Another pang of guilt. Stark had to get this over with, now. Like ripping off a bandage. Quick and easy.
Except when it came time for him to actually formulate the words, he realized that it wasn’t going to be so simple.
Stark’s voice was hoarse again when it finally came out. “Hey, Chase, I - “
“Oh, I almost forgot! Are you free this weekend?” Chase asked.
Stark’s mouth hung open, then shut, then opened again to speak. “Yeah, I think so.”
Fuck. Fuck.Why did he say that? It just slipped out. Stark cursed his inability to disappoint people. Where the hell was his alpha backbone?
“Great! I was thinking we could hang out, maybe go out to a cafe or something and then… I dunno,” Chase said, his voice getting softer. “Maybe we could go back to your apartment or something.”
Every muscle in Stark’s body tensed. He was supposed to officiallybreak upwith Chase - not get invited to an intimate evening with him. He’d really fucked up this time.
Just say no,he told himself.
“Um, that sounds great,” Stark said, forcing a smile even though he was alone. “What time do you want to meet?”
Every word out of his mouth was sending him further down a spiral of crap. Why couldn’t he just shut up?
“I dunno, about seven? Is that okay?” Chase asked, completely oblivious to Stark’s internal crisis.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Stark said.Shit.
“Cool! See you soon,” Chase said. “Although… I hope I can talk to you again before then.”
“Yeah,” Stark said.
“Later!”
Chase hung up and Stark had to resist the urge to throw his phone out the window.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Fuck!”
Stark’s stomach was a mess of emotion, twisting and churning. He failed at stopping to lead Chase on. Worse, he somehow plannedanotherdate with him - this one threatening to be even more intimate than the last. One where they would be entirely alone.
There was no way in hell he could let this happen.
