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)
I end the call, unable to hear more, my hands shaking. Mom thought he loved her too, but he didn’t. I assume Ty’s mom did as well. He’d known where I was my whole life, and he never loved me enough to care before. I refuse to believe he does now.
The chair falls backward when I shove to my feet. I don’t pick it up, can’t keep still as I pace the room.
Fuck him. Who does he think he is? What makes him think he has the right to do this to me?
Why does it affect me so much?
I’m jittery, my brain racing. He’s never gotten to me so badly, so I’m not sure what’s going on, but I don’t like it at all. I think about calling my mom, but I don’t want to burden her with this. She’s felt enough misplaced guilt over my lifetime because of him. And it’s hard to talk to Ty about it either because it’s his dad. He’s been working on his relationship with Montgomery, and I know he wants me to do the same.
I grab my keys and cell, shove them in my pockets, and walk out.
Sitting in my car outside the house of the guy I’m sleeping with, while upset about my dad, isn’t something I ever saw myself doing. Like, what even is this? What do I expect Theo to be able to do about it? Orgasms help, so there’s that, but deep down I know that’s not why I’m here.
I’m here because he’s my friend…and I trust him…and talking to him makes things feel better.
“Ugh! I’m a fucking mess!” I rub my hand over my face, as if when I pull it down, I’ll be back in my bedroom.
That doesn’t happen, though. Nope. Instead, Theo pulled up without me noticing, and he’s walking toward my car with a confused frown on his lips.
For a moment, I consider driving off, but instead I plaster a smile on my face and roll the window down.
“Hey…is everything okay?” he asks, brows pinched together in concern.
“Yep, I was just going to…do some food delivery before work tonight and thought you might want to go.” Making extra money is always good, and Theo is good at distracting me, so really, it’s killing two birds with one stone.
“For sure.” He gives me his Goofy Theo smile, which is annoyingly contagious. I can’t help but do the same.
He tosses his bag in the back seat, then goes around to the passenger side and gets in, while I turn the app on. I take an order almost immediately. San Luco is a college town, and people our age eat a shit ton of fast food.
“How was class?” I ask as I drive to the first restaurant.
“Really good. I think our studying this week helped. I was like…like a fucking business ninja.”
I chuckle. “A business ninja?”
“If the shoe fits…”
“You wear that motherfucker.” Glancing his way, I wink, and he smiles at me again, making me go all soft. I don’t even know what that means or how to explain it, but that’s what it feels like.
We get to the first restaurant, and I go in for the food. When we get to the house, Theo insists on being the one to deliver it. “We’re food-delivery partners. We have to do it together.”
I watch him go because Theo has a great ass and I just…I don’t know, want my eyes on him all the time. He draws me to him like a bee to honey.
“We got a cash tip!” Theo says excitedly when he gets back into the car.
He tries to give it to me, but I don’t take it. “You keep it. Since it’s my account, the money goes to me. The tip is yours.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like you don’t buy me meals and shit when we hang out.”
Which makes it like dates, in a way, but as long as I can excuse why I’m paying for it, I get to ignore that too. “I still want you to have it.”
“Fine. I’ll buy us some Sour Patch Kids and a soda to share.”
My chest gets a light feeling, and before I can think about the words, I say, “I knew you’d make me feel better.”
He cocks his head, as if my statement confuses him. That makes two of us, buddy. “What did I do?”
“I don’t know. Just being you. I’ll look for another order.” I grab my phone, but Theo puts his hand over the screen.
“What’s wrong, Perry?”
“Nothing.”
“You can talk to me. I talk to you, and…it’s what knights in shining armor do.”
I cock a brow. “Is it now? I thought we just save lives.”
“Nope. You talk and share with the person you saved. It’s a thing. You can look it up.”
I sigh, knowing I’m going to tell him because he seems to have that effect on me. I drop my head back against the seat and close my eyes so I don’t have to look at him. Looking at Theo does funny things to me, like if I hadn’t looked at him earlier, I probably wouldn’t be talking right now.