CHAPTER 4

"I still don't understand how this is better than just calling your phone," Ashley said as she watched Chris dialing the number to her cell.

"Are you serious? He's probably still at some after party! I can't just call my phone when he's out there, surrounded by hundreds of people - for all we know, he hasn't maybe even realized he has it yet!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down, you're freaking me out."

Chris rolled his eyes at her as he finished writing the number. "Okay, let's do this."

He inhaled deep and pressed the green button. The call ringed multiple times before it was answered.

"Hello?" a quite hoarse, abashed female voice said.

Chris' whole body stiffened. He sat there, in silence, with his mouth wide open for a good while before hanging up.

He stared at the phone, still unable to move.

"What happened?" Ashley's voice woke him back to reality.

"It-It was Mia," Chris muttered. He was squeezing the cell in his hand so hard his knuckles were white.

Before hearing Mia's voice, Chris hadn't even realized how nervous and on the edge he actually was about the situation. He was basically a home wrecker, how could've he been okay with this?

He looked around him wildly with a startled expression. He was feeling hot and throwing up but at the same time, he was also cold and shivering. His hands were shaking and his legs felt numb and stiff.

"Chris, are you okay?"

Chris twitched as he heard Ashley's voice. He turned his gaze at her and flashed an agitated smile. "What? Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? 'Cause you look pretty shaken."

"I'm fine," Chris said, tense. "I-I just... I need a minute."

"Yeah, of course. No rush. But remember, it's just a phone call. Nothing bad is gonna happen."

Chris glanced at her. She was right. It was just a phone call, nothing more. And it wasn't even his phone he was calling from! Suddenly his slight meltdown seemed ridiculous. Why had he made such a big deal out of it? Mia was so gullible when it came to Darren she would've probably believed anything he'd said. Not to mention that it definitely wouldn't have been the first lie Chris had told her. During their time filming Glee, Chris hadn't exactly been the biggest fan of the lady.

He felt himself calming down little by little; his breathing had finally normalized and the shivers eased some. When also the expression on his face was starting to look human again, Chris took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. I'm ready."

"It wasn't that hard now, was it?" Ashley looked at him with a mild smirk on her face.

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched," Chris sighed as he looked the number up again. "I haven't even called him yet."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Now you're just treating me like a big baby."

Ashley only grinned at response. "Just make the call."

Chris raised the cell to his ear and waited for a couple of rings.

"Darren?" a loud, bit annoyed voice answered.

Chris did a brief, silent victory dance. Telling the truth, he'd been hoping that Mia would've already returned the phone to its rightful owner.

"Hey, uh... It's Chris," he said, trying to sound cool and not too enthusiastic.

"Ch-Chris? What's... What's going on?" Darren sounded startled.

"I, um–" Chris chuckled nervously. "This is a little awkward but, uh... You have my phone."

Darren was silent for a while. All Chris could hear were the loud background noises. Apparently Darren still was at some after party where it was impossible to hear other people, even if they were standing right next to you.

"Yeah, it seems like I took your jacket, too," Darren said suddenly, taking Chris back to reality.

"By accident, of course," he added quickly.

"Of course," Chris repeated, not sure if he sounded believable or if that'd even been his intention.

"So, you... Probably want them back, right? Like, that's the only reason you called."

Chris couldn't tell if Darren was asking that because he wanted him to have another reason to call, or if he just simply wanted to get the whole thing over with.

"Well, I need the phone more. My mother taught me well enough to know that I should never wear the same outfit twice in public."

Nice save, Colfer. Sometimes he was a disgrace to himself.

Lucky for him, Darren just laughed at his terrible attempt to entertain him. "Do you need the phone right now? I'm at this after party at Vibiana and there's like a whole bunch of people and I –"

"Tomorrow," Chris interrupted him. "You can bring it to my place tomorrow."

"Y-Your place? Are you... Are you sure that's wise?"

"Do you really want us to be seen by the paparazzi together?" Chris asked. He couldn't be the only one who was aware of the amount of all the "Klaine" and "CrissColfer" fan fictions that were written by some of the most eager Glee fans.

Darren sighed. "Why don't you come over to our place? I have so much stuff to do tomorrow and Mia is running some errands as well. She won't be home 'til late."

"I don't know, D..." Chris mumbled. He really wasn't sure if it was the best idea for him to go over there. At his place he'd at least be able to kick Darren out if the situation got too tense. Because there was no freaking way he'd be doing the same mistake again only less than 24 hours later.

"I can make you coffee."

It was Chris' turn to be quiet for a minute. His thoughts started to make him feel dizzy all over again.

Coffee does sound good...

No! DO NOT GO OVER THERE. You know coffee never means just coffee. It's a proven fact that it's only a more subtle way of asking someone to have sex with you.

Well, I mean... The sex was really good.

No, no, no, no, no, no! Don't you dare! Do NOT go over there.

But in his head, he was there already.

"I'll be there at five. Text me the address."

When the call ended, Chris put the phone on the table. He was smiling unintentionally wide as he took a sip of his drink and thought about all the possibilities that there were for the next day. Not that he was going to do anything based on them, of course.

Across the table, Ashley was staring at him, shocked and surprised, not saying a word.

"What?" Chris asked as their gazes finally met.

"What did you just do?"

Chris puckered his eyebrows. "He asked me for a coffee, it's not a big deal."

"Uh, yeah, it is!" Ashley exclaimed. "Chris, you just had sex with the guy! Do you really think this is the best way to deal with it?"

"Calm down, Ash. It's just coffee."

"It's never just coffee!"

"You're wrong! Darren and I were close friends for years, we can make it work again."

"Oh, my God, listen to yourself! You always do this! You always fool around with the wrong guys and then you end up getting your heart broken all over again, just when it's started to heal!" Ashley was now practically yelling. "And you know who's always there, picking up the pieces after every heartbreak? Me! I'm always on your side, Chris! I'm always there for you!"

She took a deep breath. "But if you now do this, after everything the guy has put you through, you're gonna have to take care of yourself when it all comes crashing down. Because I have warned you. He is almost a married guy, Chris! And even if he's gotten second thoughts about the whole thing, it's not right for you to get in the middle of it. You've caused enough trouble for them already. Mia still probably hates your guts! Do you really want that for yourself? Do you want that to be your future?"

Chris was silent. He didn't know what to say. He knew everything Ashley was saying was true. He was the one who was going to get hurt, no matter what the outcome. There was no way he could just walk hand in hand with Darren, as a happy couple, out of here when this chapter in their lives ended. Why was it so hard for him to understand?

"I know I've always said I'll support you and your decisions, no matter what, but this is a line I simply cannot cross."

Ashley got up and walked to her bedroom, leaving Chris sitting by himself at the kitchen table with millions and millions of thoughts running through his head.

He wanted to get up. He wanted to apologize to Ashley. He wanted to make the right decision, to tell Darren to leave the phone on his mailbox so he could pick it up the next day. He wanted to be smart, for once in his life. He wanted it so bad.

But something was still stopping him. There was a force so much greater than his negligible, empty being that was telling him to take the risk, to give Darren a chance.

What if it's your time now?

And he really wanted to believe that it was.