Page 67 of Theoretically Straight

“Uh, Caleb?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you–” he pauses, clearing his throat. “I mean, is it okay if we–can I kiss you right now?”

He wants to kiss me. He’s asking me, which in retrospect is probably what I should have done the first time. And although I want nothing more than to scream, “hell yes!” my voice is paralyzed by his dark eyes, and the next best thing I can do is give him a nod.

I sit up as straight as I can, suddenly caught up in a dozen different thoughts at once. Does my breath smell bad? Shit, I knew I should have told them no onions on my burger. What if he freaks out again? No, he’s the one initiating. This is all going so fast–Theo’s hand cradles the side of my head, his fingers falling around the nape of my neck, and all those noisy thoughts melt away with his touch.

His head dips slightly, and finally, our lips meet.

Where our first kiss had been a barrage on my senses, our second kiss is heated embers, stoked in my chest, flaring to life as if Theo’s lips are a rush of oxygen. The heat spreads quickly from my chest, singeing the tips of my cheeks and running along my spine.

But Theo’s kiss seems hesitant like he’s still unsure. When he pulls away, he grins down at me, but he’s left me wanting more. I tug the front of his shirt with my free hand, guiding him to sit beside me with the other. He lowers himself onto my bed, our hands still clasped, and he lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Are you okay?” I ask, wanting to gauge his reaction before I decide how I want to proceed from here.

Theo nods. “Yeah, definitely okay.”

I squeeze his hand. “Good. Now, come here.”

He leans again, his gaze falling to my lips. I move to meet him, resting my free hand on his knee. Once again, his kiss is slow and sweet, almost timid. Reaching for him, I twist my fingers into his shirt, pulling him closer to me and deeper into our kiss. A noise rumbles through Theo’s throat, passing vibrations between us that sends a shockwave down my spine.

When he pulls away this time, we’re both panting, and Theo releases his grip on my hand to run a finger along the collar of his shirt, tugging at it.

“Um, is it warm in here?”

“I think it’s just this part of the room,” I say with a laugh, gesturing between us. “Think we should cool it down a bit?”

A glimmer of mischief sparkles in Theo’s eyes.

“Hell no.”

* * *

Thursday, September 21

Freddy’s jaw nearly hits the lunch table when I tell him about my day with Theo.

“For half an hour? Seriously? How can anyone make out for that long andnottake their clothes off?”

Wren elbows him in the ribs. “Not everyone is as quick to pull off their pants as you, Freddy.”

“Clothing stayed perfectly in place,” I assure them. “I’m not trying to freak him out anymore, but he’s the one who asked to kiss me to begin with. It’s a good thing, right? It probably means that he’s getting more comfortable with his feelings?”

“It definitely doesn’t hurt your chances,” Freddy says, rubbing his side. “I’m guessing he hasn’t brought up making anything official yet?”

I shake my head. “I want him to worry about figuring out his own stuff first. Then we can talk about what the two of us are doing.”

Freddy leans in over his lunch. “But how do you feel? Right now, I mean.”

“Giddy,” I admit, with a laugh. “Is that stupid? Wren, tell me I’m being stupid.”

“Can’t do it,” Wren replies. “You’re just way too cute when you’re crushing. I can’t dampen all the queer joy going on over there.”

“So, I know that we know,” Freddy says, pointing at himself and Wren. “But obviously, we’re not going to say anything until the two of you make it official–which I am absolutely manifesting for you right now–but is Theo going to tell any of his friends?”

I give a shrug. “He mentioned it yesterday, but I told him it was best for him to move at his own pace and that he shouldn’t feel pressured.”

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