[Report This]Date: June 05 2025 7:42 AM Title: Chapter 24 - Winter is Coming
I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in Ben for not stepping in when Sabrina was hammering Angie like that. I get his reasons why, but man, some things are important enough that you have to take a risk, and defending a wounded teammate (especially when they're wounded over you specifically) is more important than worrying about making the conversation they're going to have the next day more difficult. That's just me, though.
I love how Ben's friends have all rallied around him over this whole situation. He was so worried about being judged before, but now all the people he really cares about, save Angie (probably) now know his secret, and none of them think any less of him for it or think it's funny. Savannah was intrigued at the thought of Tiny Ben for about five seconds, Dustin zeroed in on the shrinking process instead of Ben himself, and Morgan's feelings for him are clearly at least as strong as they were before she knew the truth. And the fact that all of them support him and have his back as he's about to have this confrontation with Angie (even though it could go well, it's good to know that his friends are ready in case it doesn't).
I do wonder if Sabrina might find her way to Tiny Treatments at some point, and what an appointment with her might be like for Ben if she does. See? This is two reviews in a row where you've got me speculating on potential clients for Ben! This is such an intriguing concept to play with!
I really enjoyed Ben's one-on-one with Morgan, which was really needed. She was so worried about things becoming awkward between them that things were becoming awkward between them. Kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy or something! But Been saying "I love you" might not have been his best choice of words, although he did reconcile that quite nicely and it seemed to calm her down. And it's not like he didn't mean what he said; it's just that those words are typically taken in a romantic context, and he's not ready to go down that road with Morgan. Yet. (Although, again, I could just as easily get into him picking Angie, and hell, that might even be the more interesting choice.)
But I really respect Morgan here. She wants Ben to be honest with her, even if she won't like that honest answer. Again, this seems to be setting Morgan up to be able to withstand Ben choosing Angie, but then again, maybe this is some misdirection on your part? Or it could be that this is just who Morgan is and that's how her character would approach the situation either way. Regardless, I love that she wants the hard truth and will have Ben's back just as long as he gives it to her instead of trying to protect her feelings (which never works, by the way!).
So at the end of the chapter, Ben finally started to realize that Angie's feelings for him are probably just as complicated as his feelings are for her. Him saying that she might be just as scared as he is was the perfect way to end the chapter. This kind of goes back to all that "do you ever feel like you're playing a role" stuff. Angie is the way she is with Ben because she thinks she has to be that way. Ben expects her to be that way, and if she were to open up to him at all, he'd pounce on that weakness (in her mind). Likewise, Ben has been so focused on the "rules" of the rivalry that he's never stopped to think about how different things could be, at least not until now. I loved this introspective from him!
Man, I'm getting really excited about this appointment. I really have no idea what to expect, but I know I'm going to be hooked on every word once the time finally comes!
Author's Response:
Haha, you'd expect him to bravely step in, right? Though I did explain that a bit in this latest chapter, he does have his reasons.
Even though they were all pretty shocked by the news at first, they're still very close friends and they all want him to resolve his business with Angie. I didn't really want the tiny employee part to keep being a big deal for too long (but they do tease him with it here and there). I also didn't want Morgan to become distant or keep false hope, she just wants the truth so she can continue her friendship with Ben even if she doesn't get the answer she hopes for, that's the kind of person she is.
I hope the appointment part will be good enough after all the waiting!