Hypnotised (Magnets Book 2)

Chapter 22

Dan's POV

"Ready to go, Phil?" I called, my voice echoing around our flat. The flat we wouldn't see for another three months.

"Yeah, just- hold on," Phil called back, his voice seemingly coming from the bathroom. I sighed and leaned back against the wall. I was getting anxious. Anxious to get out of the hellhole this place had been turned into. All the sleepless nights, the tears... I'd had enough.

Then there was the anxiety associated with the place we were going to.

Manchester didn't hold a lot of happy memories. The only time I'd ever felt anything less than complete depression and hopelessness was when I was with Phil. I'd had so many bad experiences there and I didn't want to be triggered. I didn't want to remember those days when self-harm had been the only option when I had been beaten half to death. I shuddered at the repressed memories that all of a sudden seemed to be resurfacing. If it was this bad here...

"You alright?" Phil asked, appearing in the doorway.

I nodded and mustered up a smile. Phil looked at me for a long time before nodding and grabbing my hand. He pulled me in close and stroked my hair, gently consoling me. I leaned into his touch, grateful for his wordlessness, for I was sure than any words would've gone in one ear and straight out the other.

"I love you," was all he said.

"I love you too," I replied.

Wordlessly, we left our department, hopefully on the road to a better life.

~~

The rain fell in icy sheets, the wind howling, clouds dark on the horizon. Water ran in rivulets down the side of the taxi we were currently in, making it hard to see out the window. I was torn between thinking this was a good thing or a bad thing. Phil grabbed my hand, again, with no words. He seemed to know when I wanted verbal reassurance, and today was not one of those days. I smiled at him, before returning to my anxious leg tapping and staring at the falling rain.

After a few more minutes of comfortable yet anxious silence, he spoke. "Would it be insensitive if I told you your fly was undone?" Was all he said.

I looked down and blushed, because holy shit, it was. I heard his giggle as I tried to discretely fix myself up. "Shut up!" I said. "You forget it all the time!"

"That's what you're here for," He pointed out smugly.

"Honestly, you'd think we could survive without each other," I muttered, but I was smiling.

"It's called interdependency," Phil noted. "Animals do it all the time in the wild."

"Phil, I learned about symbiosis in year 7, and honestly, I don't think-"

"Mutualism, Daniel," Phil informed me.

"More like parasitism," I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that, Dan? Didn't quite catch you," Phil snickered, leaning in.

"Nothing," I mumbled, a smile playing at my lips. I returned my gaze to the window.

"Seriously, what did you say?" Phil badgered, looking up at me through his lashes. My weakness.

"I said, more like parasitism," I informed him. His expression turned into a mock hurt look.

"Is that all I am to you?" He asked, his beautiful blue eyes going wide and upset. "Just a parasite, sucking away at your life force?"

I grinned smugly. "Yeah. I don't think this is working out. I'm sorry, Phil."

He laughed, pulling away from me. "Fine."