"Philip Fernandez." I hollered after crossing the revolving doors and dashing into the the hallway leading to his office. Everything in the path became hazy as I streamed into his room, tossing the door shut behind me. "You monster," I cried out as I watched the man whose deviant ways to play with my heart hurt my chest.

"Ah, Daisy," he looked up with a smile, setting his headphones aside. There wasn't an ounce of doubt remaining in me that Sasha might have informed him of my newly possessed knowledge.

Sliding off the desk behind which he sat, Philip rose to the occasion both physically and in contemplation to the next of my moves.

"You moron." I was practically screaming. Never in the worst of my nightmares did I consider having to call him so but his actions triggered me to the point of yelling and abusing. It may all have been heightened with the alcohol egging me to do more. "How dare you set me up on a date with Steve?"

With a heave that emerged, I leaned over my knees. Philip's decision to toy with my feelings and toss me away like a used furniture infuriated me to my very core. How dare he pity me. Nobody asked him to be play the matchmaker. Yet...

"So, I assume you know." Philip stood leaning at the desk, watching to the place from where my voice emerged but not knowing what I felt. The lucky being that he was, being bestowed with no vision was a boon in this situation. He didn't have to witness me wailing in front of him, holding onto my chest as if her heart would launch out of its place.

Nope. Philip stood in a casual style, evaluating my tone and in turn, mocking me.

With his hands sliding behind his back, he took a calculated step forward like he was playing a game of chess. I, on the other hand, moved back to protect my aching muscle that fluttered, watching him ready to inflict more hurt. More harm.

"Why would you do that? Because you pitied me? Because you think I am some lost cause and you needed to save me? Is that so, Philip?" My question echoed and tossed back with any response. 

With another step towards me and mine scrambling back, I was tugged on the door. Philip knew very well, his ruse was up. He was buying time. Time to conjure up a defense.

"Say it." I called out to break his silent demeanor. His eyes darkened like a predator that closed the gap between its prey. "Why would you play with me like that? You think I am some..."

His finger landed on my lips, arresting my words. "Shush," was the only sound he emitted before placing his hands on both sides of the door, arresting me in his hand held cage. I was melting under his gaze, sliding down. Somehow, he was able to register my movements to catch my arm, pasting me into the position he wanted.

Staring back, Philip leaned closer, dipping towards the corner of my neck. My eyes closer as the pervert mind of mine began to run plots where I would run my hand into his hair and place my lips over his. The anger in me seemed to phase off at the proximity of ours, inflicted me into a state of his musky cologne induced coma.

"Don't you know I did it for me?" Philip whispered. His warm breath hit the nape of my neck. Somewhere, pleasure needles pricked me as felt his body heat radiating over to me. Yet, his play was over. I was done being toyed with. When I placed a hand over his hardened chest to push him away, his cold hand curled into mine.

"Tell me Daisy, don't you know the reason I did it? Doesn't your mind and heart sing the answer already?"

My heart drummed his words into my ears. The truth, one which I wanted to be true, was too good to only make an appearance in fairy tales. In reality, people only had heartbreaks on uttering their deepest desires. I knew, if I answered what Philip wanted me to state, the only other sound in this room would be of his laughter. Of him mocking me for conjuring imaginations which could never be the reality. 

So I lied. I tried to push him away but the man was a rock. "I don't know what you are talking about, Philip."

"Really?" His hold over mine grew stronger. I couldn't push him anywhere. He grabbed my hand and regained his previous position, one which was closest to my body. "You don't have any clue, huh?"

Another set of warm sweet breath inflicted on me the same thoughts as before. Kiss him, my heart aired, fanning old flames of admiration and love. Yet, I couldn't muster the courage to speak.

"Daisy," he called out. "I did it for me. For my sanity. For my heart to stay strong. I did it so you'd move on and be happy and I would remain content with your happiness."

Still playing with strong words, Philip was yet to utter the complete truth. 

"You still haven't answered why you decided to set me up with Steve. You still haven't answered the truth, Philip."

"You want the truth?" His words were mere air, blown over my face and neck. Goosebumps rose over the trails where they hit. I was touched with the desire to rattle him into confession but the view of him at such close proximity made me incapacitated. 

"Yes, only the truth."

After a deep sigh which deluged his body to relax, Philip coiled an arm around my waist, pulling me off my tug over the door. Our bodies aligned together. Warmth spread through me as I scanned the open button his his shirt, unable to meet his staring gaze that tempted me to kiss him again and again.

"I am in love with you. Since the time I met you." Philip's words jolted me. My elation reached its optimal level as he uttered his confession into my ears. "I blamed my current state, unable to see you or give you what you want, so I pushed you away and let Steve take over."

My hand held the bulge over his arms, stabilizing me with the encore of information. Tears brimmed my eyes as I watched him bit into his lower lip, tossing his face to look away.

"The weak hearted that I was, Daisy, I couldn't bare the idea of you and him and..."

"You came and intervened..." I answered, smiling at the utter foolish decisions that he made. Just like I did every time he was around. "Philip," I called out and nudged his face towards me.

"You have no idea how much I regretted it. How much I wanted it to be me, the man who wanted to date you. See you and hold you."

"You are..." I pulled his arm around me, closing it behind, "...holding me." I tiptoed, attaining the level to match his face with my heart drumming in my ears. "And now, you will see me too." 

I placed my lips over his.

With a sudden urgency, Philip's grip over me tightened. His arms held me closer to him, pulling me up over his body. His lips, soft and warm danced over mine as his tongue danced over my lower lip, begging for permission. Swirling it inside, I tasted Philip for the first time.

My chest fluttered, holding the sides of his face as I deepened my long desire to have him where I wanted - kissing me. We stayed statue in the same pose for long, kissing and breathing, chuckling and kissing again.

With his forehead leaned over mine, Philip's hooded look played at my heartstrings. 

"Philip," my throat bobbed as I etched nearer to the brink of a fall. A fall he would catch me with his own. "I love you."

"Oh, Daisy." I was embraced into his warmth. 

His hold eased the burden I carried on my chest since the time I realized it was the love for this man that made me act strange whenever he was around. The love that made me cry and weep at nights when his memories inflicted stabs in my heart. Today, all the pain and hurt was out to rest. I was finally awoken from the deep slumber as reality knocked my senses.

Philip loves me.

"Philip," I breathed. He closed his eyes and placed his lips over my forehead, being intertwined with me. It reminded me of all the times this reaction followed when I called him.

"Every time you call my name, I attain a sense of bliss. Like a little piece of heaven is placed upon me before being taken away."

"It won't be taken away anymore." My arms snaked around his neck, pulling him over me. I wasn't ready to break our embrace. I was the parched traveler walking around a desert for water. Philip was my oasis and I wasn't willing to depart so soon.

Somewhere, he too seemed to sense my state of urgency. He chucked and ran his hand over my back. 

"Come with me." He peeled me off his body and walked us out. The hallways and the doors we stormed through seemed to contain a strange sort of aura than before. I felt as if they all were happy for me. For us.

Luke, who stood outside, hopped into the driver's seat upon seeing us emerge. All this while, Philip held me close to him. The short drive around a few blocks was the confirmation that he lived nearby. A part of me remembered my meeting in Philip's office. I was a nervous wreck, seeing him be my boss. 

Even now, I couldn't believe what occurred between us. 

Philip walked me to the elevator and into his apartment. I followed him like a nervous puppy, eying everything with wide eyes. The hall of his apartment was better than mine, decorated with minimalistic painting. The kitchen we passed carried all possible fancy equipment known to man for cooking. The bedroom, the place which arrested my heartbeats was neat and clean unlike the room I lived in and rightly called as a "pig sty" by Linda.

With a pull over my arm, Philip drew me close to his body, tugging me gently over the wall. His head dipped near the nape of my neck and lower lip ran a line that spread like a trail of wildfire. My eyelids fluttered close as my fingers ran behind his neck and into his hair. Anchoring him up, I dipped my lips over his trembling lips. Like waves crashing on a beach, we continued our play in each other's embrace.

As the night proceeded, we shifted onto the bed, talking and kissing before falling into each other's hold. A warm kiss at the foot of my neck ran warm tingles over my body.

"I love you Daisy," he whispered, dipping his head over my back.

A rogue tear ran from the corner of my eyes. A tear of contentment. A tear of joy. Of hope and happiness. "I love you, Philip." And today I could say it out loud.

~~

Babies

Did you like this chapter? Philip always loved her. 

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