Incompetent (phan)

Chapter 22 - I

**a/n can we get this chapter to a 100 comments? this is dedicated to existentialphan because ily so much and you're my fav person on wattpad and i dont even know you very well**

Phil's POV

It was Thursday afternoon, and Tyler and I were walking back to our office. We'd just been to Subway for lunch, but now it was time to get back to work. 

The week had passed much slower than it usually did, but finally, it was coming to an end. I missed Dan, much more than I had missed anyone before.

It was weird because I'd known Dan for such a short time, but I had so easily become accustomed to seeing him every couple of days. No matter how cliché it sounds, I did, in fact, feel like Dan had taken a piece of me with him. My days without him were boring and uneventful, and I was constantly in a state of melancholy until he texted me.

His texts were brief and direct. He told me the case was going well, and he would come back as soon as the hearing was over.

As Tyler and I walked back down to the office, I hummed a little.

"Why are you happy?" Tyler asked. "Peter is going over our article today, you should be crying."

I smiled, "life's good right now."

"Oh, is Dan coming back today?" he asked, looking relieved.

"Tomorrow morning actually. And since we have the day off, I thought I'd go surprise him at his apartment," I informed Tyler.

"Well, you better get back by 6, ok? You're meeting Troye, remember?" 

"Yes, of course, I remember. I'll probably just stay for about an hour."

"That's bullshit and we both know it. Be back by 6, or you won't get another chance to meet him," he said.

"Ooh, threatening me-"

I was cut off because Tyler had clamped a hand over my mouth and pulled me behind a black bin in a small alleyway.

"Promise me you'll be quiet once I take my hand off," he whispered.

I nodded quickly, although extremely confused. He removed his hand.

As soon as I could speak, I said, "Tyler, what th-"

His hand was over my mouth again.

"Shut up!" he whispered. "Watch," he said quietly, pointing to the opening of the alleyway.

I watched as a young man walked past, scrolling on his phone.

I turned back to Tyler, giving him a confused look.

He shook his head and went back to watching people walk past.

After about 5 people had passed, two children, an old couple, and a teenage girl, Tyler squeezed my hand.

In that moment, all I could think about was how stupid I was, to fall for the same thing twice. My mum used to tell me, 'making mistakes is only a problem when you don't learn from them'. What would she think about this?

As I watched them walk by, hand-in-hand, a part of me was desperate to make up an excuse. Maybe it's a trick. Maybe, they know you're here. Maybe...

But the rational part of me argued that Dan was always too good. This was going to happen eventually.

Nonetheless, my brain couldn't absorb it. I blinked and looked again.

Yet, they were still there. Dan said something, and she threw her head back in laughter. The wind flew through her blonde waves, and for a millisecond, I saw her face. It was full of pure child-like joy. Her happiness destroyed me.