Chapter Fourteen

(Tuscany)

Phillip offered his arm to her and Belle gladly accepted it. They walked inside and were greeted by Maggie Horton, who was smiling as usual, but this time with a little bit of surprise on her face.

"Phillip... I knew you were coming when I saw your name on the reservation list, but I didn't know you'd be bringing Belle."

Belle smiled nervously and nodded. "We both wanted to go to the dance tonight, but not without a date. So we made an agreement to arrive together."

"Well, it's good to see both of you. You both look very nice."

"It's good to see you too."

Maggie smiled politely and grabbed two menus. "I have one of the best tables in the restaurant waiting for you. Follow me."

Maggie led them to their table and Phillip remembered his manners by pulling Belle's chair out for her. He took his seat and Maggie handed them their menus. Phillip smiled at her in appreciation. "Thank you, Mrs. Horton."

Maggie nodded and left them alone. Belle opened her menu and shut it only a brief moment later. She sighed softly and began quietly tapping her fingers on the table. Phillip laid down his menu and stared at her suspiciously.

"You already know what you want?"

"Phillip, my family eats here so often I practically have the menu memorized. You should too."

Phillip shrugged slightly. "I guess so. But sometimes I like to look at it before I decide. I'm not like you, I don't always know what I want out of life... or a dinner menu."

Belle grinned and shook her head. "I don't ALWAYS know what I want. And even when I do, that doesn't mean I can have it. I'm just as confused and lost as every other teenager in the world, I just don't show it as often."

Phillip nodded and was about to reply when the waiter arrived. The two friends gave their orders to the waiter, and then returned to their previous conversation.

"Well, I, for one, am completely lost most of the time. But, I'm sure you knew that about me already."

"I know. But, it doesn't always have to be that way. You've been so spoiled your entire life, and now you're finally coming to realize that whole world doesn't revolve around you. And, I mean that in the nicest possible way, I really do. Your parents love you, I know, but they never taught you to be self-reliant. I had the same advantages as you growing up, but my parents always made sure I knew that I needed to depend on myself, and not just on their money or their support. They taught me that you can't always have everything you want, sometimes you have to work for it. And even that isn't a guarantee."

Phillip nodded somberly and replied. "I know. And, that's why I'm going to change things. I have to change things."

Belle leaned back in her chair and stared at Phillip in surprise. The waiter returned with their beverages, and Belle continued her reply as soon as he walked away. "You are? How?"

"You're right, Belle. You are completely right about me. I've only just recently begun to see it for myself. I'm spoiled, I know that. Everything that I've ever wanted has been handed to me. I've never had to work for anything, not money, or material things or even love. So, when... well, you-know-who came into my life... I tried to control her, so I could get my way like I always have. But, I know now that you can't control people for very long. You can't be that way to someone you love. Some things just aren't meant to be, no matter how badly you want them."

Belle nodded and smiled proudly. "Wow, Phillip... I can't even tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. I've known that for a long time, I've just been waiting for you to catch up to it."

Phillip smiled back at her sheepishly. "Well, it's because of you that I feel this way."

"Because of me? What did I do?"

"It's not something you did, or something you said... It's just you. You've been there for me through everything, and I look at you, and I see the kind of person that I want to be."

Belle blushed out of embarrassment. "Phillip... That's so sweet. But, why me? I'm certainly not perfect. I have tons of faults."

Phillip nodded slightly and continued. "Nobody is perfect. But, I guess I've always admired the person that you are. Like you said, you've had a lot of the same advantages in life that I've had. But, I know that if you didn't, you would still be the same person you are right now. You don't need all of your daddy's money to be a success, you have everything inside yourself to do that."

The waiter showed up and placed their salads in front of them. Belle sat up straight in her chair, still a bit surprised over what Phillip was saying to her. She picked her fork up but instead of starting her salad, she just stared at Phillip in awe.

"Wow... Thank you. I don't even know how to respond to that. But, it's not just me. You have that too, Phillip. You just need to find it, and be strong. I know you can do it."

Phillip nodded with a mouthful of lettuce. He took a sip of his iced tea to wash it down and then continued on. "I hope so. But, I have to do something drastic to find out if that part of me exists."

"What? What are you going to do?"

Phillip laid his fork down with a sigh and stared at her in completely seriousness. "I'm going to temporarily sever my ties with the Kiriakis empire."

Belle nearly choked on her salad, and she had to place her hands on the table to keep from keeling over in the middle of the restaurant. "You're going to WHAT? How?"

"I don't know how else to do it. I've been doing a lot of soul searching over the past few weeks, as cliched as that sounds. And, I know that if I want to be an independent, self-reliant, type of person... I have to quit relying on what my family has to offer me."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Phillip took a deep breath in and spilled out the details as Belle nervously munched on her salad. "Well, I have to work this summer to make up for the damages I caused at Dot.Com. And, then my dad is insistent that I go to Yale. But, I'm not going, and I'm not going to Columbia or Salem U. or anywhere. I'm going to spend a year on my own, working my way around the country, seeing places, taking odd jobs when I have to and experiencing life without the benefit of unlimited funds. No money and nobody helping me. I know it's not going to be easy, but if I can do it, then maybe I can prove to myself that I can succeed on my own, without other people helping me."

"That's so... amazing. I'm not even sure you're actually the real Phillip. You're some sort of clone, aren't you?"

Phillip laughed and shook his head. "Believe it or not, it's true. I know it doesn't sound like something the old Phillip would do, but this is the beginning of a whole new Phillip."

Belle smiled proudly at him. "Well, I happen to like both Phillips then. Does your father know yet?"

"No, and I don't know he will react... I just hope he understands."

"I'm sure he will. He might be upset at first, but your dad loves you, and he's going to love you no matter what you decide to do. Just promise me one thing..."

Phillip raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "What's that?"

Belle reached across the table and patted Phillip's hand reassuringly. "I know that you want to do this without any help, and I understand that. But, you can't always do everything alone. So please, if you ever need me for anything, don't be afraid to ask for my help. That doesn't make you weak or anything, everybody needs help some time. And, if your journey of self-discovery ever leads you to New York City, you will always have a place to stay with me."

Phillip smiled in appreciation. "Thank you... I just wonder if your future roommate would agree with me coming for a visit."

"I have a feeling that she'll be very proud of you when she hears about this. And even if she doesn't approve, it's half my place too, so you can just stay on my half."

Belle grinned impishly and returned to eating her salad. Phillip chuckled softly and picked his fork back up. He knew that Belle had no idea how much he admired her now, and always. Even in the darkest times, she had a spirit that could not be broken, and he knew that some of his greatest lessons in life had not come from his parents, they had come from her.

Phillip could not stop watching her, as his mind swam with thoughts about his feelings for her. They had been the best of friends since they were children, but a tiny part of him had always wondered if they could have been more. If there were no Shawn, and if there had been no Chloe... What might have transpired between their two hearts?

Belle paused, her fork in mid air. "Uhm, Phillip... Are you staring at me for a reason? Do I have lettuce in between my teeth? Something hanging out of my nose? What? What is it?"

Phillip smiled at her. "No, I was just thinking that..." He paused in the middle of his sentence and shook his head. "Never mind, it's nothing."

Belle nodded uneasily and returned her attention to her salad. Phillip had said it was nothing, but he knew that it wasn't. He had always cared about Belle, but sometimes when he looked at her, the feelings felt deeper than just an ordinary friendship.

***