Nothing Lasts Forever (Phan)

Chapter 3

Dedicated to emmzys55 for guessing the last picture! Who can guess this one? 😝😝

Guys! This is only the third chapter and it already has 55 reads!!! That is like a new record for me!!!! ❤️💚💜💙💛

Phil POV

I wake up, slowly opening my eyes. I give a little shriek as I realise my face is only centimetre from Dan's. I scoot back quickly, as Dan wakes up and pushes back from me in shock. I smack against the wall, while Dan falls off the bed.
"That is not a great start to the day." He groans as I laugh.
"That was like when you used to stay at my old apartment." I reminisce. Dan nods.
"Yeah, remember the first night? I tried to sleep in the couch then came to your room at three in the morning because I just couldn't fit." He laughs. I start laughing as well, then stop.
"What's wrong?" Dan frowns from the floor. I shake my head and strain to hear.
"My Dad's here." I sigh.
"Oh." Dan grimaces. "I guess we have to go out there."
"Yeah."

We quickly dress and make ourselves presentable, before heading out to the living room. Mum and Dad were sitting on the sofas with man who I'm guessing was a lawyer.
"Morning boys." Mum calls. "There's pancakes on the bench. Why don't you help yourself and then go see Dan's parents."
I nod, taking the indication she wanted us out of the house.
"Sound like a plan?" I ask Dan. He nods.
"Well Mum'll kill me if we're in town and we don't." He laughs lightly. We grab some pancakes and and quickly scoff them down. The air was so tense and awkward, Dad hadn't even bothered to say hi. Not that I wanted to talk to him.

"I'm so glad to be out of there." Dan breathes as we get into the car.
"I know." I was feeling better this morning, so I was actually going to make an effort to be a responsive human being today.
"We'll go see my parents, then go see some old friends?" Dan asks. I nod.
"Yeah."

***

A couple of hours later, after three different houses and five cups of coffee each, we walk back through the door of the house. My Dad and the Lawyer are gone, and Mum is sitting at the table, staring vacantly into space.
"Hey Mum." I call gently. She starts and turns to face us.
"Hello boys." She smiles sadly. "Come sit down."
We both sit at the table, slightly anxious.
"Phil, it turns out the settlements are going through a lot easier than it thought. Your father said I could have the house. He'll pack up all his stuff, we'll sign the papers and be done."
I glance at Dan and he shakes his head at me. It was all to simple and easy. There had to be something else.
"You sure Mum? It seems to... Clean." I press cautiously. "Where's Dad even going?"
Mum frowns. "I don't know where he's going, but what to you mean it seems to clean? What do you think is going on?"
"Mum." I sigh upon seeing her eyes brim with tears. "It's not that... It's just- aren't divorces- nothing. It doesn't matter."
"Excuse me." Mum says, standing and leaving the room.
"Ugh." I groan, dropping my head into my hands.
"Phil." Dan hisses. I look up.
"What?"
"I have an idea. Go check on your Mum, tell her we're going out and meet me in the car."
Dan instructs quickly, standing up. "Quick."
I frown, but do as Dan said.

"Mum?" I call, knocking on Mum's door. "You okay."
"You can come in." She replies. I enter the room, and spot Mum sitting on her bed. Her eyes are red and puffy, and it's obvious she's been crying. I go sit beside her and drape my arm around her shoulder.
"I know it's too easy." She says suddenly. "I know there's something else on. I just don't want to believe it. If he's leaving me I don't want to know if it's because of another women. If he's leaving me then that's enough pain to deal with."
I nod. "Okay. Ah, Dan wants to go somewhere, will you be-."
"I'll be fine Philip. Go."
I smile and kiss her on the check.
"We'll be back in time for dinner." I promise, heading out the door.

"What's your idea?" I ask Dan as I get in the car.
"Do you still have that GPS app on your phone?" He asks.
"What app?" I frown.
"When we first moved to London and kept getting lost, we got those apps, you can track my phone and I can track yours. You still got it?"
"Yeah why?" I was extremely confused. What was Dan up to?
"Text your Dad and ask him to meet us somewhere. We'll have a coffee at Starbucks or something. Then afterwards, we'll walk out to his car with him, and one of us will slip out phone into his car. If he is cheating, he'll more than likely be staying with whoever it is. We can follow him there using the GPS thing and call him out on whatever he's doing."
"That is brilliant." I nod in surprise. "How did you come up with that?"
"We watch a lot of TV." Dan states.
"Okay. I'll text him now."

Within minutes we had arranged to meet at a local cafe. Soon we were pulling up outside it, and I spot my Dad's car coming down the street. He parks along side us.
"Hello Philip. Daniel." He greets stiffly.
"Hey." Dan waves awkwardly.
"Hi." I say with the same stiff tone of voice as Dad. Dan notices at the same time I do that the back window is rolled down a crack, the gap was just big enough to slip a phone through.
"Let's go inside." I say quickly, directly my Dad away from the car. Dan slips his phone in and joins us.

We go inside and order our coffees. It's warm inside, but it feels awkward and cold due to the tension between me and my Dad. Dan stands off to the side, obviously not knowing what to do.
"I haven't got long." Dad says gruffly as we sit down. "I have, somewhere, to be."
We sit quietly, knowing not what to say.
"So." Dan draws out, breaking the silence. "That was some... Impressive... Weather last...week?"
I grit my teeth. Why Dan? Out of everything you could have said...
"It was record downfall last week." Dad frowns.
"Oh." Dan stares at the table.
"Why?" I ask suddenly.
"What?" Dad snaps his head up to me.
"Why a divorce?"
Dad sighs.
"Philip..."
Luckily for him the waitress walks over with our drinks.
"Thanks." I mumble, staring straight at Dad, who in return stares at the table.
"You wouldn't understand Philip."
"I understand enough to know that your the reason my mother cried herself to sleep last night." And me, I add silently. At this Dad's face falls.
"I'm sorry Philip. I really am. But I just can't answer your question."
I growl and lean back against my seat. The sooner he had to leave the better. I look over at Dan, who is staring out the window quietly. Sensing me looking at him, he turns and offers me a smile. We drink our drinks in silence, willing the awkwardness away.

"I've got to go now." Dad says suddenly, standing up.
"Bye." Dan waves.
"Yeah. Bye." I whisper. We wait for him to walk out the door before we spring up and follow him. I pull out my phone and open the tracking app as we slide into the car.
"Left." I instruct, pointing.
"Phil, you're pointing right." Dan says dryly. I frown down at my phone.
"Oh yeah, that way."
Dan laughs and pulls out onto the road. For twenty minutes we follow my phone.
"He's stopped." I inform Dan as we turn down yet another street. "Two blocks away."
Within a minute we are pulling up to our destination.
"Wait." Dan says. "Why are we here?"
I look up and and feel my jaw drop. Why were we at the hospital?