Page 114 of I Think They Love You

“Doyou?”

Denz knows what the aunties think. What his dad thinks. What Kami thought—or maybe stillthinks,he’s not sure. But right now, he only cares about one person’s opinion.

“I want so bad to do what my dad’s done for others,” he says.“Sometimes, I think I can be just like him.Be good enough. And then… I don’t know.” He shrugs half-heartedly. “No one else sees that in me.”

Braylon props his cheek on his knuckles. He stares down at Denz.

“Then I look at you and see so much confidence,” Denz says, quieter. “I know I keep saying this, but you’re different. It’s not a bad different. Anymore.”

“That’s a compliment, right?”

“A fact.” Denz’s tone is a weird tangle of envy and fondness when he says, “You look like you belong at Skye’s the Limit. Nora believes in you. I saw it last night. You don’t need me to get that promotion.”

He smooths the wrinkle from between Braylon’s brows.

“You’re great on your own, Braylon. People love you.”

“They love you too,” Braylon counters.

Denz laughs bitterly. “They love who they see online. Or at parties. My family loves when I don’t fuck anything up.”

He throws an arm over his eyes, groaning. Soon, fingers wrap around his wrist, tugging. Denz is forced to look up at Braylon’s deep scowl, his narrowed eyes.

“The people whomatterlove you for you.”

Denz inhales.

“I believe in you.” Braylon’s mouth slowly stretches upward. “You’re great on your own too.”

Denz follows the stream of careening sunlight over Braylon’s face. The clarity in his expression. Once again, he’s chosen his ex to spill his guts to over everyone else in his life. He should probably analyze that. But his stomach chooses now to growl angrily, and Braylon shakes with laughter.

“Shower and breakfast then?”

“Okay,” Denz agrees, relieved. He can’t spend another minute in his own head.

His gaze drifts down the bedspread. The very naked parts of them are still hidden. He doesn’t want to take any chances on hisdick being reenergized by showeringwithBraylon, so he suggests, “You first.”

Groggily, Braylon crawls from their one-night-only cocoon. He stumbles to the bathroom. Denz’s eyes linger on his hairy legs, the shape of his ass until the door shuts.

Fist to his mouth, he moans.

This is why their agreement had conditions. Preventive measures. Now, it’s like all the rules are nothing but blurry, Rorschach inkblots, open for varied interpretation.

He reaches for a distraction. His phone. Something to keep his mind off the noise of the shower water hitting the tiles. Of Braylon standing, naked, under the hot spray. Of… Braylon, in an off-key voice, singing the song they danced to last night?

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Denz hurls a pillow at the bathroom door. Braylon’s voice gets louder.

Fine. Maybe it can’t hurt to blur the lines some more.

Denz leaps out of bed. Sprints into the foggy bathroom. He kisses the surprised yelp off Braylon’s lips. He maneuvers them both under the waterfall spray. Braylon’s body instantly responds, and Denz doesn’t recall a rule about hand jobs in their agreement.

The lines need redefining anyway.

the Carter Family Group Chat

Today 10:33A.M.

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