Chapter Forty-Eight“Where are we going?” Stephanie asked as Philip guided her down a short corridor and to a set of elevators.
“Please don’t take this as me being presumptuous, but I got a room for tonight.” When Stephanie remained silent and didn’t object, Philip continued, “I was hoping I could convince you to at least hear me out. And I knew you wouldn’t want to do that in front of all your colleagues.”
Stephanie nodded as the elevator doors slid open. Philip inserted his key into a slot and pushed a button for the desired floor. They remained silent as they elevator ascended. Once they were inside the suite, Stephanie wrapped her arms around him, but Philip pulled loose and guided her over to the couch instead.
Confused, she sat down beside him and turned so they were face-to-face.
Philip took her hands in his. “I want to explain why I lied to you.”
Stephanie touched his cheek with her other hand. “You don’t have to explain. Melanie told me.”
Philip frowned. “What?” He didn’t know she’d spoken to Melanie. “When did you-”
“Apparently you’re a mess and it’s all my fault.”
“What?” he exclaimed, again.
Stephanie ran her hand through her hair, trying to figure out how to explain. “Your dad complained to Maggie about how you’ve not been returning his calls, so they asked Brady if he knew what was wrong. Brady didn’t know, but he asked Melanie. Melanie didn’t know, so she asked Maggie.”
Philip shook his head, “I have no idea what you’re saying.”
“Maggie ran into my mom at the hospital and, well, I of course had told my mother that we weren’t seeing one another anymore.”
“I’m still not following you…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Stephanie waved her hand dismissively. “Nothing is a secret in Salem, as you know from experience. Melanie figured out that we broke up and came to see me.”
“I still don’t understand how…”
Stephanie squeezed his hand. “It’s not important. What matters is that she came to Chicago and we talked. I can’t say I was happy to see her, but it ended up being a good visit. I know that you were just helping your dad out with a surprise for Maggie.”
“I should have told you the truth,” Philip admitted. “It would have been so much easier than lying to you about having to work and then repeatedly delaying our plans. You could have even gone with me. We met just off the interstate a few miles outside of Salem. I spent hours siting on the side of the road waiting for her to get there.”
“Yeah, you should have told me,” Stephanie agreed, “but I get why you didn’t. Melanie was always a sore subject for us.”
“That doesn’t justify lying.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Stephanie agreed.
“I promise I will never lie to you again.”
Stephanie smiled, “and I promise that I won’t jump to conclusions.”
"Then I think we're going to be okay." Philip squeezed her hand, “so, do you want to see the bedroom in this place? It’s got a great view of the city.”
“In a minute,” Stephanie told him, “there’s something I want to ask you first.”
“You can ask me anything,” Philip promised, mildly disappointed that Stephanie wanted to talk more.
Stephanie looked down at their joined hands. “I’ve got to pick up Ava in the morning. Maybe you’d like to go with me…?”
“Are you sure she’s ready for that?” Philip asked.
“I think so, but more important, I’m ready for it,” Stephanie answered, looking up at him with a smile.
Philip smiled back. “I’d love to go with you.”
“My mother-in-law will be there too. She’s probably going to have a million questions for you.”
“I can handle her,” Philip stated.
“She knows we dated before I met Ashby, but I haven’t told her all the details yet. And she’s been pretty supportive since we broke up, but showing up together is going to be a surprise. I’m not sure she really knows how serious our relationship was in the past.”
“It’ll be okay,” Philip assured her.
“I just don’t want her to think that I’ve been harboring feelings for you all along and that I only married Ashby because I couldn’t have you.”
Philip squeezed her hand, “I understand.” He rose to his feet, then turned around. “Wait. You’re telling me that you haven’t been pining after me for the past five years?!”
Stephanie laughed as Philip helped her up. “I’m sorry to hurt your feelings,” she mockingly replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Would it make you feel better if I took off all my clothes?”
Philip pretended to think about it for a moment before moving his hands to her zipper, “actually, it would.”
*
Pressing his chest against her back, Philip wrapped his arms around Stephanie and linked their hands together. Expecting to feel her ring, he looked down at her bare hand. “You took it off,” he noted.
Stephanie nodded, and looked down at their joined hands, “it was time.”
“How’s it feel?” Philip asked, running his fingertip over her bare skin.
“I cried for a few days, but part of that was probably because I missed you,” she admitted, pulling out of his embrace and turning over so they were facing one another. “But it was time. Melanie thought you’d proposed to me,” she laughed, running her hand through her hair. “I hadn’t even thought about my rings until then. I’m not a married woman anymore.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” Philip assured her.
“I know, but Ashby is my past.”
Philip rolled onto his back. “Did he work for Chanel too?”
Stephanie shook her head, “no, his family owns an oil company.”
“So I snagged a rich girlfriend, huh?” he teased.
“A girlfriend with a rich kid,” Stephanie corrected. “Everything will go to Ava.”
“Then I guess I’m going to have to make her like me.”
“Good luck with that,” Stephanie laughed. “She’s stubborn. And she does not like to share. And she’s kinda moody. Prone to a tantrum when she feels out of control,” she continued.
“Sounds like her mother.”
“Hey!” Stephanie slapped his arm.
“I obviously like those traits, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Philip added, running his hand up Stephanie’s back.
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” Stephanie noted.
Philip pushed her onto her back, moving over her, “then let me show you just how much I like you so there’s no doubt in your mind.”
THE END
I want to thank everyone who read the story and provided encouragement. I was very, very hesitant to post a multi-chapter story. For a long time, I didn't take Kpatch's advice and avoided sharing. I'm glad I finally listened to her!
