Page 40 of The Hookup Mix-up

“We’re good?” Perry asks.

“Yes.”

“Have fun. Watch some gay porn when you get home!” He chuckles, waves, then walks away.

Oh. No kiss? But then, we’re not boyfriends, and I just told him I’m not ready to tell everyone about my sexuality. What if someone saw him kiss me? It’s not like I need him to kiss me goodbye anyway, so I start my car and push those thoughts from my head. I had incredible sex with a man last night, with my good friend, and that’s all that matters.

I ride the high of my night—and morning—as I drive home. When I get there, Avery, Casey, and Jack are in the kitchen, filling bowls with cereal.

“Um…where have you been, mister?” Casey teases.

Shit. Should I have come up with a story? Do I need a story? Why can’t I just say it?

“He’s blushing! Theo got laid, Theo got laid,” Avery sings. “Who is she?”

“Maybe I was just hanging out with a friend.” I head to the kitchen cabinets and pull out a bowl.

“Do you always blush when you’re just hanging out with a friend?” Casey questions.

“I didn’t blush.” I have zero doubt I blushed, but I’m sticking to my story.

“Leave him alone, guys.” Jack smiles at me in a way that makes me wonder if he’s noticed that I’ve come into my queerness and had orgasms with a man. Is that something other queer people notice? I didn’t sense it with Perry, but at the time, I hadn’t yet realized it about myself. And he did seem to sense something about me that even my brain hadn’t clued me in on.

“Thank you, Jack. And yes. I stayed with a friend.” Guilt makes the words stumble around in my brain. Perry is just a friend, but I’m letting them believe he’s a girl, which feels shitty.

“Just don’t jump into another relationship with someone who doesn’t get you, like you did with Whitney. Did you ever really like her?” Avery begins to drink the milk out of his bowl.

“Of course I liked her.” Hadn’t I? I had to like her. Why would I spend two years with her if I didn’t? But I’d stopped liking her way before she’d broken up with me, and I’d just…kept dating her, even though she often made me feel bad about myself. Perry doesn’t ever make me feel bad. He makes me feel good—better than good.

I smile.

“Oh God. Whoever she is, he’s got it bad.” Casey walks over and pats my shoulder.

“I do not,” I grumble.

I won’t get a crush on Perry. I won’t.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Perry

Sooooooo??? How did you do on your test?

I’ve been thinking about it all day, my stomach in knots as if I were the one taking the damn assessment. But I know how hard Theo studied, and I know how important it is for him to do well. It’s unfathomable to me that he lacks self-esteem, that he doesn’t see how hot he is or that he feels like he’s stupid, when he’s very fucking hot and very fucking not stupid.

I’ve decided that along with all the friend sex we’re going to be having, I’ll also help him build his confidence, but in a way where he remains Adorable Theo.

I shift on the couch, my laptop on my thighs as I stare at my phone, waiting for Theo’s reply. I haven’t seen him since the night he slept over. It’s only been a few days, and we’ve been texting like crazy the whole time. It doesn’t feel like the awkward messaging we shared after he wanted to kiss me at Shenanigans. It’s the typical Theo-Perry chatter, and wow, we totally have a typical us, which is weird and new and confusing.

Puppy: Just got out of class and was about to text you! I got a C!

Damn it. I hoped for better. I’m just typing out that we’ll do better next time, when another message comes through.

Puppy: A high C! I’m stoked!

Backspace, backspace, backspace. Relief floods me that I didn’t send the I’m-sorry message. If he’s happy with a high C, then I’m happy too.

Me: That’s fucking awesome. We need to celebrate… Blowjob celebration? I’m kicking myself that I didn’t suck you off the last time we were together.

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