CHAPTER (V)

Phil went through with it. He attended the meeting with the board of directors and the company's shareholders and expressed his confidence in Lionel as the head of the company. He signed the documents handing all the power to him, Lionel agreed to serve in that position for as long as they needed him to, which was until Phil was of the right age to take up the role. He pledged to do his best to ensure that the company thrived.

"The passing of Mr. Torres was obviously a major blow to the company, but I am confident that with time the company will heal. He was a good man, Mr. Torres, a hardworking man and under him this company reached unprecedented levels. He set the bar high but rest assured I am aiming higher than that. It is vital that we hit the ground running, our competitors have ceased this opportunity, they think that the company has no future without Mr. Torres, but I want to promise you we will emerge bigger than before."

His speech was killer. It caught the whole room by surprise. The speech more than reassured Phil that there was no one better for the position, and it cleared doubts among the board of directors and the shareholders.

"Mr. James you live in Los Angeles, how will you manage heading the company from over two thousand five hundred miles away?" A board member wanted to know. A genuine concern.

Lionel had already thought about this, he knew he would be asked that. "It is not cast in stone that the company has to be headed from New York. Who says the headquarters can't be moved to LA?"

"Let's assume we agree to that, what's the practicability that the company will run smoothly with you three thousand miles away?"

"Let's handle one problem at a time, okay? We'll cross that bridge when we get there." His confidence was somewhat chilling, and the smile, it was intimidating.

"That went well." Phil told him as they rode home in the back the Rolls.

"Better than I expected." Lionel conceded. "Phil I promise to do the best with this company. It meant a great deal to your father, I'd hate to let him or you down."

"I know you won't." Phil replied confidently with a smile.

****

"Ash," Phil called on entering the lounge next to the living room. "What are you doing here?" He asked as she stood and faced him.

"Hey Phil," she started looking at him. "I think we need to talk."

"Umm sure. We could go to my room" He suggested and they went up the stairs.

"I guess you are really going." She said looking at the packing box next to Phil's study desk.

"Yeah, it's what's best."

"Best for who?"

"Everyone."

"How is that good for me?" She was obviously bitter.

He didn't answer immediately, that wasn't a question he would just answer like that. "It's what's best for Luna and I. This house holds many memories and waking up in here every day knowing we can't share those memories again hurt. We need to heal Ash." He tried to explain.

"You could just get another house." She suggested

He didn't answer. He exhaled deeply and walked to his bedroom balcony and admired the view.

He heard her slowly walk behind him and she hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. They stayed like that for quite a while before she spoke. "I really don't want you to go." She admitted softly and her voice made him turn. Her eyes were wet. He hugged her properly, squeezing her to him.

"It's gonna be okay." He whispered to her stroking her hair.

"How?" she wanted to know. She pulled out of the hug and looked into his eyes. She wanted to know if he himself believed if it was going to be ok. "How is us going to work out with you ten million miles away?"

Again he didn't answer. They had been together a little over seven months and it had been going… it was going well. But this, this was going to affect their relationship.

"We'll figure it out." He said reassuringly.

They hoped that all would be well, they were perfect for each other, they were perfect together, their relationship worked so well and was really envied, neither of them wanted anything to mess that. But deep down they both knew that with him moving to LA, it would be hard for them to be the power couple that they always were.

They both stood leaning on the protective glass and stared into nothingness, both very silent, each lost in thought. They hated that it was happening but there was nothing either of them could do. Him moving needed to happen, like he had told her countless times, they need to heal. The move was a necessity. 

With an audible sigh of despair, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder and her wrapped his arm around her. 

"It's going to be okay." He whispered to her and kissed her forehead.