Page 46 of The Hookup Mix-up

“She sounds great.”

“She is. Best person I know.”

“Guess you get it from her,” he replies, and my heart suddenly starts acting like a battering ram against my chest.

“Aw. That’s so sweet. I already plan to suck your dick tonight. You don’t have to butter me up.” I try to play it off, to pretend those words don’t lift me up. I’m not supposed to care what others think, but I do with Theo.

“I’m not buttering you up. It’s true. Why didn’t you have a lot of friends? That seems impossible to me.”

“Why? It’s not like I have a bunch now. Haven’t you realized I don’t spend time with anyone but you and my brother?”

“But you’re such a people person.”

“I am.” I’m friendly with everyone. I’ll laugh and joke and talk, but… “I don’t give the real stuff up easily. Don’t let people in.” The car is quiet for a moment, just the sound of the engine and other vehicles around us. My ears start to feel echoey, and all I can think about is how I want the words back, how I never should have said them, how this whole situation is so out of my wheelhouse, I should turn and run the other way.

But then…then Theo reaches over and threads his fingers with mine, and I let him. We hold hands while I drive, and I’m not a hand-holdy kind of guy, but I do it with him. Somehow, it’s easier than words, and I have a feeling Theo knows that.

I have to let go when we pull up in front of the house.

“Ty and Brax are home, by the way. They spend a lot of time in their room, but if they’re in the living room, all they need to know is you’re my friend coming over to force me to watch anime. Ty might tease me because that’s how he is. Brax might grumble and secretly look at it all introspectively, but that’s how he is. It’s not because they know anything. Or if you want to go somewhere else, we can.”

“It’s fine. I’m cool with staying here. We might have to wait for the BJ until they go to bed, though. I’m not sure I can be quiet.”

I chuckle. It’s impossible not to around him. “Jesus, you’re so fucking great.” I nod toward the house. “Let’s go.”

We get out, and though the house isn’t on the ocean, the scent of saltwater suffuses the air.

I lead Theo up the walkway, see lights and hear the television inside. Of course they’re awake. Just our luck.

“Get your clothes on. We’re coming in!” I tease as I push the door open, but they’re fully dressed, cuddling on the couch like they’re fucking thirty or something. “You guys are so boring.”

“Fuck off.” Brax flips me off. “I question my life choices. How did I get stuck with two of you?”

“Aw, but you love us,” Ty tells him. “Well, you love me and like him a lot.” Ty points toward the bong on the table. “You guys wanna smoke?”

Silently, I thank Ty for not saying something like, before you go hook up, or mention something about being quiet or whatever the fuck joke he thinks of.

I turn to Theo, who nods, so I say, “Sure.” Then tell Theo, “Have a seat. You want something to drink? Lemonade again?”

“Um…cool, that works. Or anything. Whatever’s easiest,” he rambles cutely.

“They’re all easy, Puppy.”

I make it two steps before I freeze. I’d just used my nickname for Theo in front of Ty and Brax. There’s no way my brother is going to let that pass.

“Yes…have a seat…puppy.” Ty smiles.

“Lacrosse.” Brax nudges him. “Be good.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Ty answers.

“It’s just a thing.” Theo blushes and sits down, and it takes everything in me not to tell him how cute he is.

I pour two glasses of lemonade and return to the living room, where Brax is now packing the bowl with weed from his box.

Rather than sitting on the couch with Ty and Brax, I sit on the floor beside Theo’s chair. “You can sit up here.” He tries to stand, but I put a hand on this thigh.

“I’m good.”

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