Page 136 of Time to Shine

“It’s nothing special.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll just head back to Calgary, then.”

Landon laughed. “I missed you so much.”

“Dude, I know. That’s why I’m here. Let’s get your bags, swing by the hotel real quick to get my stuff, then go warm up in your bed.”

Landon felt warmer already.

“It’s nice,” Casey said as he examined Landon’s small apartment for the first time.

“It’s fine,” Landon said, because he knew it wasn’t particularly nice. “It smelled like a dumpster when I first got back from Calgary. Morgan was supposed to take all the food out of my fridge—he lives down the hall—but he didn’t. I feel like I can still smell it.”

Casey went to the window by the kitchenette table and peered out. The apartment’s best feature was its view of the river, but there was nothing but darkness and scattered city lights out there right now. Casey was wearing light pink jeans and a T-shirt with an octopus fighting a bear on it. His hair spilled out from the black toque he was still wearing.

Landon couldn’t believe Casey was really here, in Saskatoon, in his kitchen. He was still processing what it all meant.

Then Casey crossed the room and placed one palm on Landon’s cheek. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” Landon whispered, with no hesitation.

“Okay, but just to warn you: I might not stop. Ever.”

“I’ll risk it.”

When Casey’s lips brushed his, he forgot every reason he’d been clinging to for denying himself this man. He forgot that their relationship was probably doomed, or that Casey was only here for a couple of days, at best. He forgot that nothing had changed. He forgot about how exhausted he was, or how badly he’d wanted a shower. All he cared about was kissing Casey with everything he had. Because he was here.

“I need to tell you something,” Casey said when they broke for air, their chests heaving against each other.

“Good news or bad news?”

Casey smiled. “I don’t know yet.”

“Tell me.”

Casey closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they blazed with determination. “I know all the things you said, about why us being together wouldn’t work. That it’s too hard, or too...okay. I actually forget what you said. But it doesn’t matter because I came here to tell you I don’t care and I want to be your boyfriend anyway.”

Landon’s heart was pounding. “Why?”

“Because I’m in love with you.”

He said it so simply, like it was obvious instead of wondrous. And Landon didn’t say anything, just stared at him like a weirdo until Casey brushed a thumb over Landon’s road-trip stubble and said, “You don’t have to say it back, but could you say, like, literally anything?”

“Yes,” Landon whispered. “I mean, yeah. Yes. I love you.”

Landon only got the briefest glimpse of Casey’s dimples before they were kissing again. Landon tugged Casey’s toque off and let it fall to the floor so he could dig his hands into his soft hair. He smelled like hotel bodywash and tasted like breath mints and he was in love with Landon.

“I love you,” Landon said again as he kissed along Casey’s smooth jaw.

“I love you too. Fuck, I love that,” Casey said when Landon nibbled at the hinge of his jaw.

“I really need to take a shower.”

“You say that like it’s not something I would enjoy.”

Landon laughed. “Come on.”

The one thing about the apartment that Landon liked better than the view was the shower. The showerhead was high enough even for him, and since it was a shower/tub combo, it was big enough for two. Not that he’d ever tested it before.

---