Twilight cast a shadow upon the thin brawn figure of young Philip Kiriakis as he strolled along Salem Beach that Saturday evening. Clad in jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt, he seemed overdressed for the beach. The weather wasn�t too hot or even cold, but just right for a day at the beach. It was almost nighttime now, and the weather began to cool slightly. The breeze was steady and calm, its fragrance of the sea and the sand lingering like exotic perfume.

He sighed deeply and stopped to look at the sea. The waves were small, but beautiful and calm. It was an iridescent blue, bright and bold in color, but it saddened him. It was a memory of something---no, someone---that he had fallen deeply in love with and was on the verge of losing. That is, if he hadn�t lost her already. Suddenly, he felt a tear slip down his cheek, and he made no attempt to wipe it away.

A hand grasped his shoulder, breaking his reverie and making him turn his head. The first thing he noticed were the eyes---those huge bright blue eyes that were now shimmering with tears. They were always full of some sort of emotion, usually sadness. This was, of course, no exception. He stared at his estranged girlfriend Chloe Lane, who was wearing the form-fitting ruby red dress that stopped him in his tracks that fateful year ago at the life-changing Last Blast Dance of their sophomore year. It was almost two years now since that event took place.

�Isn�t that a little extravagant for the beach?� he asked her quietly.

�It�s the only pleasant memory I have of you,� Chloe stated matter-of-factly.

�Touch�,� Philip chuckled. �You always know how to put someone in their place, don�t you, Chloe?�

�Not that it was meant to hurt you,� she replied, sniffling. �Besides, I didn�t even know you�d be here.�

She sat on the sand and brought her knees up to her chest, folding her arms across them. She rested her chin on her arms and let the tears fall. Philip sat next to her and put his arms around her shoulders, bringing her close to his body.

�I�m so scared, Philip,� she sobbed. �I don�t know what to do.�

Philip sighed, �You�re not the only one, you know. I feel bad that things went so wrong, and I wish..... I wish there was something we could do to fix that.�

�I don�t know if anything can be repaired of this relationship, Philip,� Chloe said sadly.

�Maybe we can be friends,� Philip suggested.

�Yeah...maybe,� Chloe sadly agreed.

�And if you ever need someone to talk to, I�m here for you.�

Chloe smiled. �Same here.�

�I don�t want you to be with someone who hurts you, Chloe,� Philip declared, looking into her eyes and smoothing her long hair. �I was that someone, and....as much as it hurts me to say this, I think you deserve someone better than me.�

It was an agonizing truth, and the two of them knew it. Chloe looked up at Philip and caressed his face, feeling her heart melt as she looked into his equally mesmerizing blue eyes.

�I never got the chance to tell you that I loved you face to face,� she choked out. �The truth is, I always did love you, and I always will. And I promise you that nothing in this world---no matter how much we hurt each other or anyone else hurts us---will ever change that fact.�

It was now Philip�s turn to break down, and he pulled Chloe into his arms and cried tears of anger and pain, sobbing, �I love you, too.�

The two of them held each other and cried for the longest time. It seemed like forever, but they finally let each other go. They stood up and brushed the sand off their clothing, looking into each other�s eyes. With the wind blowing through their hair and the attraction still burning with the tiny spark, Chloe threw her arms around Philip and lured him into a passionate kiss that he willingly accepted. It was a strange kiss, one of those kisses that said that it had finally come to the end of the road. And as they pulled their lips away and stared into the glowing sunset, they held each other close in knowledge that things weren�t going to be the same again. ***Dwan***