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Chapter 25: Alexis
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2023-06-15 13:13:12
owlonmywrist*shaking my head in disappointment*
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Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 26: Jonathan
One month later...“Ms. Clark, do you know where the projections for the Kellerman project are?” I call to my assistant, feeling like I’m losing my damn mind. I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find the paperwork.“Sir, I believe you left it in your inbox,” Robin calls from the hall. She’s been working with me since I returned to the States. There are a few other people in the office, but I think we’re the only ones on this floor. It’s nice not having to wear a mask except when she’s in the room.Robin’s learning curve has been steep. Understandable, since I worked with Alexis for nearly five years. She knew me better than anyone—what I needed, what I was thinking—before I even said a word. I try to push the thought of her away, but it hits like a gut punch every time. That ache in my chest. The one that steals my breath.I glance at my inbox, stuffed to the brim with things I haven’t had the energy or focus to deal with. Since Alexis left, I’ve barely been holding it together.I mutter
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-17Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 27: Alexis
This month has been brutal.When I left London in a panic, I figured I’d get home, talk it out with friends, and eventually be ready to talk to Jonathan. I didn’t know if we’d still be together, or if I’d still be his secretary, but I knew he’d want to do what he could for the twins.Imagine my surprise when Rosalyn called the next morning to go over my severance package.Jonathan had fired me.After finding out I was pregnant with his twins… he fired me. And then had the gall to say I had submitted my resignation letter.Rosalyn was baffled. She fumbled through the call, trying to understand. She wasn’t going to call me a liar, but she couldn’t exactly accuse Jonathan of lying either. She thought we had broken up—or decided it was better for me to work elsewhere. She was mostly irritated that we’d executed the plan without looping her in, especially since she’d hoped I’d train Jonathan’s next assistant.But once I told her I knew nothing about the severance, there was a long, awkward
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-20Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 28: Jonathan
“What do you mean she left?” I demand, standing in what used to be Alexis’s apartment.It’s the day after I had Robin call the firm’s private investigator, Eugene Harvey. Obviously, the first place he went was Alexis’s last known address.But an hour after he arrived, he called me.“Boss,” he said the second I picked up—he calls everyone that. “You gotta get down here. I sent you the address.”“What’s going on, Eugene?”“She’s not here, boss. Got the building owner on his way. You come down and we’ll make a plan.”“What do you mean? She might just be at the doctor’s or grocery store.” I didn’t get the urgency at first. I hated the idea of her being out during COVID, especially while pregnant with my babies. She should be home, pampered and protected—with me beside her.“Boss, I knocked so much I woke her neighbor. She moved. She’s gone.”Gone?My brain short-circuited. Moved? Where? When?I’d hired Eugene expecting him to show up, knock on the door, and escort her to my office. Hell, I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-22Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 29: Alexis
I left the nursing home in a daze.They wouldn’t even let me see my mother—too much risk of spreading COVID. Apparently, the outbreak is bad, and they’ve stopped all visits.Which means the last time I saw my mom… was the last time I saw my mom.Fuck.I’ve lost my dad. My brother. And now I’m losing my mom. I’m an orphan.I don’t even remember the drive home. I know I drove, but it’s like I blinked and went from Mabel’s office to my front door.I don’t even realize I missed my OB appointment until they call and leave a voicemail. I don’t answer. I know I’ll reschedule. I just… can’t. Not right now.I sit on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. Frozen. Numb. I’m… alone.Yeah, I have friends. Superficially. Even Casey at work. But I’ve never told any of them about my family. The only person I ever told—really told—was Jonathan.And he’s not an option anymore.I don’t know when the tears start. One moment I’m just sitting, the next I’m sobbing. Hyperventilating. Shaking.I’ve never f
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-25Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 30: Jonathan
1 month later...“Alright, this is going to be warm,” Dr. Potter tells Lex before putting the gel on her small baby bump. You can’t even really see it unless she’s naked or wearing something form-fitting—the former of which I try to see as often as possible.I’m standing next to her as she lies on the exam table at the bougie, upscale OBGYN clinic I insisted she go to. Only the best for my girl and our children. We’re getting ready for the first sonogram that I’ve been here for.Lex got one when she first found out she was pregnant, but Dr. Potter only recommends them when she's checking specific milestones or potential issues. So today, at the 12-week mark, we finally get to see our little ones together.I’m so excited, I don’t know what to do with myself.Lex glances up at me with an amused smirk. “Calm down, Daddy. They aren’t going anywhere.”My eyes narrow playfully at the word Daddy. I’ve told her not to call me that outside the bedroom. She keeps reminding me our kids are going
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-27Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 1: Andie, Jaime, and Jorge - Andie
“Would you please just come out with us tonight, Andie? Jorge is bringing those prosciutto canapés you love. And Jordan will be there.” Jamie says the last part with a whining, wheedling tone that’s about one octave shy of cartoon desperation.“You know I’m under a deadline. If I don’t get this website finished in the next two days, I’ve gotta work my ass off. And I hate parties,” I say, weaving another section of her braid crown.“How does someone hate parties? I will never understand that. The food, the music, the dancing,” she lists dramatically, as if the concept of not loving a party is personal.“The hangovers. The awkward small talk. The weird attempts at people hooking me up with their random single friends,” I counter, pinning a section and reaching for the hairspray.“Well, you know you could always just hang out with us. Jorge wouldn’t mind,” she says.God, does she really have no idea about the crush I have on her boyfriend? How is that even possible?Jamie’s my roommate. W
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-06-29Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 2: Jaime
“This party sucks!” Jorge whines in my ear.He’s not wrong. What was supposed to be a wild, alcohol-fueled, hottie-packed rager has turned into a sad, techno-blaring, strobe-lit gathering of about a hundred people milling around a mostly abandoned warehouse.I roll my eyes. “I know, babe. It’s a good thing Andie didn’t come—she’d never let us live it down if she knew our idea of a great party was... this.” I glance around, unable to hide the sneer curling at my lip.I can’t believe we left her for this shit.Andrea “Andie” Cove is my best friend in the entire world.I’ve also been in love with her for as long as I’ve known her.It’s why I insisted on living with her—even when Jorge and I moved in together. I couldn’t give her up. Not even for love.Oh, Jorge. God, this man is perfect for me in every way. We’re both loud, outgoing, always down for an adventure. We have the same sense of humor, the same need for attention, the same exhibition kink.And the same obsession with Andie.Jorg
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-02Love in the Time of Quarantine Chapter 3: Jorge
I wake up next to Jaime around mid-morning. She’s sprawled across her side of the bed, one leg flung over me, softly snoring in that cute way she does. I don’t want to move—she’s peaceful, warm, tangled up with me. But I’ve really gotta pee.Carefully, I ease myself out from under her limb, praying not to wake the beast. As much as I love this woman, you do not want to be the one who wakes her up before she’s ready. That way lies danger.Once I’m up, I catch a scent drifting in from the kitchen—bacon and French toast.Andie’s up.Fuck.Now I’ve got a different kind of ache altogether.I duck into the en suite bathroom to handle business, brush my teeth, and smooth my hair. I consider grabbing more clothes—since I’m just in boxers—but then I think, Why?I want her. I’ve wanted her almost as long as I’ve known Jaime.Don’t get me wrong—I love Jaime with every piece of me. But Andie? That woman’s in my bones. Every time she smiles, every time she laughs at some dumb coding joke or says so
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-05
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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’
