Page 116 of When Ben Loved Tim

Tim slots a few plates into the dishwasher before nodding. “Actually… Yeah!”

He loosens up, especially when I turn on the radio and start to sing. His mother joins us in the kitchen, applauding me for my efforts. If she hated me, she’d be upstairs counting rosary beads or whatever Catholics do after encountering evil incarnate. But hey, it’s a modern world and I’m a modern kind of girl. Maybe his mom and dad are too.

“Wanna walk me to my car?” I ask when we’re standing outside his house later.

“You don’t have one.”

“Sure I do,” nodding down the street. “It’s parked in that shadowy spot over there where no one will see us.”

Tim laughs. “I don’t think anyone’s looking now.”

He kisses me, even though we’re standing on his front stoop and the light is on. When it comes to who delivered the biggest shock of the night, I think he just took the prize. “You aren’treallydating Krista again. Are you?”

“Of course not, you idiot!” Tim says, rolling his eyes. “Way to almost blow my cover.”

“How about some warning next time?” I retort.

“I didn’t think it would come up.”

“On that same token,” I say, touching his hand briefly. “I wasn’t planning on telling your parents about the whole gay thing. But when someone asks me about that, I can’t lie.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Tim says. “They didn’t react at all like I thought they would.”

“If they have any questions, let them know that I’d be happy to stop by and talk about it.”

“Oh no,” Tim says, already shaking his head. “You’re not goinganywherenear my family again! Not unless there’s a script that you stick to.”

I laugh, and when he glances around before kissing me again, I smile against his lips, knowing that this will be a turning point in our relationship.

* * * * *

I’ve got a backpack slung over my shoulder as I stand by the front window, waiting for Allison to pick me up for school. My eyes widen when a black sports car roars down the street and screeches to a halt in my driveway. Tim doesn’t usually give me a ride, but I love the idea. Last night’s dinner is paying off already! I’m grinning on my way outside, but the smile slides off my face when I see Tim standing next to his car with a scowl, his chest rising and falling in angry huffs.

“Are you okay?” I ask, rushing over to him.

“No, I’m not okay!” Tim’s face twists up. “My parents don’t want me to see you again.”

I stare in disbelief. “But everything went so well! They were nice to me!”

“Just because they were polite, doesn’t mean they actually like you,” Tim grumbles. He seems to regret these words when seeing the hurt on my face. “Theydidlike you. My mom especially. But they’re Catholic, Benjamin. Cozying up to them isn’t going to change their beliefs. To them you’re a sinner.” He clenches his jaw. “They made me pray for you.”

“What?” I ask, shaking my head in confusion.

“Yeah,” Tim spits. “While you were having cereal this morning, I was praying with my parents for your immortal soul.”

I try to imagine them, clustered together with bowed heads while muttering some ancient incantation, like something out of a cult. I can’t help but snort.

“It’s not funny!” Tim snarls, his voice cracking. “You should have seen the way my dad kept looking at me. And no fucking wonder! I invited a gay guy over for dinner, and they’ve never even met my girlfriend. What the hell was I thinking?”

“You don’t have a girlfriend,” I say evenly.

“That’swhat you’re worried about right now?” Tim splutters incredulously. “You should be asking yourself if you’ve got a boyfriend!”

My throat constricts. “What are you saying?”

“What do you think?” he shoots back.

“Are you breaking up with me?”