Righteous Love
Chapter Two
Phillip
& Chloe danced only once more at Tuscany, before paying the bill and heading
on to the next part of Phillip’s plan. Phillip
drove them to their next destination and even though he tried to begin
conversations with Chloe, she would only give out short answers before clamming
up again. They rode most of the way
in silence.
Phillip
pulled his car down the hill and as close to the riverbank as he was allowed to
go. He stepped out and opened
Chloe’s door for her, and grabbed a blanket from the backseat.
He led Chloe to the riverbank and laid the blanket down underneath a
tree. He sat down on side and
patted the other side, motioning for Chloe to join him.
Chloe
stood there, only glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
The rest of her was focused on the moonlight bouncing off the water.
She glanced up at the black sky filled with all the tiny white stars.
The same stars that her and Phillip had looked at together so many times
together now seemed dimmer. She sat
beside him and look towards the river.
“Chloe…
I think we need to talk.”
Chloe
lifted her head and looked right into his blue eyes. “I know… I think we do too.”
“Okay…
me first. What’s wrong, Chloe?”
Chloe
sighed deeply and shook her head, “I think you already know.”
Phillip
nodded mournfully, “I know. But,
I need to hear it out loud… from you.”
Chloe
smiled weakly, leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
“Phillip… It’s over. I
didn’t want it to be, but it is. Things
have changed between us, and it’s not the same anymore.
I do love you, Phillip… it’s just… anymore… I’m not…”
“…in
love with me.” He finished her
sentence and gave her a look of understanding.
“Right…
I used to think that there was no difference between ‘love’ and ‘in
love’. But, there is. I will always love you, but, I’m not in love with you
anymore. I don’t feel the way I
used to with you anymore, and I think you feel it too.”
Phillip
nodded in agreement, “I do. I
understand. I feel the same way
too. You are my first love, Chloe
Lane, and that will always be special to me.
But, I see now that it’s just not meant to be.”
“We’ve
both changed so much. Not that
it’s a bad thing… You’ve grown up so much, and I am so proud of the man
you are becoming. And… I… well,
I don’t think I’ll ever be the same after what I went through this summer.
And now… we just don’t fit together anymore.”
Chloe
sighed and shut her eyes for a moment.
“Chloe…
do you regret us getting back together this time?”
Chloe’s
eyes snapped open and she shook her head fervently. “Absolutely not, Phillip.
I’m glad we did… I think it was a good idea. If we hadn’t, then I would always wonder ‘what if’.
For the rest of my life, I would always wonder if maybe I should have
given you a second chance and if I had would we be together forever.
So, I’m glad that we know. I
don’t want to have any more regrets about my life.”
Phillip
nodded and squeezed her hand, “Me too. Now
I know… some things aren’t meant to be. And this is one of them.
You taught me how to love, and you taught me so much about myself, so
I’m always thankful for that. And…
I may have had regrets about some of my actions in the past, but I will never
regret a moment that I’ve spent with you. ”
Chloe
smiled and kissed him on the cheek, “Me either. I believe that each person you encounter in your life changes
you. And, you have changed me for
the better, Phillip. You showed me
that people can care about me, and that I don’t have to push them away when
they do.”
Phillip
smiled back at her, “So… are we still friends then?”
Chloe
shot him a serious glance, “Of course. We’re
always friends. No matter what.
Besides, I need someone to help me with my jump shot.”
Phillip
laughed at the mental image of Chloe on a basketball court.
“Well, if you ask Shawn Brady, he’ll tell you that I’m the last
person who should be helping anyone with their game.”
Chloe
grinned, “Well… he only says that because he’s got Belle around boosting
his ego 24 hours a day. She’s so
stuck on him she’d tell him he looked great even his if his head was on
fire.”
Phillip
nodded in agreement, and the two fell silent for a moment.
Phillip leaned over and wrapped his arms around Chloe in a friendly hug.
“Chloe… thank you for everything.”
Chloe
pulled back from the embrace and looked into his eyes, “No, thank you…”
They
shared a smile together as Phillip stood himself up and reached out a hand to
help Chloe up.
“So,
should I drive you home?” he asked.
Chloe
thought for a moment and shook her head, “Actually, could you drop me off
somewhere else on the way. I want
to … take a walk. Do some
thinking. Mysterious Chloe stuff,
y’know…”
Phillip
grinned at her, “Yes… I know. I’m
quite familiar with the mystery that is Chloe Lane.”
Chloe
laughed at him and they headed towards his car together, hand in hand.
But, it was different again. This
time it was the hands of two friends clasped together.
Two people who had shared something amazing once, and would forever be
linked together.