Chapter Nineteen

Theo

"Sooo…guess what?" I tell the guys as we're sitting in the living room. I'm still riding the high from earlier in the car with Perry, him telling me he likes me and that we're boyfriends. I've been a boyfriend, of course, but I've never had one. It's already fucking awesome, and all we did was eat some Sour Patch Kids and blow each other.

Jack looks at me from where he's sitting in the chair and cocks a brow, as if wondering if I'm telling them about Perry. He doesn't know we're now boyfriends, so even he's going to get a surprise.

"What?" Avery asks.

I'm sitting on the middle cushion with Avery and Casey flanking me. My stomach twists slightly, not because I think they'd give a fuck—I know they won't. I would have thought that coming out to people you know will completely accept you would be a piece of cake, but the nerves are still there. Is this something that will ever go away, or will it always be scary? Jack finding out didn't freak me out this much.

I wring my hands together.

"What is it, bro? You look like you're gonna puke." Casey puts a hand on my shoulder in support.

"I'm not gonna puke. I just… I have a boyfriend." A breath escapes my lungs as soon as the words are out. It's like I'm a balloon and they were a needle, letting out all the pressure.

"That guy you've been dating for weeks?" Avery asks, and I whip my head in his direction.

"I wasn't dating him for weeks! We were just friends. With benefits," I tack on. And how the hell did they even know about that? Was I that obvious?

Casey shrugs. "Seemed like dating to me."

"You asked who she is!" I argue.

"We were keeping the options open and didn't want to force you out. But you hang out with him all the time, and you come home like you're floating in the clouds every time you've been with him."

My cheeks heat. Goddamn them. "He doesn't make me floaty." He totally makes me floaty. There's no reason to pretend otherwise.

"Congrats." Jack smiles. "I had a feeling that would happen soon."

"Earlier today," I admit. "I…really like him."

"He treats you good? Realizes how fucking awesome you are? Because Whit never did."

It doesn't matter to me if she did or not. That's the past. What does matter is how Perry treats me now. "I feel like…I don't know, like I'm enough the way I am. I don't have to try so hard. I don't have to sacrifice myself to make him happy." Which is how I feel with other people, even if they've never tried to make me feel that way. My parents don't. It will probably kill them to know the pressure I'm under, but I feel it regardless. With Perry, it's simply not there.

"That's fucking awesome, man. I'm happy for you." Avery raises his hand to give me props.

"For sure. You deserve it," Casey says, then grins. "You know that means we need to get to know him better now. Make sure he really is good enough for our boy."

"Does he work tonight?" Jack asks.

"Yeah."

Avery and Casey high-five, and Avery says, "We're going to Shenanigans."

I spot Perrythe second we walk in. I didn't message him to let him know I was coming, and now I'm wondering if I should have…or maybe I should have told the guys we should stay home. We just decided to be boyfriends today, and the last thing I want is to look like a needy, stalker boyfriend who's going to follow him around.

Just as I'm about to tell my friends I should go home and hide, Perry looks up after putting a bottle away, and our gazes catch. A huge smile spreads across his face.

Oh…wow. That makes me tingly. That's a great smile, and he's doing it because of me. I should return it, so I do. Jack bumps into me, which is the only reason I realize I stopped walking.

"Oh, man, he has it bad," Casey says. I don't bother arguing because I do.

I make myself start to move again, and we go to the counter. Brax is there again, and I can't help wondering how often he's at the bar just to spend time with Ty while he works. It makes me feel better about coming down, but on the other hand, it's not as if Perry and I have been together as long as them. We're not in love. There's a difference.

"Hey," I say. It's the only word that comes to me.

"Hey." He winks.

"What are your intentions with our friend?" Avery asks. "He's basically the best person ever, so we need to make sure you know it."

"What's Theo's favorite candy?" Casey questions.

"That's how you make sure he knows how great you think I am?" I playfully shove him.

"That's not the only question! It's a Theo Pop Quiz! We're making sure he knows you."

"Sour Patch Kids," Perry interrupts. "He also never eats the crust on his pizza, which is weird as fuck, likes lemonade, is a total lightweight with weed and alcohol, finds joy in making people happy and doing things for others…oh, and he likes it when I tickle his nape with my fingertips."

My pulse thuds, the rest of the bar fading into the background, like it's only me and Perry in the room. That was…really fucking sweet. So sweet, I don't even know what to say.

"Damn. I'm not into guys, and I kinda want to be his boyfriend." Avery's words break through the trance Perry has me in.

"Swoon," Jack adds.

Perry turns to Brax just as Ty approaches. "So…I have a boyfriend now."

"You've had a boyfriend for weeks, dumbass," Brax counters.

"That's what we said!" Casey laughs, and then they all are—well, everyone except Brax. Does he laugh if it's not at some shmoopy thing Ty does? I can't say I've ever seen it. All I know is, I really, really like having a boyfriend, and I'm so fucking thankful it's Perry.

"You guys want a drink?" Perry looks my way.

I shake my head, but my friends all want one. I sit beside Brax, my crew all standing around us, talking and drinking.

Perry leans over the counter so his face is closer to mine. "Missed me, huh?"

"Nah, but the guys insisted we come down here."

"Liar." He grins, then asks, "It seems like it went okay telling them."

"Yeah, they asked if it was the guy I'd been dating for weeks." I chuckle.

"Apparently, everyone else was in on something we weren't."

"Apparently."

"Can I kiss you?" His gaze darts away as if he's embarrassed he asked. I hate that he's so unsure when it comes to real feelings, that any part of Perry fears I would say no, even if only because I've never dated a guy and now I'll be kissing one in public.

The truth is, I want Perry to kiss me. I wasn't lying when I said I want everyone to know he's mine, even if it's scary. "Please do."

"I love it when you ask so nicely." He presses his lips to mine for just a beat before pulling away. There's not a part of me that doesn't want more, but I guess making out over the bar counter while he's at work probably isn't the best idea.

"For someone who didn't think he wanted to be a boyfriend, you sure are good at it."

He presses his lips to mine one more time. "That's all you, Puppy. All you."

"Gag," Ty says, interrupting us, just as Gwen comes over.

"You planning on working tonight or making out with your boyfriend?"

Worry bubbles in my gut before I realize there's a smile in her voice.

"Can't I do both?" Perry asks. "I'm a fucking fabulous multitasker."

Gwen laughs, then ruffles his hair like he's a kid.

"You should get to work," I tell him. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Okay, but are you gonna stay at my house tonight? Because if I know I have something to look forward to, it'll be easier to make myself work."

My stomach does excited backflips. I love spending the night with Perry. "Yep."

"Yesssss."

My stomach doesn't stop putting on the gymnastics performance all night, only it feels good, like I'm Simone Biles or something. I've never felt this way before, never liked someone this much. I just have to hope it doesn't ever become too much for Perry.