Love Bytes: Swap, Snoop, Swoon

Carlise

No matter what it was that I said, Daryn listened so intently, like a puppy being offered a treat. His eyes welled with tears as each word slipped from my mouth, my heart ached, seeing him in that state. He was such a magnanimous, compassionate, tender-hearted man, he didn't deserve to hear the words that I had to give. But I knew that he didn't deserve to be lied to, so I had to tell him, he had to know.

When I got up to leave the restaurant, I placed £25 on the table and shot Daryn a forgiving look.
"I am truly sorry about this, Daryn. I am sorry you had to find out this way."
"No." He murmured through the streams of tears running down his face "I am glad you told me."
"Can we still be friends?"
"I-" He looked up at me, his eyes filling with tears again as he looked deeply into my eyes, "I don't know, honestly. I don't know if I can look at you and feel for you like just a friend. I am sorry, Carlise. I am."
My own eyes began to well, "No, that's understandable, Daryn. I am sorry."
Before he even had the chance to reply, I walked away. As I reached the front of the restaurant, the bus had just pulled in at the end of the street and he was getting on.
"Wait!" I called out to him.
He half-stepped out of the bus, allowing me to catch up before the bus could depart. "Thank you!"
"Of course." He was looking at me, in such a way that made me question if he recognised me, he stared for a second before following me to the seat mid-bus and sitting beside me.
"You just been to Gormet Grove?"
"Yes, I went there with someone." That was a mistake, a pathetic attempt at small talk, possibly driving him away.
"Oh? Did it not go so well?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, you just so happened to have run out to catch a bus, they aren't driving you home and you have mascara running down your face." He lifted his hand to my jaw, rubbing the rough pad of his thumb along the shallow bags in my eyes. He quickly withdrew his hand, the sudden realisation of his actions hitting him like stone. "I'm sorry- that was incredibly invasive. Physically, and mentally. Though, you do have mascara under your eyes." His face flushed lightly.
"Don't worry about it, I appreciate you pointing that out to me, and no worries! No, it didn't go too well, I had to break it off on the first date."
"Oh- that's unfortunate. Any specific reason, only if you would like to share, obviously?"
"Yeah, I went on a date with him, knowing that I am interested in another man. I only went out with him, to get my mind off the man I truly like."
"Ah, that dilemma."
"You familiar?"
"I have seen it before. Anyway, you seem like a lovely lady. I would give you my number, but I swapped phones with someone recently by accident and we haven't managed to meet up to solve this situation. Also, this is my stop." He began to walk to the front of the bus before swiftly spinning back around to face me, "See you again soon, hopefully."
His face lit up with a smile and he walked away, just like that. As he stepped out onto the pavement, it was only then that I comprehended what it what that he had just said. Shit.
This might be the only chance I had. I hastily got up and rushed to the front of the bus, "I am so sorry!" I exclaimed to the bus driver when he rolled my eyes as I jumped from the bus. I watched the bus drive away down the street before looking up.
"Nathan?"
He mustn't have heard me. I turned to my left to see a tall figure, the same stature as him walking slowly away from me, I rushed towards him. When I reached him, it was, in fact, not Nathan. "Who? I am not Nathan? Who is Nathan?"
"Oh, my goodness! I am so sorry! I thought you were someone else!"
"Well that much is obvious." He rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated grunt before storming away.
That was it. That was my only chance. I was sure of it. I was screwed. No chance.
I was never going to get my phone back or return Nathan's.