Picky Eater

Ch 13: It's Dante

Ben didn't know the time, but his bones told him it was way too early. He stayed up too long, talking to Tim. It was more than a little embarrassing asking a guy to stay on the phone with him until he fell asleep, but he couldn't bring Nino back. He could ask Nino to stay in the same breath he was asking him to go. Ben grabbed his phone for the time but ended up smacked in the face with a text.

Tim: Don't forget you said you owe me a date. I normally wouldn't hold you to it, but I really want to see you.

Ben smacked his forehead with his phone screen over and over. This was good. This was what he wanted. So why did it feel so bad? Why did it feel like he was doing something wrong? Ben looked over the text again, wondering to himself just who was he hurting? Him, Tim, or Nino? The answer wasn't difficult. He definitely wasn't hurting Nino. Nino was always clear about what he wanted. Even if it hurt Ben to hear it.

Ben dragged himself out of bed, had breakfast, and avoided eye contact, using his laptop as an excuse to avoid the consequences of his actions.

Ben emailed his editor, requesting to turn the romantic thriller into a tragedy, and Marissa did not find it funny. Not that Ben was kidding. He didn't mind the idea of killing his romantic hero, the vampire with commitment issues and winning smiles.

His main character could probably do better.

After this, Ben was switching to the werewolf genre.

Phone buzzing, it surprised Ben to see it was a FaceTime request. It wasn't from Lincoln, but his husband, Freddy. Ben answered, quickly using his hand to cover the camera.

This made Freddy laugh. "It can't be that bad."

Ben had already texted Lincoln about his black eye. After making Lincoln his surrogate parent, Ben felt obligated to update Lincoln on stuff like his health and if he's eating well. "It's not," Ben said. "But I don't want you to be shocked."

"I promise to have zero reaction."

Ben trusted him and moved his hand. The light adjusted to reveal his black eye and Freddy sucked in his lips. Freddy had gone through many transformations since college. He had his awkward phase and bad haircuts and glasses that didn't fit his face, and years of wearing clothes that didn't quite fit. Now Freddy had it together with his black curls styled and twisted at the front like he was a rebel without a cause. Freddy Sharma had a glow up the moment he fell in love with Lincoln.

"It's looking better," Freddy said.

Ben frowned. "This is the first time you're seeing it."

"And after a day, I can only imagine that it looked much worse."

"Thanks." Ben sighed and walked back into the house. "What's up?"

"It is my monthly reminder that you need to get out of the house, so I'm inviting you out."

"Excuse you, I leave my house. Are you introvert shaming me?"

"With love, Benjamin. With love."

"I go on dates, too, you know."

"How are things with Tim?"

Ben looked over his laptop screen at Evie and Anthony sitting across from him. He was helping her create a tier list of the movie's she had seen so far in order to figure out her favorite. Anthony eyed him with that horrible Ventura smile. Ben leaned away from him and whispered, "Did Lincoln pay you to ask me that?"

Anthony chuckled. "Ben, I think you're so fun."

"Who is that?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Nino's brother."