Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
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.”
When Brax finishes, Ty picks up the bong and the lighter and hands them to Theo. “We should let our new friend have green.”
Theo glances my direction, and I nod. He puts the glass to his lips, lights the bud, and inhales to fill the neck of the bong with smoke. Then he pulls the bowl out, continuing to suck the smoke into his lungs, and clears it. He coughs slightly when he exhales. “Damn, that’s good.”
“We treated ourselves to good shit the last time we went to the dispensary,” Ty tells him.
Theo passes it to me next, and I do the same as he did, my lungs burning briefly. We keep going like that, Ty after me, then Brax, before it’s passed to Theo again, until it’s dusted.
Theo giggles.
“Uh-oh,” Brax says. “Are you a lightweight?”
“No.” Theo shakes his head. “I’m just thinking about the nickname Puppy. It’s so cute, but, like, why do I think it’s cute? Is it weird that I like being called puppy? Would I like being called puppy if it was anyone other than my friend Perry using it?” He looks at me. “You’re my friend, right? Like my real friend.”
I chuckle. “Yes. I’m your real friend.”
“I thought so. That’s why you study with me, and read the words out loud to me, and—”
I press my hand to his mouth before he starts talking about how I’m showing him what it’s like to have sex with a man.
“On that note,” I say, “I think we’re going to my room to watch anime.” Theo licks my hand, but I don’t pull it back. “No talking.”
He nods. I pull my hand back. “When did you get boring?” Theo asks.
Ty doubles over laughing, and I hear Brax trying to bite it back as well.
“I’m not boring.” I push to my feet, take his hand, and start pulling him to my room.