Page 80 of Time to Shine

“Yeah?”

“Was it okay that I asked you to do that? I know you’re not big on touching people.”

Landon’s heart fluttered. “It was okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I—” Landon wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence. I only hate touching people who aren’t you or I liked it more than I should have were both weird. He decided to go with, “It didn’t bother me.”

“Okay.” There was a long silence, and then Casey said, “Sorry I made a sex noise when you did it.”

Landon snorted—actually snorted—as laughter burst out of him. He covered his mouth with one hand, but his whole body was shaking.

“Oh my god,” Casey said as he shifted and possibly moved closer. “Stacks, do you have the giggles?”

That only made Landon laugh harder. He rolled onto his stomach so he could bury his face in a pillow. Casey turned his lamp on, and when Landon peeked at him, he saw that Casey was sitting up and grinning from ear to ear.

“This is the best,” Casey said.

Landon laughed harder. He felt like something had malfunctioned inside him, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be in a room forever where Casey said ridiculous, adorable things that made Landon laugh until he couldn’t breathe.

“That was supposed to be, like, an earnest fucking apology,” Casey complained, though he was laughing too. “I didn’t mean to make a noise that, y’know, horny.”

“Am I—” Landon gasped “—am I still a virgin? Or did that count as sex?”

Then they both dissolved into another fit of laughter. When Landon finally composed himself, his stomach hurt from laughing and he noticed Casey was gazing at him with an oddly intense expression.

Landon held his gaze and didn’t say a word. Probably didn’t breathe.

“I really like you, Stacks.”

The words were basic, but Landon still wanted to collect each one like a treasure. “I like you too.” It sounded automatic, like a nervous reflex, so he tried again. “I don’t make friends easily. Or at all, really. But it’s been...easy. With you.”

Casey’s expression softened. “That’s nice to hear. Thanks.” He flopped down, resting his head on his pillow, still facing Landon. He was closer than he needed to be, but Landon didn’t mind.

Casey yawned again and closed his eyes. The lamp was still on, and Landon should probably reach over Casey and turn it off, but then he wouldn’t be able to see him.

“Glad you’re here,” Casey murmured sleepily, eyes still closed. “Missed you.”

They almost couldn’t possibly spend more time together than they already did, but Landon knew what he meant. He felt the same way. “I missed you too.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Five nights later, Casey and Landon were getting ready to go to the team Christmas party at Nosey’s house.

“This party would be better if it had a theme,” Casey grumbled as he descended the stairs. “We had plaid one year, black tie another year, and ugly Christmas sweaters last year. This year? Nothing! Nosey really dropped the ba—”

He stopped talking, stopped walking, stopped breathing when he saw Landon standing in the living room.

Landon was wearing the sweater. The light purple—lilac? Lavender?—cashmere sweater that Casey had felt guilty about pushing him to splurge on right up until this very moment. Landon could have paid twice as much for this sweater, and it would have been worth it.

“That’s, um,” Casey tried. His throat felt dry. “That’s not an ugly Christmas sweater.”

Landon’s mouth turned up on one side. “Neither is that.”

Casey glanced down at his own outfit. He was wearing his new green velvet suit, paired with a wine-colored dress shirt that he’d left open at the collar. The suit was perfectly tailored and he knew he looked classy as hell in it. “I wanted to be a little fancy.”

“Should I wear a suit too?”

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