Page 145 of I Think They Love You

Denz blinks. He wants to ask why Braylon’s doing this. Why he’s here. But he swallows all the whys and lets Braylon finish.

“He didn’t need me or anyone else to make him better,” Braylon asserts. “He just needs people to stop doubting him.”

Cheryl’s mouth hangs open, fishlike. Denz has witnessed her go toe-to-toe with refs at Jordan’s pee-wee basketball games. He’s seen her make apastorcry for cutting her choir solo short. But now, face-to-face with the triumphant glint in Braylon’s brown eyes, she’s speechless.

Denz wants to laugh until it hurts.

Braylon tugs on his hip. “Shall we?”

And Denz goes.

Suki and the band have slipped into a stripped-down “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” It’s a little too ironic for Denz. On the dance floor, Braylon takes the lead. Denz’s arms circle his neck. Their bodies move in a slow, swaying figure eight.

“Did you see herface?” Denz says with a giggle. “I’ve never seen her like that.”

“I wasn’t too rude, was I?”

“Oh, fuck that. She’s probably deeply in love with you now.”

His phone chimes from his jacket pocket. The group chat, no doubt. He can only imagine what Cheryl’s latest message says.

Braylon’s lips quirk into a pleased grin.

In theory, this continues. The warmth in Denz’s cheeks. The crinkles around Braylon’s eyes. This one dance turns into a dozen more, at birthday parties, for anniversaries, every holiday and special occasion. Barefoot in Denz’s kitchen under the halo of artificial light.

In theory, they never have to talk about what was said last night.

In reality, it’s never that easy.

“I’m sorry about—” Denz pauses. “I didn’t mean—” Again,nothing feels good enough. His hand brushes over the silk of Braylon’s shawl collar. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Braylon says, “I didn’t show up to make either of us look good for your family.”

“Why then?”

“Because I hated how yesterday ended.”

“Oh?” Hope flickers like a firefly in Denz’s chest.

“I don’t want this to end like last time.” Braylon clears his throat. “Without me saying what I really wanted to say.”

Oh.

“Nora offered me the promotion. In two weeks, I’ll be in LA.”

It’s as if the rooftop’s disappeared. Denz is free-falling,fast. And the one person who’s been around for months to catch him is the one pushing him off the ledge.

“You were right,” Braylon says as they turn, “I didn’t give you an opportunity to decide about London. I let my dad influence me. It wasn’t fair to you. I’m sorry.”

And there it is. The two words Denz wanted so bad when he first saw Braylon at the café. The two words he thought would heal the ugly wound in his heart.

They don’t. Not when he can sense abutcoming.

“But if I’m being quite honest,” Braylon goes on, “I knew your decision long before I told you what my dad said. I knew you’d choose your family. Choose who you arehere,instead of what wecould bein London.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Not to you. But it looked that way.”

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