Contract War

Chapter 2

8 Letters - Why Don't We

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"Thank you Vi, the food tasted amazing."

"Yeah thanks sis, the burnt parts were really crunchy and tasted amaz-" I elbowed Philip in the stomach before he could finish his statement.

"Haha Phil, very funny." Vi's voice dripped with obvious sarcasm.

"Let me help you with the dishes, Phil go do whatever boy stuff you do and leave us to talk." I shooed Phil from the kitchen.

"So how are the wedding arrangements going so far? The wedding's on Wednesday right?" Vi questioned me as she unloaded the dishwasher and let me load it.

"Yes and everything's great, everything has been arranged and it's all in order...well that's mainly because it's Ell who's arranging it," I giggled as I remembered the day I almost had an emotional breakdown when I realised I had to start planning the wedding and I called Ell who immediately came over in her work mode with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, strawberries, her diary and her ipad.

"Oh yeah Ell, she's like your bestie right?"

I scrunched my nose and laughed, "I wouldn't say bestie, she hates that term. We were roommates back in med school and yeah I guess she's the closest thing to a best friend that I have."

"Why did you ask her to make all the arrangements? Most girls I know literally explode in excitement at the thought of planning their weddings,"

"I suck at planning events, plus Ell loves planning things and making arrangements."

"Well that makes sense." Vi said as I put the last wine glass in the machine and wiped my hands with a dish towel.

"Okay I'm pretty sure that was enough girl time, may I steal my girlfriend now? Sure? Thanks." Philip said he walked into the kitchen and immediately dragged me out without so much as waiting for his sister's reply.

I couldn't help but giggle as he dragged me up the stairs to his bedroom.

»

We had laid down next to each on his bed, our faces turned so we could stare at each other...lovingly, of course.

"I missed you so much," I could hear his British accent which anyone wouldn't be able to hear unless they closely listened to him whenever he talked. His voice was low and a bit hoarse, making me bite my lower lip.

His hand lifted to caress the side of my face, "And I missed you more," I whispered.

"Are you coming to the wedding?" I asked him.

Phil gulped and looked away.

"I can't. I have to go back to work on Monday, I'll be flying London-Mumbai."

"Oh,"

Philip was a pilot and I knew he had taken a 2 weeks leave at work earlier so he wouldn't have to be present for the wedding and I would be lying if I said that didn't sting a bit.

Phil suddenly sat up and put his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He raked his hands through his hair, messing it up. A sign that he was stressing about something he had no control over. I also sat up and put my hand on his now clothed back, rubbing it in an effort to comfort him.

"I can't stand and watch you get married to some other guy,"

I opened my mouth to remind him that Derek and I didn't love each other but he cut me off before I could speak.

"I know you guys don't love each other but it still hurts, it should be me and you getting married, not you and him. So I'm going to go to work and I'll see you again when I come back, probably after a while."

So that's what he was doing...drowning himself in work to try and numb the pain. At this point my eyes were drowning in tears.

"And how long is 'a while'?"

He shrugged, "One month maybe?"

He took my hand that had been resting on his knee and interlaced our fingers.

"Please understand that I need time, my love." He planted a gentle kiss on my knuckles and a tear made it's way down my brown cheek.

I placed a kiss on his shoulder and nodded, trying really hard to swallow the lump in my throat. Phil wiped the lone tear on my cheek and I cleared my throat, trying not to look at his gorgeous face.

"I should probably get going now,"

"Okay, come on." He said in a sad and gentle voice as he pulled me up from my spot on his bed.

»

Philip and I stood at the door step in awkward silence and I took that as my cue to start taking multiple steps in the direction of my Tesla but Phil's hand on my elbow stopped me and I turned to look at him. He stepped closer to me and took my face in his hands, making me stare up at him, I was a tall girl but Phil was still taller than me.

"Turquoise, everything is going to be okay," he said to me.

He pulled me closer to wrap his arms around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you," those few words coming out of his mouth made the waterworks resurface, making my vision blurry.

"I love you too." I whispered, fearing that if I rose my voice to its normal tone it would crack and I would have a full breakdown right there.

I drove out of the driveway with Phil looking at me with a worried expression and I gave him a small smile to reassure him that I was okay. It was taking me a lot of concentration and energy to refrain from having an emotional breakdown and that small smile was all I could give him.

I rolled down the windows to let the air blow in my face and hopefully take all the sadness that I felt with it.

A little fresh air can fix things right?

Are you kidding? Of course not.