Every Girl Wants A Moon

Chapter 26: Planning

Chase sat on the couch, gripping his phone like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His mind was still in the kitchen, replaying every second of that moment—Sophia dancing, her voice filling the space between them, the way she smiled without even realizing it. She had been so free, so herself, and watching her like that had knocked the air right out of his lungs.

That was when it hit him.

He wasn't just falling for her.

He was already in love with her.

It wasn't just the way she made him laugh, or how stubborn she was, or how she somehow fit into every part of his life without even trying. It was the way she looked at him like he mattered. The way she made him feel like someone worth knowing, worth holding onto.

And yet, like a total idiot, he had told her they would take things slow. That there was no pressure.

He groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Before he could overthink it any more, he opened his contacts and started a group call with his brothers. If anyone could help him figure out how to handle this without scaring her off, it was Luke and Ethan.

Luke picked up first. "Chase? What's up?"

"Hold on," Chase muttered, waiting for Ethan to join. A second later, his youngest brother answered with a suspicious, "Why are you calling us at the same time? Are you dying?"

Luke snorted. "Is this, like, a life-or-death situation? Because if not, I have other things to do."

"No, you don't," Chase said dryly.

"Yeah, but I could," Luke shot back. "Now, what's up?"

Chase hesitated. Saying it out loud felt huge, like it would make everything more real. But there was no point in dancing around it.

"I think—I know I'm in love with Sophia."

Silence.

Then—

"Oh" Ethan muttered, his voice halfway between shock and amusement.

Luke let out a low whistle. "You really went for it, huh?"

Chase exhaled. "Yeah. I did."

Luke laughed. "You think you're in love with her? Dude, we've been knowing you're in love with her. This is not news."

Chase frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Come on," Ethan said. "You've been looking at her like she hung the moon for weeks. It was just a matter of time before you caught up."

Chase groaned, running a hand through his hair. "That's not the point. The point is I just told her we'd take things slow, that there's no pressure, and now I'm realizing I've already fallen for her. How the hell am I supposed to handle this without scaring her off?"

Luke hummed. "Okay, so you made a dumb promise, but honestly? I don't think you need to freak out."

"I'm not freaking out."

"You're calling your little brothers for relationship advice," Ethan said. "You're definitely freaking out."

Chase scowled. "I don't need commentary. I need help."

Luke sighed, but his voice softened. "Alright, look. You told her there's no pressure, and that's a good thing. She needs to know she can go at her own pace. But that doesn't mean you have to hide how you feel. Just be normal—"

"I am normal."

Ethan snorted. "Debatable."

"—and let her feel safe in this," Luke continued. "You don't have to drop an 'I love you' on her tomorrow, but she needs to see that this isn't some passing thing for you."