Page 64 of I Think They Love You

Cheryl cocks a hip. “And how did you two get back together?”

“We, uh.”

Denz can’t answer quick enough. They never rehearsed their fictious backstory. Not like he had with Jamie. His parents didn’task at dinner either. Now, he’s without a lie that’ll not only convince the aunties, but Kami and his dad too.

“Shockingly enough,” Braylon starts, “it was at a Halloween party.”

“At a bar,” Denz jumps in.

Braylon nods. “I’d got quite pissed on tequila. We’ve all been there, right?”

“Unfortunately,” Eva confirms under her breath.

Next to her, Kenneth remains expressionless.

“I’d run across Denz’s socials before,” Braylon continues. “I’m a program director at an LGBTQ+ youth center. It’s important to know what queer influencers interest them.”

“You saw one of my videos,” Denz inserts, trying to keep up.

“Yes. I found out we were both at—”

“The Velvet Room.”

“And I DM’d you like a right git.” Something flashes in Braylon’s eyes. “I was too intimidated to approach you.”

“Because you left him for London,” Cheryl suggests, an edge to her voice.

“Sadly, yes.” Braylon doesn’t shrink under the aunties’ challenging glares. He’s not overwhelmed by Kenneth’s presence either. His focus lands back on Denz. “But I walked up to you. I said the music was too loud and—”

“We went to the patio,” Denz says.

“You laughed when I spilled my drink.”

“You ruined my shirt just like I ruined yours when we first met,” Denz confirms, as if any of this actually happened. “I asked you to walk around downtown with me.”

“I bought you a s’mores doughnut because—”

“I’d never had one.”

The room drops away. No spinning lights. No Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” Only Braylon and him, standing on a city corner under a streetlamp. Awkward smiles and unexpected laughs and never needing words to fill up the space between them.

“We talked for hours,” Braylon almost whispers. “Made up for lost time.”

Denz inhales shakily. It’s not real. He went to a Halloween party at the Velvet Room. Posted about it on social media. But after two hours of mingling and cheap drinks and disinterested flirting with strangers, Denz went home.

Alone.

But, somewhere in his belly, he wishes this is what really happened.

At his side, Kami hisses, “Fuck me.”

Yeah,Denz thinks. He grimaces.No. Absolutely not.

“Sorry,” he says, tugging on Braylon’s hand. “My boyfriend’s dying to meet the mayor. Big fan. Enjoy the party!”

The dance floor’s crowd swallows them up. With all the gyrating bodies, Denz is forced to squeeze Braylon’s hand tighter. He ignores the indignant yelp from behind him, too frustrated to care.

How could he let that happen? Giving Braylon permission to tell their fake reunion story. Sure, it was sweet, endearing even. But it was too perfect.Doughnuts?Please, everyone knows Denz is a muffin man. The aunties are probably having a cackle while dissecting every silly, incorrect detail Braylon put in there.

---