He felt a twinge of guilt at Damien's words and also the need to defend his choice, even if Damien wasn't exactly wrong. "It's not that I want to keep it a secret, but calling her in a panic is something I'd like to avoid." Something more in passing? That was more Ace's style. He didn't want Nancy to tell him to 'wait right there' while she dropped whatever she was doing to rush over. Not only did she have better things to do, but it wasn't like she could fix or change anything at that moment.
"I'll text a friend of mine from the art store. Alyssa can make sure I get home alright." He planned to give her a heads up and then check in once he made it home.