Chapter Four

Perry

"How was last night?" Ty asks as he comes into the living room the next morning. He plops on the couch across from me as Brax goes into the kitchen.

"I made coffee," I tell Brax.

"Thank fuck." He pulls two mugs from the cabinet—one for him and one for my brother. Brax is rough around the edges in most ways, but he's also a secret caretaker. There's nothing he wouldn't do for Ty. The cool thing is my brother is the same with him.

I glance Ty's way. "It wasn't what I expected, but I enjoyed it."

"Party wasn't good?"

"It was pretty fucking wild. I met this guy almost immediately after walking in. He literally fell into my arms, and he's hot as hell. I wasn't complaining."

"Aw, does little bro have a crush?" Ty teases.

"Fuck no. Do I want to bone him? Yes. But I wouldn't call it a crush. I'm leaving the mushy relationship stuff to the two of you." I don't have it in me to be serious about someone. I'll just enjoy fucking my way through life, thank you very much. "Anyway, we ended up hanging out all night, but he was way too drunk and high to do anything with. I put him to bed like a good boy and came home."

"Gonna see him again?" Ty asks, taking his coffee from Brax, who sits beside him.

"I put my number in his phone and texted myself so I have his. He said he wants to hook up."

"Nice." Ty nods.

"Be careful. All I wanted was to hook up with Ty too, and now I'm stuck with him," Brax grumbles.

"Aw, Sunshine. You know you love me." Ty sets his coffee mug down, grabs Brax's face, and begins playfully kissing him all over it.

"Ugh! Why you?" Brax pretends he doesn't love the shit out of it the way we all know he does.

"On that note, I'm out." They can go from talking shit to each other to the bed banging against the wall in no time flat. Thank God my room is at the opposite end of the house.

I close the door behind me and flop on the bed. I consider messaging Theo, but I'm sure he's hungover as shit. While I'm cool with a lot of people, I haven't made any real friends since moving to San Luco, not if you don't count my brother and his boyfriend. I'll hook up with people, hang out with people and shit like that, but nothing that is substantial in any way. To be honest, it's been like that my whole life. While Brax is antisocial, he at least has his best friend Miguel, but I don't even know who I'd say is my best friend. I've just never really worked that way. I don't know why I'm lying here obsessing about it today.

I look at Theo's nickname in my phone: Hot Dancing Guy. It can't hurt to shoot him a text just to make sure he's okay, right? He had a hard night, and it seemed like he's going through some things.

Me: Good morning. You alive? Do you need me to come over and perform mouth-to-mouth?

I'm surprised when the three dots pop up right away, showing me he's already texting back. Jesus, I thought he would sleep at least until noon. Maybe he has shit going on today. The stab of disappointment I feel at that is unnerving.

Hot Dancing Guy: I don't do hangovers. I feel great!

Hot Dancing Guy: Also, you put your name as Knight in Shining Armor in my phone.He adds laughing emojis.

Me: What do you mean you don't do hangovers? What are you, superhuman or something?

Hot Dancing Guy: Just that good, I guess. Thanks for last night, BTW. Sorry I was a mess. It's been a…let's just say fucked-up weekend.

Me: Do you want me to make it better?

Hot Dancing Guy: You're down to meet up? I'd be game.

"Fuck yes," I say.

Hot Dancing Guy: I figure I at least owe you lunch after the way you babysat me.

Well…that's not what I had in mind. That probably means no anal, but I'm cool with just BJs.

Me: We can skip lunch and just have some fun.

Just as I hit Send on my message, one comes through from him at the same time.

Hot Dancing Guy: I'm fucking starving, but it's gonna have to be cheap.

Hot Dancing Guy: Oh… You want to skip lunch?

Well, how can I not let him eat first? He needs fuel to come as hard as I plan on making him come.

Me: No, we can eat. You need your energy.

Hot Dancing Guy: Sounds like you have lots of plans for us today! I'm gonna shower. Be here in an hour?

Me: I can't wait.

I grab some clothes and head to the hallway bathroom to take a shower. Brax and Ty have one in their room, so this one is basically mine, except when people come over—which is mostly Ty's lacrosse friends. They graduated but ended up staying around San Luco, and as Ty says, everyone but him has to be a grown-up now, something he has time to avoid since he's still in school, so they don't hang out as much as they used to.

I clean out my ass in case Theo changes his mind and wants to fuck me instead of having lunch. One can never be too prepared. Luckily, Brax and Ty aren't in their room when I get out of the shower, so I have my brother take me to Shenanigans to pick up my car. I'd taken a car service home from the party and don't want to have to put out the money for another one.

"How's your mom doing?" Ty asks when we're on our way. It's a delicate balance between getting close and sharing things while also tiptoeing around our reality. Ty had a lot of anger toward his dad last year, and in some ways still does. Montgomery Langley robbed us of a relationship, but Ty also grew up with him being a father in his life. It's not as easy for Ty to walk away. In my case, Montgomery Langley and I were never close—and I'm not willing to give us the opportunity to get close either.

"She's good. She misses me, but she gets it, ya know? Me wanting a change and getting to know you."

I'd wanted to leave Massachusetts before Ty and I started talking, so building a relationship with him was the perfect reason for me to do that.

"For sure."

I can tell he wants to say something about his dad, but luckily, he doesn't. I've gotten to know Ty well enough to know that the reason he sometimes talks to me about getting to know Montgomery is for my benefit, but I'm still not ready and don't know that I'll ever be.

He drops me off at Shenanigans, and I go straight for my car. It's a short drive to Theo's, and when I get there, he's standing outside, waiting for me. My pulse kicks up in excitement.

"Eager for me, huh?" I tease when I get out of the car.

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' starving." It's not the response I hoped for, but the guy probably hasn't eaten in quite a while, so it makes sense.

"Then we better hurry and get something in you." I'd hoped it would be me in him, but I can be patient. "You driving, or am I?"

"I'm good either way, but I'm warning you, my car is a piece of shit. Like, I'm surprised it passed the last smog check."

"Hey, what a surprise, mine too!"

"High five!" Theo holds up his hand, giving me a goofy smile, and my first thought is how he seems like a big, sweet golden retriever. That's never really done it for me, but on him, it totally does.

I high-five him, and then we decide to take my POS since he's putting out the money on lunch—his call, not mine. I don't usually let a hookup buy me food. It's too datey, but I go with the flow when it comes to Theo. It's hard not to because I fear he'll turn those big, wide puppy-dog eyes on me, and who doesn't want to make a puppy happy? I kinda feel like reaching out and giving him some scritches, but figure that might be taking it a step too far.

We jump into my vehicle.

"Are you good with burgers?" Theo asks.

"That would be a yes."

He chuckles. "I'm sure you like Luco Burger, then."

"I haven't eaten there."

Theo's eyes nearly fall out of his head. "How do you live in San Luco and not eat at Luco Burger?"

"Um…because I'm broke?"

"Same. Not an excuse."

"Because I've only lived here a few months?" I search the name of the restaurant on my phone and have the navigation start to give me directions.

"Where did you move from?" Theo asks as I drive.

"Massachusetts."

"For school? I can't remember if you told me that last night. I might ask you questions I'm supposed to know the answers to."

Now it's my turn to chuckle. It's not that what he said is funny, but he's endearing. "Nope. No college for me. At least not yet. I moved here to get to know my brother. His mom was the wife, mine was the mistress. Ty was raised by our dad. I wasn't. I also have a younger sister. She's a toddler, and I've never met her."

"Holy shit," Theo sputters.

Maybe I shouldn't have just put it out there like that, but I like the feeling of disconnect it gives me. Holding something in gives it power, shows that it's more important than you want it to be, and I don't want to care about my past.

"I'm sorry," he adds. "That's… I can't believe you just told me that."

"Why?"

He shrugs. "Because it's deep and personal and we don't know each other?"

"But I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?" I wink at him, then look toward the road again. "Plus, you told me your feelings about school—how it's difficult for you and that you don't want to let your parents down."

He groans, then rubs a hand over his face. "I was trying to forget I said those things. I don't know what it is about you."

"Probably how charming I am," I tease.

"Well, you definitely don't lack confidence."

No, no I don't.

I pull into the parking lot of the restaurant and park. It was a short drive, but I enjoyed it. I like talking to Theo. He intrigues me, and there hasn't been much that's held my attention in a long time. There's no doubt in my mind he's a nice guy—no, kind is more like it, because there's a difference.

For the first time in my life, I'm hoping someone I'm going to hook up with is the kind of person to be chill afterward and maybe wants to be friends. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, and I'm not even sure I want a fuck buddy unless the lines are clearly drawn, but a friendship with him? I can handle that.

Even if I can't stop thinking about how much I want him. Once I have him, though, I have no doubt that desire will fade.