Page 63 of The Hookup Mix-up

Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me.

“So sweet.”

“Go home with me,” he says sleepily.

My body stiffens. “Huh?”

“I’m going home next Friday, so…go home with me. We don’t have to tell my family who you are. We can say you’re just a friend, but I want…I want you with me. I want you to meet them. I—”

“Yes,” I say before I can stop myself. Before I let myself think too hard. “Yes.”

I can feel him smile, feel it work its way into my heart, the way Theo is so good at doing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Theo

I wake up to a click, click, click. My eyes flutter open, after what was maybe the best sleep of my life, to see Perry sitting up in bed beside me with his laptop and wearing a pair of headphones.

It takes him a moment to notice I’m looking at him, but eventually his gaze darts to mine. Perry tugs them off his head, then reaches over and runs his fingers through my hair, the same way he often does to his own. “Sorry, Puppy. Did I wake you?”

I shake my head, my whole body tingling at the simple question…well, that and the nickname. I love that Perry has his own nickname for me. “I slept incredibly well.”

“Getting a shot at my ass will do that to a guy.” He smirks, then tries to close his laptop, but I stop him.

“What are you working on?” I sit up beside him, hoping he doesn’t shoot down my question or set his laptop aside.

Perry sighs, but then says, “An app I’ve been trying to figure out.”

“What kind of app? Hookup?”

He chuckles. “No, it’s like…I don’t know. It’s dumb.”

“What is it?” I prod.

“It’s a one-stop shop for single parents. It probably won’t work. There are lots of things to consider because of safety and background checks and stuff, but like…babysitting, other single parents to talk to for support, big brother/sister kind of programs… The idea is that whatever help a single parent might need, they can find it in this one spot.”

I look at him, unsure what to say. I feel guilty for assuming it was something about sex. There’s so much more to Perry than that. He’s so fucking kind and funny and full of so much heart, but I don’t know how to put that into words, don’t know if I should. I’m afraid if I open my mouth, the words I love you will come stumbling out and ruin everything.

As soon as I think them, they echo in my head, pulse through my heart, feed air into my lungs.

Holy shit. I love him. I’m in love with Perry McClain.

“You look weird. Do you hate the idea? As I said, it probably won’t work anyway. Or if it does, it’s not going to be me who does it.”

“First of all, I love the idea, and yes, it will be you who does it. I swear I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do, Perry. You’ve really never had any training with this kind of thing?”

He shakes his head. “Which I probably need.” Perry snickers, trying to play it off as if it’s not a big deal to him when I know it is.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Well, I’ve read some books, which helps. Also…I haven’t told anyone—and this means I just lied to you—but I did take a class online, so I’m not totally untrained.”

My heart aches for him. It’s clear by the hope in his voice how much this means to him. “You shouldn’t feel bad for your passion or something you’re good at. You’re so lucky, Perry. I don’t feel that kind of fire for anything.” Then I grin. “Well, unless we’re talking people. But seriously, Perry. You love this, you’re good at this. Don’t let your anger at your dad take that away from you.”

“I wish it were that easy.” He cups my face the way he does, brushes his fingers over my skin. “You’re passionate about me, huh?”

I roll my eyes. “You know I am.” I’m actually in love with him, but he doesn’t need to know that. I’ll just pack that info away…I don’t know…maybe for the rest of my life.

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