Secrets Not Lies

Chapter Fifteen - London Like Never Before

"Up and at 'em, Danny!"

Phil's sudden exclamation had me bolt upright in my bed, ripped from the peaceful dream I'd been having. My heart was pounding furiously in my chest form the jump scare, eyes wide as they darted about my room. My gaze settled on Phil at the foot of my bed and I heaved out a huge sigh in an attempt to calm myself down.

"Jesus Christ, Phil," I cursed, pressing a hand to my chest. I realized that it was bare, my covers having flung off me during my startled awakening. I ignored the heat rising to my cheeks as I irritably questioned, "And what's with the nickname?"

It was hard not to notice that Phil was bouncing with excitement. How he had so much energy in the morning was honestly a mystery to me.

"You called me Philly when you were drunk, so I thought I'd try a nickname for you," he explained, his voice rushed with eagerness.

I stared at him with another long sigh, rubbing my tired eyes. I laid back down in my bed, pulling my covers back up to my chin to hide my exposed torso. I was about to ask why he seemed so excited, but he answered the question before it could leave my mouth.

"We're heading out into town for the day!" he announced. "I've already got it all planned out, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"I agreed to no such thing," I told him, letting my eyes fall back closed, hoping he'd leave me alone to go back to sleep.

"You didn't need to," Phil explained, "I did for you!"

I muttered something incoherent, letting out my annoyed thoughts under my breath. "That's not how it works, Phil," I reminded him, unamused. I wanted to sleep, not get out of bed at seven in the morning.

Yesterday, I'd had the worst hangover in a long time, and Phil had kept me company all day. Some—maybe more like most—was in silence to give my head a break, but we did talk quite a bit too. It was a miracle I felt a ton better, probably thanks to all the times Phil refilled my glass of water.

"Well, we're going to have a fun time, I promise," he told me.

Suddenly, the cold hit my body again as Phil tore the warm comfort off me. I groaned in annoyance—as well as minor embracement since I was shirtless—and told Phil to leave me alone. He was having none of it though.

"Danny, come on," he pleaded.

"Using that nickname isn't going to make me want to agree," I told him. "If anything, it's going to make me want to go even less."

As I reluctantly sat up again, Phil answered, "Come on, just a day out having fun. You'll regret it if you don't go."

In the silence that followed his begging, Phil pulled his puppy dog face on me. I rolled my eyes, but we both knew I was bound to cave sooner or later. A day out with Phil did sound quite pleasant, maybe if it was later in the day and he let me sleep in.

"Fine," I sighed, making Phil start leaping with excitement again.

"Alright, be ready to go in an hour!" he told me. "And that's plenty of time so don't be late."

***

Phil left me alone for the whole hour which I was thankful for, as it gave me time to wake up without being bothered. By the time I was finished getting ready, I was slightly tired still but not enough that I wasn't feeling up to going out.

After eating breakfast—my hair already straightened, clothes for the day on—Phil came to tell me we were leaving.

"Why can't you just tell me?" I asked for the hundredth time once we were outside of our apartment. He'd been refusing to tell me any of the plans he had for the day.