When morning came, I grunted in disapproval of the rising sun. Where was an eclipse when you needed it?
My body felt sore but I also felt content, and had zero regrets. Maddox lightly snored next to me, lying on his stomach with one arm thrown over me. He was very much unbothered by the sunlight that streamed through his window, unlike me who regretted falling asleep before closing the curtains. Then again, it had been a long night.
A light blush colored my cheeks as I recalled what happened between us, and I turned to look at his sleeping face with a cheesy grin. One part of me wanted to wake him up, but seeing him with such a peaceful and content look on his face made it impossible to act on those naughty urges. Instead, I reached for my phone, trying to maneuver away from Maddox's arm without waking him.
To my surprise, it was almost ten in the morning, and my phone had been bombarded by missed calls and texts. Casting one last glance at the sleeping beauty, I wiggled myself out of bed, and quietly left his room.
The missed calls were from my mom and sister, but when I called them back there was no reply. The text from my sister however, made it clear that it wasn't an emergency — they were excited about the quarantine ending and were going for a nature hike.
I shook my head, making some much needed coffee and went back to scrolling through my notifications.
Next was a text from Luna and, as always, it made me laugh out loud.
Luna
Halleluuuuur
Luna
we're freeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Aimee
Haha, good morning to you too!
Aimee
So what's the first thing you're gonna do?
Luna
ohhhhhhh something v important...
Luna
stuff my face with ice cream!!!!!
Aimee
Oh yes, sounds vital!
Luna
what about you?
Luna
any plans?
Aimee
Haha, I have no clue...
Aimee
I'll see when Maddox wakes up.
Luna
OHH??????
Luna
and what does THAT mean?????
Luna
👀🍵👀🍵👀
Aimee
AH, well.
Aimee
Maddox and me are kind of a thing now...
Luna
OMG OMG OMG OMG
Luna
I KNEW IT!
Luna
Oh I sooooo knew this was gonna happen!
Luna
Alex owes me moneeeeeey!!!
Aimee
....did you guys BET on us??
Luna
I mean.......
Luna
kind of, heh???
Luna
are you mad??? pls don't be mad!!
Aimee
Haha, it's fine, just a little funny...
Aimee
I'm glad YOU won.
Aimee
How are the two of you?
Luna
AH! That!
Luna
It's a whole story so...
Luna
how about you and me grab some drinks this week and dish it out???
Luna
somewhere open-space ofc!!
Aimee
Yeah! I'd really love that!
Luna
then it's a daaaate!
********
"Cheating already? And after I gave you my body too...." Maddox teased from behind me.
I choked out a laugh and turned around to stare at him. He was leaning against the counter, sleep still evident in his eyes, but a huge smirk on his face. The smirk of a man that knew damn well I wouldn't cheat. I narrowed my eyes at him and made a mocking gesture with my face, not even dignifying his comment with an answer. Maddox just chuckled and made his way closer to me, pressing a light kiss to my forehead before I had a chance to even react.
"You had a huge smile on your face. It called to me like my own personal ray of sunshine," he added in a sickeningly sweet voice, and I groaned, rolling my eyes at him.
"Isn't it way too early in the morning for you to say stuff like that?" I shook my head and grimaced, pouring him a cup of coffee and practically shoving it into his hands.
"Nah, it's never too early to tell you how beautiful you are."
Another groan left my lips and I pressed my hand firmly against his mouth, "I thought the teasing was going to stop now, but you're just getting worse."
He grabbed my hand and pressed kisses on my palm and wrist. "How can I stop when you have such cute reactions? I just had to change, or well, modify things a little." Chuckling, he pulled me by the hand he was still holding until I ended up in his arms.
I sighed in defeat and hugged him back, wondering what I'd gotten myself into.
********
We spent the rest of the morning messing with each other and goofing around. He checked on his grandma, who was recovering nicely. One of the luckier ones, they told him, and it seemed to me that he really appreciated the magnitude of that statement.
While the quarantine was officially over, this pandemic wasn't. I hoped people would remember that as they start slowly adapting to leaving their homes once more.
There was a tightness in my chest for the majority of the day. That fear of what would happen with us once the lockdown was over was still present, like a shadow lurking over my moments of small happiness. Lurking, like a thief in the night waiting for the moment to strike.
Only I wouldn't let it. I'd installed cameras and security systems, and there was no way I would let it find a way in and rob me of this happiness. That was what I decided when I accepted my feelings. Caring for someone came with the good and the bad; with happiness and with fear; light and darkness. There couldn't be one without the other. It's natural that when you find something precious, the thought of losing is unbearable. Whether you find the bad worth the good was something everyone had to decide for themselves, but I'd made my decision.
So, as we cooked lunch together and Maddox playful rubbed sauce down my nose and then kissed it away I appreciated this simple happiness so much more.
Because I knew how much I had to fight to accept it; To accept him; To accept this love of ours.
********
After lunch we lounged on the couch, both nursing food babies in our bloated stomachs, when I realized we hadn't really acted like today the quarantine had ended. Neither had really acknowledged it, as if it no longer mattered.
Did he not realize today was the end?
I glanced at him and to my surprise found him looking back at me. He pressed his lips together in a sly smile as if to say sorry for staring, and casually laid his hand on my knee. Clearing my throat, I decided to breach the subject.
"So, today's the first day we can go out. What do you want to do?" I leaned my arm on the back of the couch, absentmindedly running my fingers along his nape and hair. There was a look in his eyes as if he expected the question. Maddox made a humming sound, pondering on his answer and then leaned closer to me.
He smiled, kissed my forehead, and grabbed the remote control. "How about a movie?"
My eyebrows raised in surprise. Considering how he acted like a prisoner when the quarantine was announced, I'd have expected him to run outside as soon as he could. The thought made me realize how much things had changed in just twenty days, for him and for me; for us. We were locked out from the rest of the world, so we had to open ourselves up to each other, and what a difference that made. Otherwise, I would have never taken the time to get to really know him. I would have never realized that maybe, just maybe, we weren't really that different after all.
Chuckling, I happily nuzzled into his now familiar warmth, enjoying the protective way he held me. This place finally felt like home.
I trailed kisses along his neck playfully, until I heard a low groan rumble through him, and then I whispered into his ear.
"Make it a romantic comedy."
And that's a wrap my lovelies! ❤️
I'll post up an epilogue probably on Saturday (if I manage to edit the story in time before Wattys close and stuff, cause I can apply without the epilogue), as a sort of extra 4 months after quarantine, but this is the official end.
Honestly, I cried a little writing that last part, just because I can't believe it's come to an end. When I first started writing this story a little over 5 months ago, I didn't really have any expectations. I was going through a hard time in life (even outside the pandemic) and I really just needed something fluffy and funny to make my days better. These two were exactly that for me. I chuckled and smiled with every chapter, I teared up on the more emotional ones, and I spread bits and pieces of myself throughout this story.
There's a little bit of me in every character in this story, and I hope you've found a little bit of yourself in them as well. ❤️
I cannot even describe how much all of your support has meant to me. Genuinely, I don't think you guys will ever be able to realize what your comments and votes and reads meant to my life. You motivated me, you brightened up my days repeatedly, and you're definitely a big reason why this book was completed. I appreciate and love you guys so much! Those of you that have been actively voting and commenting will be getting a private message from me in the next few days about something (I want to show my gratitude in ways that I can), sadly as much as I LOVE all of my silent readers as well, I don't know who you are so I can't directly reach out. ❤️
Anyway, I got a little bit emotional now. I'm still a little bit in shock that it's over. It was a wild ride, and I'm so happy and grateful that you guys were right there on the road with me.
I. LOVE. YOU.
And for the (probably) final time, at least in this book, stay strong and stay safe.