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Chapter Seventeen
Savannah
The world was officially going crazy.
It was Thursday and California had an amazing surge in cases of this new virus, and we now found ourselves under stay-at-home orders. To be honest, every time I watched the news or opened up a social media app, I became more and more scared of what was going on.
I’d even had my groceries delivered yesterday, because I was afraid of going out to the stores! And I was too much of a control freak to let someone else do my grocery shopping.
Yesterday, Ryan had come over for a little bit and we watched a new Netflix movie, but the more I was hearing, the more I felt that I should probably “social distance” from him too. He was, after all, living in the same apartment that a frontline worker lived in.
Granted, Mitch hadn’t been home, but if his schedule was anything like it had been in the weeks prior, he would likely be home for the weekend before heading back in on Monday morning.
Also, knowing Mitch and having been to their apartment when Ryan was away, I knew Mitch wasn’t the cleanliest of guys. I mean, the apartment wasn’t trashed by any means, but I seriously doubted the guy was Lysol-ing every counter and door handle when he was home.
And now Ryan was back and could potentially be bringing whatever viral-bugs they had at their apartment, over to mine, and...
Yeah.
This was a recipe for disaster in my anxious mind.
I’d texted Ryan earlier in the day to suggest that we stay in our respective apartments, and I knew he didn’t take it well. Rather than reply via text, he came over and knocked on my door.
When I didn’t let him in, he was visibly upset.
I tried to assure him this wasn’t like last time, I wasn’t pushing him away, and eventually I got him to listen to my concerns—not that he was thrilled about the direction of my thoughts, but he went back to his own place and now, here I sat, in my bed with my phone, wishing he’d just call me.
I needed to hear his voice.
Maybe I should have invited him over.
Maybe he should be hunkering down for this order, here. I mean, we’d been together for four days before coming back to California.
I was lonely without him, which was a funny thing to think, considering I’d been pushing him away for the last however many years.
But four days was seemingly all it took to crave his company again.
Just as I started to open his contact, a Google Duo notification sent my phone ringing and his face was right there.
Smiling, I answered the video call.
“I miss you. I’m sorry,” I said, immediately.
“I miss you too. Mitch is going to be home in an hour and says he wants to discuss some things. I guess he’s been sleeping at a hotel during the week.”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe it would have made more sense for you to come here...”
Ryan lifted his brows and his smile was slow and crooked. “Really? You thought that?”
“I mean, yeah. Because it’s not exactly fair that you have to live with the potential germs, and we were together right before the order was in place, so it kind of makes sense that we could hunker down together. But now you’ve been there, and I feel like maybe the point is moot.”
He was shaking his head. “Nope. Never moot. Let me talk to Mitch and see what he’s been dealing with. I’m sure it sucks to be hanging out at a hotel when your apartment is only a few blocks away. But he knew I was going to be home this week, which was why he did it. I guess a few of the other fellows and residents have been doing it too. Staying at a hotel.”
“Okay.”
“Besides, I miss sleeping beside you.”
“I’m sure you don’t miss my anti-morning-person quirks.”
