Chapter Forty-Five

PHILIP

mature content ahead

He was hesitant, but he waited for the bus for forty minutes just to get here. His fist eventually made contact with the door and not even a second later, a fair girl with blonde hair and a pink summer dress on was staring back at him. "Cindy?! What'd you do to your hair?"

Instead of answering his question, she flew into his arms until they almost fell back on the walkway. "Philip fucking Hill! How dare you come to my house unexpected!" She pulled away from the hug just to punch him in the chest. "And the first thing you ask me is about my hair?"

"I didn't even know who you were for a split second!" He chuckled. "But God, you look amazing. How are you and... Joey?"

Cindy looked away from Philip the moment Joey's name came out of his mouth. "Come in. We can talk over some beers."

"I don't mind that for one second." He practically skipped inside the house right after her. The moment he stepped in, he was surprised by how soft all the decoration looked. White walls and even a chair with fur on it. This was definitely the home of Cindy and no one else. "I've never seen anyone's place look like this."

"I've always had my own way of going about life. Joey moved in a while ago after we transferred to community college. He said the look of heaven makes him want to throw up. All I could say was to make sure he didn't do it on my new carpet."

Philip took a seat on the long couch as Cindy popped open a beer for him and her. She then took a seat across from him after reaching across the table to hand him his drink. All he could do was take in the appearance of her home before he took in the appearance of her. She had a tattoo of a bird on her right shoulder that was being divided in half by the strap of her dress. Her hair was also curled lightly and mascara as dark as ever.

"You feeling okay these days?" He asked after taking a sip of his beer.

"Oh, yes." She nodded once but it was awkward. "So how was... war? Did you kill anyone? I know it's a stupid question and I also know sometimes you guys don't like talking about it."

Philip cracked a smile. "Killed a few." Cindy nodded once. "I had to call Jane to get your address. It's the only number that stayed the same." She pouted at him as if she felt bad. "Joey's number was the same but his mom picked up. She said she didn't know where he was. What's up with that?"

"Uhm. Joey never went back home after you left. No one knows why he left his parents behind but he's been sleeping back and forth between houses until I got this place a few months ago. Don't tell him that I got it for us though."

"My lips are locked." Silence took over the both of them for a good minute. Philip couldn't stop thinking about his younger years since that's all he could remember to get rid of the thoughts of war that constantly invaded his mind. "I think I should just apologize for the way I was. You know I wasn't happy or anything. Ungrateful for you all-"

"Philip, you don't have to apologize. We all did things we regret. I know my record isn't clean." She swirled the contents of her beer around while staring at Philip. "The most we can do is move on."

"Is that why Elowen is engaged?" Cindy gulped loudly. "You've been keeping in contact with her?"

"Yes. She is still my friend. We spent her spring break together. Me, her and Joey." Philip nodded slowly. "But if it makes you feel any better, she isn't going through with it. She told me about the engagement and even showed me the ring but I've never seen it on her finger. You know Elowen never had the guts to turn someone down."

He then jumped up from his seat causing Cindy to uncross her legs. No one ever knew what Philip would do since he lived on impulse. "Yeah, well she turned me down. I confessed my love to her and she said there will never be an us ever again."

"I mean, that makes sense. She did think you were dead for God knows how long. To see you back is a pain for everyone. We all thought we'd never see you again."

He pushed his hair out of his face as he thought about something really hard. "You still talk to Kaitlyn?"

"She moved out of state with her husband over a year ago."

"So everyone is just in love now? I go off and you all just move on without me?"

Cindy got up to her feet and went to comfort Philip before he did something to her house he couldn't pay the price to fix. "Philip! Hundreds of thousands of people died in that war. You can't hate all of us for thinking you were one of them. Your family wouldn't let us around and Roy would be out and about with tape on his mouth. No one knew anything."

"It's that damn Elowen! She was all over you and had no faith to tell you that I could still be alive." Cindy massaged Philip's back to calm him down. "All those years without a woman's touch. Maybe that's why I'm on edge." He cracked a smile that Cindy couldn't see. When he did turn around, he was on the verge of crocodile tears. "I just missed you Cindy. I know Joey is probably always busy trying to help pay bills around here. He's probably never home."

"I mean, he works during the week and comes home on weekends. I've been fine."

Philip rested his hands on both sides of Cindy's cheeks while he bit his lower lip. "It's almost like he's the one that's dead, right? You walk around the house all dolled up. Does he even tell you how beautiful you are?" Cindy blinked at the man standing before her. "Does he tell you that your hair is soft and that you look amazing no matter what you do? Did you dye your hair for his attention?"

"Joey is just... he's never been there all the way. You know that, Philip. But I'm working with him." A tear slipped from her eye but Philip caught it just before it fell off her face. "You know him, Philip."

"You shouldn't have to settle for something or someone like that."

Her lips parted barely and Philip wasted no time pressing his lips against hers. She clung on to his wrist as the kiss intensified. Philip released her face and went to slide her spaghetti straps off her shoulders. He broke the kiss to kiss her tattoo that meant something more to her than he could ever know. Cindy quickly pulled Philip's shirt over his head and pulled him onto the couch behind her.

Her dress hit the ground and all she had on was white lace underwear. Philip unbuckled his pants while kissing all over her bare body. She squirmed and moaned as he massaged her lady parts then himself.

"You deserve so much more than Joey," he whispered in her ear as he slowly slid in her.