How Not to Fall in Love with Your Worst Enemy

Chapter 33

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Third Person POV

Halfway through his drive to Neo's house, Mark realized that it was unfair to come back unannounced and impose himself on Neo. For all Mark knew, Neo was now just leisurely watching TV before heating up some TV dinner.

Mark decided to turn around and drive his car in the direction of the supermarket. He decided that he was going to buy himself some TV dinner as well. Then maybe when he came home and his older brother Max noticed that he was heating a TV dinner, that he would feel some pity for Mark and would invite him to join his group for dinner and drinks.

At the supermarket Mark parked his car beside an awfully familiar looking car. It looked exactly like Neo's car but then again, this car could be anyone else's. Mark did not know Neo's car's plate number so there was no way for Mark to tell if this was Neo's.

Anyway Mark's stomach was grumbling now so he hurried towards the entrance.

Mark did not waste time browsing through other aisles but went straight to the frozen section to look at possible choices of TV dinners.

Mark debated whether to get the country fried chicken and gravy or the aged cheddar cheesy chicken and rice. Mark grew up on meals with rice so he decided on the second choice.

Mark opened the glass door of the freezer section that stored TV dinners and took out three packages of the frozen dinner with rice. He had not bothered to take a grocery cart from the parking lot because he only had one item to buy.

Walking towards the checkout counter meant he had to pass by the frozen meat section.

Mark stopped in his tracks. He literally froze in his tracks. He felt as frozen as all the items in the freezer sections of the supermarket.

Mark remembered how at the parking lot for some reason his heart had skipped a beat when he saw the familiar looking car. He also remembered the  saying 'Follow your instincts. They are always on your side.' 

That moment when his heart jumped at seeing that familiar car was his heart telling him that he would encounter Neo here at the supermarket but not in very happy circumstances.Because there by the frozen meat section Neo was picking up a package of frozen beef and someone about the same height as Neo was pointing at what Neo should pick up from that section. This unfamiliar guy was standing very close beside Neo, with his side touching Neo's side and had his arm draped around Neo's shoulder.

Mark debated whether to approach Neo or to walk away unnoticed.

Mark decided on the second choice of action.

Mark quickly and quietly walked towards the checkout counter.

"Watch where you're going, son," an elderly gentleman reprimanded Mark when Mark blindly walked into the man's shopping cart, the impact making some bottles of wine shake and rattle against the side of the cart.

"Sorry, sir," Mark mumbled his apologies.

The tears forming in his eyes had temporarily blinded him. He wiped them away, furious at himself for letting the image of Neo with someone else in an intimate pose get to him.

At the checkout counter, Mark fumbled with his wallet, cursing himself at having to take out all the cards from the card pocket of his wallet because for some reason he was having difficulty making out which one was his credit card.

After his transaction at the checkout counter finally went through, Mark walked out of the supermarket building, cursing himself over and over again.

What did he expect? Just what did you expect, huh, Mark???

Is Neo your boyfriend? Answer: a resounding No. So wasn't it stupid of you to feel hurt or angry or to feel a sense of loss just because you saw Neo with someone who could possibly the new replacement for Louis?

Poor Louis. Mark really felt some pity for Louis. He hoped that Louis would not make the mistake of trying to get back together with Neo.

Mark regretted that he had treated Gawin shabbily during his dinner date with him at Gawin's house. Mark vowed that when he got home he would make extra effort to be nice to Gawin without interfering with his business meeting with Max and Tul.

As Mark expected, Max took pity on Mark upon seeing his younger brother heating up some TV dinner in the microwave oven.

"Hello, again," Mark smiled at Gawin as he took his place at table beside him. "Where have you been all my life?"

"I never went anywhere, silly boy," Gawin replied. "You were the one that left me."

Gawin brought the platter of breaded calamari rings close to Mark so that he could scoop several of it into his plate. Then Gawin reached out for a bottle of Amstel beer, removed the lid and handed it to Mark.

"Thanks, love," Mark said as he accepted the beer. "I believe I will be needing more than one of these"

"Don't go getting drunk on us," Max scolded his younger brother.

Ignoring Max, Mark guzzled up the beer, finishing it in two very long swigs.

Then Mark motioned for Gawin to get him another one.

"I don't think so," Gawin said. "Your brother does not approve."

"I need at least five more of it," Mark said defiantly. "Doesn't alcohol always give us the courage to confess  our feelings for someone?"

"And who is that someone?" Tul who had been quiet all this time got curious.