gotten to the point where I’ve stopped trying to tell Cole what I think or feel. He’s not listening anyway. Yeah, I get it—I was an asshole. I admit it. I'm genuinely sorry about it, but there’s nothing I can do to fix it if he won’t let me. And he’s not letting me.Honestly? I’m kind of pissed at him. He knew I had trouble with relationships when this all started. He knew I only wanted a friends-with-benefits arrangement initially. He’s right; we slipped into a relationship like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was perfect until I
Last Updated : 2023-03-09
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Love in the Time of Quarantine Author's Note
Hey friends! Thank you so much for reading Love in the Time of Quarantine. I hope that you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Here are a couple of announcements/interesting information for you. 1. If you are interested in what I listen to while I’m writing, you can find my playlist “Creative Juices” on Spotify. I love all different kinds of music, so there's a little something for everyone. 2. Other books on GoodNovel: Trio of Mates Series: 4 werewolf books that take on the idea of what would happen if one of the leadership was gay and couldn’t produce an heir. Lots of very graphic smut. (completed) Trio Legacy Series: The stories of the children of the wolves introduced in the Trio of Mates Series. Completed: Hide and Seek, Ongoing: Red Rover Dissonance and Harmony: The story of a high school girl who has to face her rapist at his sentencing hearing and deal with her PTSD from that night. Graphic violence and rape scenes. (completed) 3. Follow me under the same name
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 30: Jorge
I’m standing outside the girls’ apartment—our old apartment—with a picnic basket of baked goods and a cooler full of drinks, fruit, and toppings. I brought muffins, cinnamon rolls, danishes, cinnamon raisin bread, and fresh bagels.Okay, I went a little overboard. I can admit that. I’m just so fucking anxious, I don’t know what to do with myself.I was already awake when Andie’s text came through last night, replaying everything Angel had said to me earlier. I’d been scrolling through old photos of Andie and Jaime, staring at all the joy I used to have. I miss them so damn much. It took losing them to understand exactly how badly I’d fucked up.I didn’t even hesitate. I texted back immediately that I’d bring breakfast.And for the first time in a while, I fell asleep without any trouble.Granted, it was only for a few hours—I had to make deliveries at the bakery this morning—but I got there early, dropped everything off, and grabbed the best of the morning’s offerings for them.Now I’v
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 29: Jaime
I’ve been tossing and turning in bed all night after listening to everything Angel and Maddie said tonight.“You three belong together.”“He loves you.”“He wants you back.”“What do you have to lose if you do call him?”I know what my heart wants. I also know what my heart is afraid is going to happen. How can I allow him to possibly hurt me—us—all over again?What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Wouldn’t it be insane to let him back into our lives and hope it ends differently?Angel and Marta have both said he’s reduced his hours at the business. That they’ve hired new people. That he’s learned his lesson. Could it be true? Could he really have changed for us, even if he didn’t think we’d ever come back?I don’t know.We’ve been in bed since midnight, and it’s now 3 a.m. With a huge sigh, I get up and grab my robe, tying it tightly around me. I can’t lay here any longer. And if I keep shifting, I’m going to wake
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 28: Andie
Jaime and I go about making dinner in silence. We’re a well-oiled machine at this point, moving easily around each other in our kitchen. Angel and her partner Maddie are coming over tonight for dinner and to play cards.It’s something we started back in college with Angel—a weekly card game. Each week, someone picks the game we play, and once a year, each of us is supposed to introduce a new card game. We use candy and snack foods for any games that require betting. It’s more about hanging out and having fun than anything else.Maddie and Angel have been very careful about who they let into their circle, as have we, so we all feel comfortable being around each other, even with COVID still going on.Unfortunately, this is how much of our life has been since Jorge left: a silent orbit around each other. We hold each other through the tears and the pain, but we don’t really talk.I mean, what’s there to say?We’re enough for each other—but not for the man we love.It hurts. And we’re grie
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 27: Jorge
“Angel, do you have tomorrow’s shipment of bread all packaged? Carmello’s needs the delivery an hour early. I’d like to be able to have everything on rolling carts so I can just load up the trucks the second I get here,” I call to Angel.When she first started working with me, I had brought Angel on just as a delivery driver. But over the last two months, I have consciously tried to pull myself back from the business, and I’ve made Angel a partner. We have three drivers, a part-time baker, and two part-time packagers. I’ve cut my hours back so that I’m working nine-hour days, as opposed to the sixteen-hour days I was working before.The only reason that I’m driving tomorrow is because our early morning guy took the day off. Otherwise, I’ve even built in Wednesdays and Sundays as days off.“Yes, everything’s all ready. Just waiting for the last batch to finish cooling before we get it packaged. I’ll get that done in the next hour,” Angel tells me.I let out a huge sigh. “Ok. I’m heading
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 26: Jaime
It’s been a week since our last interaction with Jorge. We’ve been communicating via text and notes left at the apartment. The morning after our breakup, Jorge was gone before Andie and I even woke up. He’d packed a bag and left a note saying he’d be in and out while we were at work over the coming week.He’s moving into an apartment over his parents’ restaurant. It used to be his dad’s office, and over the years, various family members have crashed there when they were in the doghouse with their wives or girlfriends.Not a bad place—but not exactly the kind of space you’d expect someone with a thriving business to live in. Still, with COVID still bad, Jorge decided to stay somewhere only family had been. Said it was safer.Trying to decide what belongs to who over text is awful.I’d honestly thought Jorge was the one. The guy I’d spend the rest of my life with. When we added Andie into our lives, it felt perfect. For a while.So we bought everything together—TV, couch, microwave. Even
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 25: Andie
In that way that grief between people who love each other will sometimes turn sexual, when Jorge turns to Jaime and kisses her, she kisses him back.I lean in and kiss the side of his face. He turns toward me and—God—it feels good to kiss him. I’ve missed him so damn much. It’s been too damn long.Jaime brings his mouth back to hers, their kiss hungry and desperate. My hands go to the bottom of the hoodie he’s wearing and I rip it off of him.Jaime finds his mouth again, and I lean down, licking his nipples. He groans into Jaime’s mouth, his body tensing in arousal. He loves having his nipples played with. At the same time, I rake my nails down his abs.Jorge pulls back from Jaime’s mouth to look down at me. “Please. I need you both.” His voice is so full of need.I look at Jaime, asking if she’s okay with this. Because this is going to be an end, not a reconciliation. But I want this. I need him.Jaime nods, both of us catching the motion.Jorge surges from the chair, knocking it to t
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 24: Jorge
Andie looks between Jaime and me, and I can tell she immediately understands what’s going on. She’s always had that ability—to take in a situation at a glance and know exactly what’s happening. I guess that’s what makes her such a good programmer.And an expert at calling me on my bullshit.Ever since the day I triggered Jaime’s meltdown, Andie’s been more distant with me. I think she realized that, even though the promises I made to her and Jaime were heartfelt, they weren’t ones I could keep.The time I managed to get after that? It felt more like it was for Jaime’s benefit than for Andie’s. As introverted and quiet as she appears, Andie doesn’t take shit from anyone.She gave me more rope than I deserved. And I guess I finally used it to hang myself.“How far are we into this conversation?” Andie asks calmly.I blink at her, caught off guard by how level her voice is.Jaime answers instead. “I told him he’s not treating us like priorities. That the last chance we gave him was the la
Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 23: Jaime
I’m sitting on the couch flipping through TV channels when Jorge walks in. It’s been two days since our failed date night, and this is the first time I’ve seen him for more than a passing second. He’s dressed in sweats and a tank top, hair wet from a shower—he must’ve just come back from a run.Andie and I have been sleeping in her old room ever since that night. With the hours he’s been keeping, I don’t really know what he’s up to anymore.Honestly? I don’t know if I can even muster the energy to care. Every time I try, it just ends up hurting.“Hey…” Jorge says tentatively, sitting on the arm of the couch.I glance over. “Hey,” I reply, then turn my attention back to the TV.“Um… where’s Andie?” he asks, like he’s not sure what to say.“Doctor’s appointment and then grocery shopping.” My responses aren’t angry—just short. I give the remote a voice command to switch to N*****x and start scrolling through options, skipping past the show I actually want to watch.Shadow and Bone. Can’
