The pain made the decision for him.

Gary shifted in his seat and felt a sharp pulse ripple through his jaw, strong enough to steal his breath for a second. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t explosive. It was worse than that — insistent, precise, and deeply uninterested in his social plans. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, forcing himself to stay present.

“Okay,” he said quietly, setting his fork down with deliberate care. “I think I might be reaching my limit.”

She didn’t hesitate or look disappointed. “We can stop,” she said simply, as though that had always been the obvious solution.

The simplicity of it caught him off guard.

“I don’t want to ruin the night,” Gary added, immediately, because that was his instinct — apologise first, justify later.

“You’re not ruining anything,” she replied. “You’re listening to your body. That’s… actually a good sign.”

Gary huffed out a short laugh. “That might be a first.”

They sat there for a moment, the hum of the restaurant filling the space between them. Cutlery clinked softly at nearby tables. Someone laughed somewhere behind him. Normal life carried on, indifferent but gentle.

Gary realised then that this didn’t feel like failure. There was no embarrassment clawing at his chest. No need to escape. Just a quiet acceptance that tonight had limits, and pushing past them wouldn’t prove anything to anyone.

He reached for his jacket slowly, jaw still aching, but his shoulders felt lighter.

“Rain check?” he asked.

She smiled. “Definitely.”

They stood, neither rushing, sharing a look that felt more like possibility than pity. There was no rush to fill the silence with jokes or bravado. It didn’t need it.

Outside, the cool air hit his face and felt grounding rather than judgmental. The pain was still there, steady and unresolved, but it no longer felt like the only thing that mattered.

Whatever happened next — dentist, bed, consequences — Gary knew one thing for certain.

He’d made the right call tonight.

End the date and head home → Page 40

Accept her help and talk next steps → Page 51