Page 66 of The Hookup Mix-up

“Yeah, I just love and miss you guys.”

“Ah, sweet boy. We love and miss you too.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Perry

“You okay?” Brax asks as I pace the living room, waiting for Theo to pick me up.

Because I’m going with him to the high desert.

Where he’s from.

And where his family still lives.

I’m going to spend the night at my boyfriend’s parents’ house with his family.

I feel like I’ve lost my damn mind.

“No. I’m absolutely not okay at all. Not even a little bit. I’m freaking the fuck out.” I collapse onto the chair, run my fingers through my hair and tug. “What was I thinking?”

“That you’re feelin’ Theo and would do anything to make him happy. It’s a head fuck. Believe me, I get it. At least you didn’t hate him before you realized you like him. It was even worse for me.”

I turn my head slightly to look at him. “Daddy…I doubt you ever really hated Ty.”

“First, stop calling me that. Second, maybe hate is a strong word, but I disliked him a whole fucking lot. He annoyed the shit out of me.”

“He still annoys the shit out of you,” I argue, and Brax chuckles.

“Yes, but he’s mine. And I’d do anything to make him smile, which is exactly why you’ve broken all your rules for Theo. Love is a bitch, huh?”

My heart stops beating…just dies in my chest, making me wonder how I haven’t keeled over. I don’t love Theo. I’ve known him for, like, five minutes. I like him a lot. He makes me happy, and I like making him happy, but I don’t love him. “We’re not the same as you and Ty.”

Brax laughs. Hard and deep. The asshole. He pushes to his feet. “Whatever you say, man. I gotta go to work.” He looks out the front window and nods. “Your boy just showed up.”

I stand up so fast, I worry I’m going to throw a hip. Jesus, I need to chill the fuck out. “I’m not in love with him,” I say again, and Brax just shrugs in that I-don’t-give-a-fuck way he’s so good at.

We go outside together, and I smile as I head over to Theo’s car and climb into the passenger seat, throwing my bag in the back. “So, like…I’m about to meet your parents,” I say because I always try to be honest with him, and that statement will show him I’m a lot nervous.

“I know. What the fuck. I’m trippin’ out.”

“You and me both.” But it helps that he’s stressed about it too. Misery loves company, I guess.

“You don’t have to go.”

I snap my head up so our eyes meet. “You don’t want me to go?” My lungs tighten, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe. Did he change his mind? He’s already over this? Over me?

“What? No! I want you to go. I just don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“I wanna go,” I admit, and holy fuck, I want to meet Theo’s family. He’s totally fucking changed me.

Theo grins.

I grin.

“We’re ridiculous.” I shake my head, but the stupid smile is still on my face.

We take the I-15, and it’s about two and a half hours to Victorville. I settle in comfortably while Theo drives, still trying to wrap my head around what in the hell is happening. “What are we telling your parents?”

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