AN: Thank you so much for your amazing reviews – as always, they made me smile and made my day! The first chapter was originally intended to be a one-shot but Oc7ober convinced me to continue this…and it didn't take much persuasion as I don't seem to be able to stop writing about these two!

So this chapter is the morning after when Liza goes back to work. It includes a scene that a number of people have requested so I hope I've done it justice! As always, I love hearing your thoughts so please drop me a review and let me know what you think

Hope you enjoy!

LIZA

As Liza walked into Empirical, or Millennial now – she still hadn't gotten her head around that yet, the next morning, everything looked the same but it felt different. She was the first one there as she'd came in early having woke early with nervous anticipation. She was an executive editor now – 2nd in command running Charles's company. It was crazy how much literally everything in her life had changed so much in the last 24 hours.

When Charles had told her why he'd had to step down as the public face of Empirical, she'd felt so guilty. It was because of her, and people's unfair and incorrect perceptions of their relationship that he was no longer publisher. She'd felt terrible that he was having to give up so much for her, and she'd been scared that he'd end up resenting her for it. But in his perfectly eloquent, Charles Brooks way, that she'd always found so captivating, he'd assured her that he was happy and that he'd never resent her or regret being with her. He'd been so earnest when he implored her that even if they didn't work out, he'd rather have given them a try than gone the rest of his life wandering what they could have been. And then her heart had literally stopped in her chest when he told her he was in love with her. She'd known he had strong feelings for her, but she'd barely dared to hope that his feelings ran as deep as hers. Her heart had ached for him as he'd nervously told her he didn't expect her to say it back yet and that he only wanted her to say it when she was ready. She'd realised then that they'd both been just as scared of fully putting their feelings out there and risking getting hurt. What he didn't know though was that she was ready – aside from Caitlin she loved him more than anything in this world, and she couldn't let him think for another second that she didn't. It was cathartic to finally say the words "I'm in love with you too" to him after so long, and the look of pure joy and awe on his face at her words made her heart melt. They'd kissed and it was like they were sealing a promise of their future together, and when he'd took her hand and they'd carried on walking, any lingering doubt in their minds was erased, and replaced with the excited smiles that were mirrored on each other's faces.

They'd gone out for lunch together – a block from the office, in the daylight – because they could do that now. They weren't hiding anymore, there were no more secrets and they were free to be together, like they had both longed to do for so long. They could hold hands and she could kiss him in the street – which she did, multiple times as they made their way back to his house. The smiles hadn't left their faces and they'd been giggling like lovesick teenagers as they'd stumbled through his front door. It might have had something to do with the wine they'd consumed at lunch, but she knew it had more to do with the euphoria of the "I love you"s they'd shared. He'd carried her upstairs and they'd made slow, passionate love to one another, those three little words falling from each other's lips countless times as they moved in harmony together before collapsing in a sated tangle of limbs as they rode out their highs. Sex with Charles had always been incredible, but that time felt different – there was a whole new level of emotion involved because of their earlier declarations, and never before had she felt closer to another human being. They were totally open, and totally vulnerable with each other, and the feeling was indescribable.

As she looked around the office she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do now, so she sat at her usual desk and started work on Diana's schedule. She'd bumped a meeting and arranged a few appointments before a Buzzfeed notification flashed up on her phone and caught her attention. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed excitedly as she read the title and quickly scanned the article. Chrissie Hart's memoir had made the NYT bestseller list!

A huge smile lit up her face, and with the article still open on her phone she ran over to Charles's office to share the news with him. She raised her hand to knock on the door but then realised he wasn't there. The smile slipped from her face and she sighed as she looked in at his empty office. It looked the same except a few things had been cleared off his desk.

Liza deflated somewhat at the realisation that she wouldn't see him day to day in the office anymore. They wouldn't be able to flirt over the coffee machine and she wouldn't be able to come and see him in in his office when she had some exciting news, or simply when she missed him. They'd shared a lot of memorable moments in this office, many that had shaped their feelings and helped build their relationship into what it was now. She smiled as she stepped inside and leaned on his desk as she looked around, happy memories flooding back: massaging his back when she'd found him lying on the floor in pain due to a back spasm, sharing drinks late at night due to securing 'Me, Myself and O', talking about how readers deserved their HEA and that a happy ending wasn't the worst thing to hope for. Then there was the time when he'd put his feelings out there and yelled at her in frustration that he didn't know why she was dating a forty-something guy in publishing that wasn't him. She blushed as she ran her fingers over the desk and remembered how he'd lay on top of her in this exact spot, hands desperately roaming each other's bodies after they'd given in to months of pent up desire. There were also the more recent sweet moments since they'd gotten together, like when she came to see him after the Christmas break and he'd told her he missed her and tentatively asked if he could see her that night, or when he told her divorced moms from Jersey were more his style and he'd smiled adorably at her when she'd kissed her giraffe with glasses doodle and given it to him.

Even if they weren't in this office, she knew they would share many more moments, and she'd still get to see him every day. But standing in his office without him, she missed him. Liza picked up her phone and typed out a text to him. 'Hey, I've just heard From the Heart has made the NYT bestseller list! That's your book – congratulations! L x'

Liza smiled as the three dots appeared immediately. 'Hey, yeah Chrissie just called me – I'm pretty sure she was drunk! Maybe you should tell her about your stick of butter plan!...and thank you. C x'

Liza chuckled at the thought of him trying to get a drunk Chrissie off the phone. She'd gotten used to texting him like this and then looking up and catching his eye across the office. Even though she'd only seen him last night, she really did miss him. 'I'm proud of you…and I miss you.'

The three dots appeared again and she stared at them waiting for his reply. It didn't disappoint. 'I'm proud of you too. I miss you too. And I love you x'

Liza blinked away the tears that had started to form and were making her eyes misty. That was the first time he'd said it in print and it made her heart swell. They'd said it a lot in the last 24 hours but she knew she'd never tire of hearing it. 'I love you too'.

When she'd collected herself she smiled fondly once more at his office as she closed the door and went back to her own desk. The location was irrelevant, because her and Charles were together now and that's all that mattered. Liza absorbed herself in a manuscript and didn't notice as other people stared arriving. She jumped as Diana breezed over to her and asked to see her in her office.

A sense of dread settled in her stomach as she cautiously closed the door and took a seat across from Diana. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as Diana regarded her curiously. "So, you and Charles?"

Liza stuttered, expecting it but not expecting it at the same time. Her words came out in a splurge as she attempted to explain. "Diana, it's not what you think – he didn't take advantage and I didn't do it to get ahead –"

"Liza, I didn't think any of those things" Diana interrupted, "I've seen the way you look at him – I'm not blind. To begin with I figured you just had a bit of a crush on him – I mean who can blame you really?!...but then I started to notice how he looked at you. I saw you go and speak to him in the bar in Frankfurt. He looked so sad, but that changed as soon as you sat down with him. I've known Charles for a long time and I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you, not even Pauline."

To say she was shocked was an understatement. Maybe she hadn't hidden her feelings as well as she'd thought. "I love him" she told her simply, needing her to know that this wasn't a fling or something she'd done on a whim. Diana deserved to know the truth.

"Good" Diana replied, equally as simply. "He deserves some happiness. Just, don't hurt him."

"I won't" Liza assured her. She was expecting more of a disapproval, especially considering when she'd first arrived at Empirical, Diana had clearly had a crush on Charles. It would seem that everyone had grown and moved forward. It was sweet though that Diana cared about Charles and just wanted him to be happy.

Liza decided in that moment that she wanted to tell Diana everything – she owed it to her, and she didn't want to lie anymore. She glanced nervously at her "Diana, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time, but I've never managed to find the right time." Diana just looked at her expectantly. Liza let out a deep breath. "I'm not 27 – I'm 41. No one wanted to hire me as a 40 year old who'd been out of the game for 16 years and I really, really needed a job. So I pretended to be 26. I'm so grateful that you gave me a chance Diana and I'm so sorry I lied to you."

"Have you finished?" Liza just nodded, waiting for the inevitable admonishing and disappointment she was sure would be thrown her way. But to her absolute surprise, it didn't come. "Liza, I haven't gotten to where I am without being able to read people and without paying attention to detail."

Liza's eyes widened in shock. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew" Diana replied, as if it were absurd to consider otherwise. "I started putting the pieces together a year ago when that God awful, termite tattooed hobbit was going to invest in that little bookstore of yours in Jersey."

Liza's jaw dropped and she opened her mouth to reply a few times before any sound came out. "You must hate me."

Diana waved her off dismissing the suggestion, but Liza could see a trace of hurt in her eyes. "I don't hate you. Whilst I would have preferred you to have told me sooner, I understand why you didn't. I know what it's like for women, especially women our age, to be taken seriously in this business – you did what you had to do, and that takes balls." And just like that there was a new mutual appreciation between the two of them – she could really see herself being good friends with Diana.

"Thank you" was all she could manage to get out, her already massive respect for Diana trebling in that moment.

Diana gave her a small smile. "Now, I'm guessing with you being promoted to executive editor that you won't be my assistant anymore. But until Quinn provides me with a suitable replacement, I'm going to need you to keep my plates spinning."

"Of course" Liza smiled at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Can I get you a coffee?"

"Black, no cream."

"Coming right up."

The rest of her day went by fairly uneventfully and for that she was grateful because it gave her a chance to get to grips with what her new role would entail. It didn't seem like she'd be doing much different to what she'd already been doing with Millennial, she'd just have a lot more authority and power in terms of what books they published – as well a sizeable pay rise. This is what she'd been working towards for the past two years and she was determined to make a go of it – not just for herself but also for Charles. He'd put his trust in her to help run his company and make it a success, and she would not let him down.

She was going round to Charles's house after work for dinner and she was looking forward to it. She'd smiled affectionately when he'd texted her earlier asking 'Which one of my easy dinners for kids would you like tonight? C x'. She'd responded simply with 'Surprise me. L x'.

As she finished up the last few pages of a manuscript she'd been working on, Diana came and perched on the side of her desk. "Enzo texted and said he has a surprise for me when I get home." She held her phone out to show Liza the text with a frown on her face. "Last time a man said that to me I ended up with his teenage son masturbating on my linen couch."

Liza smirked in amusement. "Enzo isn't Richard. And as far as I know, he doesn't have any kids – teenage or otherwise. I've seen him with you – I'm pretty sure whatever he has planned for you it'll be good." Diana tried to suppress her smile but it didn't work. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you Liza."

Liza smiled at her, and she really hoped that they would be friends. Something caught Diana's eye and she smirked as she leaned down conspiratorially, "I think there's someone here to see you." She nodded towards the elevator then disappeared back into her office.

Liza swung around in her chair and her breath caught at the sight of Charles strolling towards her, looking like a catalogue model in his fitted black sweater and dark jeans. His eyes fixed on hers and he smiled shyly at her as he came to a stop in front of her desk.

"Hey" he said softly.

"Hey" she breathed, still distracted by the sight of him – her man.

"You said to surprise you. I thought I could walk you home." Liza's heart fluttered at how he referred to his house as 'home' in relation to her.

She smiled warmly at him as she stood up, "I'd like that."

He beamed at her and held out his hand. As she intertwined their fingers his eyes shone with happiness as he looked at her. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, and said reverently "I can hold your hand in the office."

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at his words. God she loved this man so much. "You can" she murmured. And as they walked hand in hand through the halls of Empirical, where they'd met and fell in love, and out into their new world where they were finally free to be together, Liza knew that everything they'd been through to get to this point was worth it – because THEY were worth it.