Page 2 of I Think They Love You

“I’m fine.”

“Really?” Bray’s eyes sweep suspiciously around. “Did you stress-clean my car while I was ordering food?”

“No?” He did. A little.

“You know they’re not gonna judge me by how many protein bar wrappers or empty water bottles I have on my floor mats, right?”

Denz does. And Bray’s right—heison edge.

It’s been building for a week. His crankiness after every call or text from his parents. And, fine, maybe heguidedBray’s six-foot-one frame into a nice pair of black jeans and a hunter-green sweater instead of the joggers and SpongeBob hoodie he planned to wear. Maybe Denz is dressed in a Burberry cardigan, tailored charcoal slacks, and a new pair of leather oxfords.

The first impression needs to be perfect.

Denz has never brought a boyfriend home to his parents. Someone he’s been dating for over a year. Someone he’s said “I love you” to. He wants everyone in his family—especially his dad—to feel the same way he does about Bray: like he’s The One.

“Hey,” Bray says after Denz almost chews through his thumb cuticle. “Promise I won’t make you look bad today.”

“I wasn’t worried abo—”

Bray’s narrow-eyed glare cuts him off.

Fuck. He doesn’t mean for Bray to feel likehe’sthe issue. He’snot. Denz’s sisters already love him. They met over the phone months ago. Since then, Denz has caught Bray exchanging memes and GIFs with his younger sister, Nic, online. And Kami, his older sister, calls just to discuss what’s happened on their latest reality show obsessions.

The problem is the rest of Denz’s family.

He’s used to their high expectations. Their infatuation with public approval. Anyone associated with the Carters, including who Denz dates, needs to meet certain standards.

Case in point: the Kenneth Carter Rite of Passage test. Denz knows it’s coming. His dad’s private interrogation of any potential partner his children bring home. It’s never malicious. But Denz doesn’t want Bray to suffer through it either.

Also, he secretly wants to keep this version of his life to himself.

In Athens, he’s not Denzel Carter, son of aForbesMost Influential CEO. No one cares about his family’s net worth. How messy his apartment is. If he shows up to class wearing the same coffee-stained T-shirt he had on two days ago, his short ’fro unbrushed. Here, he can idle in a near-empty parking lot and not worry about some photographer seeing the glob of mustard on his boyfriend’s chin.

Denz isn’t ready to give any of this up yet.

“Um.” Bray pops a chicken nugget in his mouth. “Are we skipping the holidays?”

“What?”

“We’re not moving.”

“I’m getting there.”

“You know performance anxiety is real.” Bray finally wipes his chin. “I’m not rushing you. Dad and I aren’t very religious anyway.”

Grinning, Denz says, “But you havetraditions. Like making hot apple cider Christmas morning.”

“WatchingThe Grinch. Animated only.”

“In your pj’s!” Denz is fond of the Rudolph-onesie selfie Bray sent him last year. He can’t wait to unzip it in person.

“I’m starting to think Dad likes you more than me.”

“Impossible,” Denz says.

Bray stuffs his mouth with fries instead of responding.

Another thing Denz feels guilty about: he’s already met Dr. Emmanuel Adams. Bray eagerly introduced them when his dad visited at the end of last semester. Denz was so nervous going to shake Emmanuel’s hand, he knocked over his iced latte. A milky brown flood across the coffee shop floor. Thankfully, Emmanuel laughed instead of demanding Bray break up with him then and there.

---