Mia straightened from her crouch in front of the computer. Sky’s rarely used desk and chair in her side room weren’t bad, but they couldn’t substitute for the ergonomic ones she’d owned back in Seattle. Once she settled into her own place, that was the first purchase she would make.
Her phone buzzed with an email from the property she’d found to rent. The two-story with the stone exterior on the outskirts of Wilmington went up for rental, and the moment she stepped inside, she’d fallen in love. With the broad, sprawling lawn, the open, airy kitchen, and the rounded doorways, the place oozed with charm, big enough to spur daydreams of settling down in.
Given the current spread of the TELA virus and the government’s new orders, we’re going to postpone the move-in date for two weeks until we can get the place properly decontaminated. We’re concerned the last tenant had contracted the flu before they left.
Thanks, Rachel
Mia’s chest sank. Anxiety buzzed in the back of her mind at every mention of the virus, though she was one of the few in a lucky position where she already worked from home. Even if they started enacting some restrictions, she’d be okay. Except Sky had been too sweet to let her crash this long, and she hated imposing any more. If she were honest, the time with Sky healed her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. She hadn’t thought about Derek’s stupid face most of this week, and the chorus of self-loathing that paraded through her head diminished. For the first time in a long, long while, she felt like someone cared.
She shut off her work laptop, closing out her shift for the day, and she stepped out of the side room. Mia made her way to the futon. Tonight, she’d be eating dinner by herself since Sky worked a full shift over at Lumiere, so she’d ordered a pizza. Then Mia would have to break the awkward news. When had this virus gotten so bad? The downside of not having an office to report in to meant she was behind on the news, but based on the ransacked state of the grocery store she swung out to yesterday, folks had descended into a full-fledged panic.
The rattle of keys sounded at the door, and a moment later, it creaked open. Mia sat up on the futon. As far as she knew, the only people who had keys to this apartment were her and Sky.
Sky burst inside, her footsteps slamming against the ground, and her shoulders heaving as if she were out of breath.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” exploded from her, the door swinging shut from behind. Sky dropped to her knees and curled over. The sheer pain radiating off her slapped onto Mia like a paint splatter.
Mia barely felt herself move, but she rose from her seat and strode over to where Sky crouched, hands balled into fists on the carpet. Mia’s stomach fluttered with nerves as she sank onto her knees beside Sky. Comforting her friend came naturally, even though they’d spent so long apart. Somehow their connection clicked into place like no time had passed.
Sky hadn’t said anything since the outburst, her breaths heaving from her like shrapnel, while her fists curled so tight her knuckles looked like snowcaps. Mia rested a palm on her back, moving with careful measure so as not to surprise her. Sky’s body tensed for a moment at the contact, but then she relaxed. Mia didn’t say anything for a little bit, just stroking Sky’s back until her breaths evened. Her throat squeezed tight at the panic bursting from Sky’s pores.
Sky sucked in a shaky breath and began to sit up, but Mia moved her hand to Sky’s shoulder, continuing to rub in small circles.
“Sorry,” Sky muttered, ducking her head. She ran fingers through her thick brown hair, the sharp and short ends accenting her gorgeous face even more. Sky glanced at her, those dark brown eyes big and apologetic. “I’d been holding that in the entire walk home, and the second I stepped inside, it came pouring out. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Mia offered a soft grin, not pulling away in the slightest. “You’re going to have to try a lot harder to scare me, beautiful.”
Sky hunched forward, balancing her elbows on her knees. “The governor issued a mandate to nonessential businesses, so everyone’s inside to avoid further contact to spread the TELA virus. And I get it, the spread’s real bad. But Lumiere’s shutting down for the next two weeks—potentially longer, which means I’m jobless with no fucking income.”
Mia nodded, Sky’s words clicking into place as she processed. “What if I needed to a place to stay for two more weeks? I could pay rent?”
Sky’s brows tugged together as she stared at her.
“My landlord told me I can’t move in yet, which means I’ve got remote work that’s unaffected by all of this and rent income that isn’t going to them. If you’d be willing to put up with me for a bit longer, I’d be happy to pay.” The worry deflated from Mia’s chest at the simple solution. She’d take any chance to help Sky the way the woman helped her, even in a small way.
Sky pulled up from her hunch, severing the contact between them. Her breaths had calmed at this point, and she scrutinized her as if Mia was selling a junker used car. “Babe, I don’t want you to feel like you need to bail me out.”
Mia shook her head. None of that nonsense. “I’m offering payment for services rendered. We only agreed on me crashing a few weeks, and I’m mucking up your routine and taking your space for close to a month.”
Sky let out another sharp breath. “I don’t want to start this precedent between us....” She trailed off.
Mia nudged her foot against Sky’s. “You’re not. You never charged me rent, and I’m offering because this circumstance is shit. Think of it as me being greedy and wanting to keep a roof over my head while we’re quarantined together.”
Relief flooded her chest at the thought of being quarantined with Sky. If she had already moved into her new place and been by her lonesome, she might’ve wilted away. Besides, she couldn’t seem to keep her hands off Sky while they lived together. She’d always needed touch, but she’d never been this bad before. Part of the constant reaching out might have to do with the rising insecurities after Derek dumped her and everyone abandoned her. However, part of it might also be that she felt a thrum of attraction with every glimpse in the woman’s direction.
Whenever Sky entered the room, Mia found her breath catching, her heart speeding up, and her whole body growing aware.
A buzz came from the door.
“And that would be the pizza,” Mia said, tilting her head. “Want any?” she asked as she headed over to answer the door. Some rustling sounded behind her as Sky probably pulled herself off the floor. She cracked the door open and snagged the box the delivery guy thrust in her face. Her stomach rumbled at the scent of sausage and cheese. “Thanks,” she called after him even as he bolted away. One thing she missed from her hometown was Vito’s sausage and pepper pizza, and tonight she’d get to crack into the greasy delight once again.
Mia swung around and brought the pizza over to the counter.
Sky had begun unbuttoning the chef’s jacket she wore, sliding it off her shoulders. Mia stopped in her tracks, a flush rising to her cheeks. The woman gained some serious muscle in their time apart, and the full tattoo sleeves up and down her arms made Mia want to spend hours exploring all the individual details. The thin white tank top Sky wore clung to her muscular body, placing her abs and curves on clear display.
Sky looked up, and their eyes met.
That flush spread through Mia’s whole body as she glanced away, cracking open the pizza box as if food might offer some distraction. The scents barraged her at once, and Sky fished around in her pockets to pull out some cash. She slapped it on the countertop.
“If you’re going to be covering rent, then I’m going to take over cooking duties while we’re quarantined,” Sky said, stepping in close.
“Oh, thank God,” Mia responded with a grin. “I’m pretty sure I exhausted my recipe list at tacos, grilled cheese, and party dips.”
Sky shook her head, an amused smile clinging to those full lips. “And of course you ordered sausage and pepper pizza. You haven’t changed a bit, Mia Brownstone.”
“Hope that’s a good thing,” she responded, grabbing two plates and setting them out on the countertop with a clink. “If I’ve got the same annoying traits I did as a teen, no wonder everyone was anxious to get rid of me back in Seattle.” Even as the self-deprecating words escaped her lips, they left the stain of those fears that had risen inside her ever since she left.
She didn’t look up, but she could feel Sky’s demeanor shift. “What are you talking about, babe?” Sky’s voice grew husky and low with concern.
A shiver ran down Mia’s spine as she loaded pieces of pizza on plates and handed one over to Sky, looking up at last. The concern in Sky’s eyes stabbed through her like tines of a fork. Not like she’d ever been good at hiding her feelings.
Mia tilted her head toward the couch they’d been eating on. “This is more of a sit-down conversation type of thing. Plus, don’t want the pizza getting cold.”
Her skin prickled at the idea of talking about anything from back in Seattle. For some reason, her time there grew distant the moment she moved home, and all her memories of Delaware came flooding back, like Seattle had been some temporary dream that morphed into a nightmare. Mia settled on the couch and took the first bite of her pizza.
The flavors exploded on her tongue, the salt and sage of the sausage, the sweetness of the peppers, and the savory punch of the sauce. This familiar taste bolstered her confidence, giving her the strength to speak up. A moan slipped from her lips, and she forced herself to separate from the slice of pizza before she devoured the rest.
When she glanced up, Sky’s eyes zeroed in on her with an intensity that made her shift in her seat. She hadn’t touched her slice yet. Sky pursed her lips. “Making sexy noises at your pizza isn’t going to deter me, Mia B.”
Mia licked her lips. Clearly the sound had distracted her though. Ever since she returned, she’d been questioning the long, lingering glances between them. God, if only.
“I made most of my friends back in college, and Derek and I were part of the same group, you know? It was just the shitty thing about breakups. No matter how many people say they aren’t going to choose sides, they always end up showing their true colors.” Mia shrugged, trying to push away the tidal wave of sadness threatening to crest. She’d believed all of those friends to be true and reliable, but she’d been throwing herself headfirst into friendships from the time she’d grown old enough to scab her knees. She ended up scraping her knees a lot along the way.
Sky nudged her thigh against Mia’s, as if she knew how much she needed the connection right now. “You do know if I had to choose anyone, it’d always be you.” Sky’s scent, all cedar and spice, had her full attention, causing her chest to stir.
Heat pricked Mia’s eyes, and she swallowed hard. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the one comment she’d needed to hear. She took another bite of pizza to try and keep the tears penned back. “Well, that’s because you’re the best person I’ve ever met, Skylar Jenkins. I was an idiot to go across the country for college, and I was an even bigger idiot to lose contact with you.”
Sky nudged her leg again, but this time, their thighs remained pressed together. “Enough beating yourself up. You’ve always given all of yourself in your relationships, so don’t pretend the way they ditched you didn’t hurt. I don’t fault you for finding local friends where you were—I did the same.”
“Yeah, except once Derek didn’t want me as his girlfriend anymore, the rest of them found excuses not to hang that got flimsier and flimsier. Guess the appeal wore out when I wasn’t attached to him. Tough blow to the ego though,” Mia murmured. “So yeah, there wasn’t a single reason I could find to stay in Seattle.” Her chest churned with all of those memories, the “can’t tonights” when she’d later see pictures of them out at their local bars with Derek.
Sky took a bite of her pizza, chewing thoughtfully. “I never had to worry about that,” she responded between bites. “With the whopping five friends I have, they wouldn’t go abandon me for the rare girlfriend I brought around.”
Mia shook her head. “I’m shocked you’re not swarmed. Successful chef with the best sense of humor on the planet and straight-up gorgeous? I would’ve guessed you’d be turning down women left and right.”
“There’s nothing straight about me, babe,” Sky responded, the huskiness in her voice sending a shiver down Mia’s spine. “But no,” she continued. “You forgot a workaholic who only talks about her cats and crumbles when someone tries to hit on her. Not the best selling points.”
“Sounds like a dream to me,” Mia responded before she could catch herself. She couldn’t help but flirt with Sky, even though she shouldn’t. This was her best friend, someone who she’d just reconnected with, yet everything came out of her mouth suggestively. It didn’t help that ever since she’d cracked the code that she was bisexual, she’d realized what the very strong attraction to her best friend back in high school meant.
Sky’s cheeks pinked as she wolfed down more of the pizza. For a few moments, they ate in silence, dodging the occasional paw from Shelley and Byron.
“Well, I’m glad you think so at least,” Sky responded at last. “Because you’re about to spend two more weeks confined with all of this,” she said, gesturing from head to toe.
A furnace roared in Mia’s chest, followed by a dizzying spin at the sheer proximity of the sexy woman, at the way their thighs touched.
Two weeks of close confinement with Skylar Jenkins.
If she survived this without crossing the line into brand-new territory between them and ruining her friendship for good, it’d be a miracle.