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)
“It’s probably too late for this semester, and I’ll have to look into how that will affect loans and scholarships, but maybe.”
I nod. It’s a start. “Now let’s study. If you’re good, we’ll order pizza for dinner and then do something that’s a whole lot more fun than studying.”
“Is this another of those times when you’re accidentally flirting with me?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Puppy. I was thinking about something else. When we were texting this past week, you said you like anime. I’ll give you one episode to change my mind about it.”
Theo’s eyes go wide, his smile so big, I feel like I just offered him more than I did. “We are studying right the fuck now.”
I laugh. “Let’s do it.”
We get to work.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Theo
Reading is strange for me. I can do it, and I’ve been tested for learning disabilities, and I don’t have any, but sometimes the words feel like they move around, or I’ll start out on one line and end up in another. If I concentrate really hard, I’m okay, but the longer I read, the harder it gets, and sometimes I get headaches from putting so much into it. I’ve been able to get by my whole life, but it does take more work for me.
“What’s wrong?” Perry asks, and I realize I’m rubbing my head. We’ve been at this for nearly two hours, and I’m over it.
“Nothing. My head hurts. That happens when I read too much.”
“Do you need glasses?”
“No. I have good vision. For a while they thought I needed glasses for up close, but wearing them never changed anything.”
“We can take a break.” Perry tries to pluck the book from my lap, but I shake my head.
“If we finish this section, then I can be done for tonight. I just need to finish reading this and highlight notes, and I’ll be good. Plus…I have to earn that pizza and anime.”
He cocks a brow. “Puppy…you earned it already. You really are a people pleaser, aren’t you?”
“That’s not what I’m doing.” I shake my head, but the thing is, he might be right. That might be exactly what I’m doing. I like to make people happy, to make people proud, but I thought that was mostly my parents. Am I doing that with Perry now? While I’m distracted, he tugs the book out of my hand. “Hey!” I tell him, thinking he’s going to close it, but instead, he leans back against the pillows.
“Tell me when I say something we need to highlight.”
I frown, trying to understand what Perry is doing, when he starts to read to me…my schoolbook. Perry is reading about financial management…to me…out loud…in his bed…and my pulse goes from a steady walk to a jog.
“You’re going to read to me?”
“If you’ll ever be quiet, I will.” He smiles and starts over. I lie down beside him, our heads on the pillow. I close my eyes and listen.
When he gets to something important, I tell him, and Perry stops to highlight it. This is maybe the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me. I try to focus on what he’s saying, but as Perry speaks, my thoughts go from how nice this is of him to how I’d wanted to kiss him at Shenanigans. To the way my cheeks heat when he flirts with me and how annoyed I’d been when Jack had flirted with him and—“I didn’t hook up with Autumn,” I blurt out. Fuck my life. Why did I say that right now? Am I broken?
“O-kay…” Perry lets the word drag out. “I’m sorry?”
I roll my eyes. “I could have. I just wasn’t feeling it.” He looks at me. “And I think you assumed I did…or I let you think I did. And you’re my friend, so I don’t want to lie to you. I don’t know why it’s coming out now.”
Perry chuckles. “Well, thank you for telling me.”
What about you? Have you hooked up with anyone?
Stop that, Theo! It doesn’t matter. Don’t make things weird.
“Carry on,” I say.
“Carry on reading to you? Yes, sir.”
But he does, and we finish the chapter, highlighting things I need to go over and try to remember for the test. When we’re done, we move the books aside but don’t get up, just lie next to each other on the bed.
“Do I get my pizza and anime?” I flutter my lashes like the choice is really up to him and I have to plead my case.
“You’re trouble,” he says, but there’s a smile on his face.
“What? Why? I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s what makes it worse.” Perry sits up and grabs his phone. I immediately wish I hadn’t said anything so he would still be lying beside me. “What do you like on your pizza?”
“What do you mean?”
He tosses me a look over his shoulder. “Toppings?”