Page 139 of I Think They Love You

“No, you obviously did,” he interrupts again. “Clearly, it’s something you’ve thought for a while. Please, continue.”

Outside, waves of pink melt the blue from the sky. Denz just wants to go home and shower. Destroy some Thai takeout while rewatchingThe Best Man. But he chooses to wait for his sister to elaborate.

“Fine,” she huffs. “You’re always late. You constantly forget things. At every opportunity, you either run from a problem or lie. How is anyone supposed to think thatthis—” She waves her hand at his disheveled appearance. “—isn’t too much for you?”

A beat. He asks, “Is that everything?”

Gently, Kami says, “I want you to succeed. But you need to stop avoiding reality.”

“Which is?”

“You’re doing this for them. Not you.”

It stings. Her words, her genuine expression. The way it sounds like what their dad said last month.

She’s right. Denz wants to run. Or lie.

Instead, he laughs, short and joyless, then says, “Thanks, but I don’t need advice from someone who can’t admit she’s too scared to share her personal life with her own family.”

Kami steps away, blinking hard.

Fuck. He wants to take it back.

“Wow.” The lobby’s pendant lighting catches on the tears brimming in her eyes. She swallows. “Who sounds like the aunties now?”

“Wait, Kam—”

“What’s going on here?”

Denz jolts at Kenneth’s voice. He’s in the lobby again, trading looks between them.

“Are you two really arguing,” he says, low and steely, “right here, right now? In public?”

Denz tries to speak, but his throat tightens.

“No, Dad,” Kami says, her voice steadier than Denz expects. “We’re not.”

“Then why do you look so upset?”

Kami fixes her gaze on Denz. “Allergies,” she says, and walks away.

Kenneth follows her. Denz thinks to do the same. He should apologize, talk rationally to Kami instead of with emotions not meant for her.

But he can’t. His phone vibrates in his palm with a notification.

Formerly Known As Bray

I can’t believe you didn’t show up.

Above the last text are several more. A thread of messages that starts withI can’t wait to see youandThanks for doing thisbefore shifting toplease be on time because Whit is restless today.Questions about where Denz is, how long he will be.Is your battery dead?It ends with the most recent text.

Shit, shit, shitty forgetful idiot.

It’s the missing detail that’s been haunting him all day. He was supposed to meet with Braylon’s coworkers two hours ago. To work on social media content.

Denz calls Braylon’s phone. There’s no answer. He tries again. Nothing. Not even a read notification when he texts.

“Denzel,” Kenneth starts as Denz double-times outside.

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