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No no no no no, this can’t be happening, Phil thinks to himself as his gaze falls on the texts on his phone.
From: Charlie
11:49pm: phil there’s something i should tell you
11:49: i dont think this will work anymore
11:51: ive been seeing someone else
Hot anger and pain coils in the pit of Phil’s gut. Not only has Charlie been cheating on him, but he had the nerve to tell him over text? Everything was going perfectly, they were happy.
Were, Phil realizes, “were” being the operative word. Such a sad word. They were happy, they were boyfriends, things were okay.
~1 month later~
Beep beep beep! The alarm’s shrill tone echoes through the apartment. Phil’s arm flails blindly next to his bed until it finds his phone. He drags himself out of the bed and into the sharp winter air. With socked feet padding towards the bathroom, Phil makes his way to the mirror.
Eyes glazed over, he notes his fringe that probably needs to be re-dyed and remnants of dark circles around his eyes from the week he spent crying over Charlie. Phil brushes his teeth and takes a look at his phone, it’s still early.
Pantry doors swing open when Phil decides to have some cereal before he goes into London. He grabs the box of Shreddies perching haphazardly on the top shelf and turns to open the refrigerator.
His blue eyes scan the shelves for milk, but they find none. Phil decides that there is no reason to not go to Tesco and grabs his coat hanging from the yellow green dining chair.
It’s early enough for Phil to need to make sure his steps are quiet as he steps into the lift. He walks out of the building into biting London air. He rounds the corner and sees the red and blue Tesco sign. That is when, out of the corner of his eye, Phil spots him. Charlie. He makes a beeline for the automatic doors and prays to every god that Charlie wasn’t making a trip to Tesco as well.
What is he even doing in this part of London this early? He lives on the other side of the city, Phil asks himself, half-running to the cereal aisle. He glances behind him just in case, and runs straight into something. Wait, no not something, someone. A someone with brown hair cut in a similar fashion as Phil’s, rich brown eyes ringed with obsidian, and the most adorable dimple.
“Oh my gosh sorry! I wan’t looking where I was going.”, Phil rushes to say.
“ ’S okay”, the brown-haired man answers.
Phil walks hastily away and scolds himself for letting his clumsiness create another awkward moment. After a walk that seems too long, he reaches the cereal aisle and spots the frosted Shreddies. When his hand goes to grab the box, so does another.
“And so we meet again.”
Phil looks to his left and sees the man the he ran into earlier. “After you.”, Phil says in a mock chivalrous tone.
The dimpled man laughs, “Thanks.” He see’s Phil look at something in the vegetable section and stiffen. “What’s wrong?”
“Hold my hand.”
“What?”
“Hold my hand”, Phil whispers out of the corner of his mouth, “That’s my ex.”, he gestures towards Charlie.
Dan’s hand slips into Phil’s and their fingers intertwine right before Charlie spots Phil and starts to make his way towards the pair.
“Hey, Phil! I haven’t seen you in a while!”, Charlie half shouts with an unnatural smile plastered across his face. He eyes Dan with a hint of…jealousy? in his eyes. “And who’s this?”
“Oh, this is my boyfriend—”
“—Dan”, Dan interjects before Phil can say anything further.
“Ah, I see.”, Charlie looks slightly repulsed, “Phil, can I um talk to you for a bit?”. He pulls Phil away from Dan.
“What do you want Charlie?” Phil sighs, clearly miffed.
“What do you think you’re doing? Dating someone else?”
“And why can’t I?”
“B—because—I mean—”, Charlie splutters, at a loss for words.
“You were the one who broke up with me Charlie, via a fucking text message. I don’t owe you anything. And if you don’t mind, Dan and I need to be somewhere.” Phil turns on his heel and walks towards a slightly amused and worried Dan.
Dan’s face flickers through six emotions at once trying to figure out what to say to this stranger who was his fake boyfriend for the last 2 minutes. Of course, he could always just say goodbye and they would part ways probably to never see each other again, but that’s not what Dan wanted. Call it fate, divine will, luck, or any of the hundreds of things Dan doesn’t believe in, but he feels as if him meeting Phil on this cloudy morning in Tesco wasn’t an accident. Ugh, I’m thinking like the main character in a cliché rom-com.
Dan finally decides on a simple, “So, that was your ex?”
“Yeah, bit of a twat if I’m honest. He broke up with me through a text after cheating on me.”
“Ooh, that does sound pretty bad.”
“I mean, I’m over it now. I just want him out of my life…forever.”
“Sometimes there are people you just have to let go of.”
“Right, anyways, I should probably let you get back to your shopping, not spill my entire disgustingly boring sob story to you.”
“No, no it’s fine.” Dan hesitates, but then decides that there’s no point in being too cautious day after day. “Do you have a pen?” Oh wait 21st century. “Nevermind about the pen, can I get your number?” Dan says, handing Phil his phone.
“Mine?”
“Yeah, well—uh Imeanit’stotallyfineifyoudon’twantbutyeah.”
“No, I’m just kinda surprised because I mean, I’m just…”
Dan recognizes the dull glint of insecurity behind Phil’s clear-as-diamond eyes, “You interest me.” Dan reassures with what he hopes is a friendly smile.
“Oh, um thanks. Here.” Phil puts Dan’s phone back in his hand after typing in his number that still had a Manchester area code. “Text me sometime then—uh Dan”’s your real name, right? It wasn’t just something you made up to tell Charlie?”
“Of course it’s my real name, bye Phil. And I certainly will text you.”, Dan flashes his lopsided smile, showing his single dimple.