I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. This is probably my favorite so far. I hope you all like it too. Thank you to everyone who has favorited followed and/or reviewed! You guys always make me smile! :)

This was going to be harder than she thought. Charlie was doing all she could to avoid Miles, but her parents were going to start to notice that one or both of them left whenever the other came into a room.

Charlie sighed to herself. It didn't matter anymore, what he might feel for her. He had his chance and he blew it. She had Connor now, she didn't need Miles. She didn't want him.

She rolled her eyes at herself as she walked into the living room and forced herself not to turn right back around and leave when she found him sitting with her father. Maybe, if she kept telling herself that, she might start to believe it.

"Charlie." Her dad said with a smile. "Happy birthday. Come and sit with us for a minute." Ben said, motioning to the empty seat on the couch. The couch Miles was currently sitting on.

Charlie forced a smile and sat on the end furthest away from him. "Thank you daddy." She said. "Oh," she said. "before I forget, I just wanted to let you know that Connor and I will be going out later to see some friends of mine I haven't seen in a while." She said. "And Danny said he was going to go with us."

Charlie stood up to leave the room then, but managed to smile, if a little strained, at Miles before walking out. This was going to be fine. She could totally handle this.

….

Later that evening, right after a dinner of Charlie's favorite steaks on the grill and a salad, the doorbell rang. Charlie happened to be the closest to the door at the time, so she went to answer it. Who she found on the other side was a bit of a shock.

She shook her head slightly and smiled. "Well look who we have here." She said "Sebastian Monroe, in person." She said as she took a step back, inviting him in. "It's been a long time." Charlie said as he walked inside.

"Well Charlotte, I couldn't let the day pass without telling you happy birthday." Bass said with smirk. "How old are you now anyway?" he asked.

Charlie raised a brow, knowing full well he knew how old she was. "I'm twenty-five today." She said.

Bass looked her over, from her head to her feet and slowly back up again, a flirtatious smile gracing his lips. "And all grown up it seems."

Charlie laughed. "Well at least somebody noticed." She said as she led him into the living room where the rest of the family was.

"Who was it honey?" Rachel asked.

Charlie pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "Oh just some old bum." She said as everyone looked up to see their newest visitor.

Miles frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he stood up and walked over to his friend.

Bass shrugged with a smile. "Oh you know, last night on the phone you just sounded like you having such a good time I thought I would drop in, see how everyone is. It's been awhile, as Charlotte here was so kind to point out."

"Oh," Charlie said. "Sebastian, this is Connor." She said, going over to where he sat and placing a hand on his shoulder. "My boyfriend." She said smiling down at him, missing the look Miles and Bass shared.

Bass walked over to him and stuck his hand out. "Good to meet you, you can call me Bass." He said. "This one over here is the only one to call me Sebastian. Her whole life she's refused to call me Bass."

Charlie raised a brow and smirked. "You refused to call me Charlie, I call you Sebastian." She said, and Bass rolled his eyes.

Miles cleared his throat. "Bass, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. "In the other room." He said before gripping his shoulder and dragging him out of the room. But not before Bass winked at Charlie shooting her another flirty smile.

…

"What are you doing?" Miles asked in a loud whisper when he dragged Bass into the kitchen.

Bass shrugged. "Nothing, what are you doing?"

Miles smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't try to be cute, why are you here?" he asked as Bass rubbed his head.

Bass frowned. "I'm here to help you out." He said finally.

Miles raised his brows "You're here to what? I don't need your help with anything."

Bass rolled his eyes. "Yeah actually, you do. Don't worry about it though, I've got your back." He said before turning and walking out.

Miles sighed and hung his head. This was not going to turn out well.

…

Charlie, Connor, Danny, and a few of her old high school friends that she didn't see much now that she had moved out of town, were hanging out in the only bar in town. A little run down place that the townies still hung out in every Friday night. The place where Charlie came with these same friends on her weekend trips home from school.

The place she had had her first real drink when she was only nineteen years old, because she knew the bartender and he let her have a beer after she promised not to let anyone know.

She smiled as she looked around at this place that held so many memories for her. But that smiled faltered when she saw the two men that had just walked through the door.

"What are they doing here?" she heard herself ask as Danny also spotted Miles and Bass.

Miles looked over and saw her, his gaze connecting with hers and they both froze.

…..

Four years ago…

Miles wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he helped her to the car, laughing at the way she held on to him so she didn't fall. He hadn't intended to let her get this far gone, but she had been having so much fun he didn't want to ruin it for her.

"I'm not a kid anymore." She said and he raised his brows as he looked at her. "I know." He said.

"Do you?" she asked as she stood on her own in front of him.

Miles frowned. "Of course I do." He said; where was this coming from? "I wouldn't take a kid out to get drunk Charlie." He said, trying to make a joke, lighten the suddenly serious tone the night seemed to be taking.

"No," Charlie said shaking her head. "I mean really, do you?" she asked him and he saw her sway on her feet, the effects of too much alcohol.

On instinct he reached out and grabbed her shoulders to keep her from stumbling. "Yes Charlie, I do." Miles said.

He relaxed a little as he saw her smile. "Good." She said before surprising the hell out of him by leaning forward and pressing her mouth to his.

Miles had kissed plenty of women, but never before had any of them tasted like Charlie. That thought brought him back to himself and he pushed her away from him and shook his head to clear it. "Charlie you don't know what you're doing." He said, knowing she would never have started this if she hadn't been drunk.

She didn't seem to be listening as she tried to lean back into him, but Miles held firm. "You need to get in the car." He said; not sure if he was telling himself or her. "I need to take you home." He said, this time knowing it was her he was speaking to.

After a silent car ride, she was mostly asleep by the time he pulled into the driveway, so he half carried her as he helped her inside and to her room. Then got her into her bed.

Miles reached to the chair in the corner and grabbed the extra blanket that was kept there and laid it over her, lightly brushing the hair from her face and he frowned.

He had told her he knew she wasn't a kid anymore, but really, when had that happened? She had always just been Ben's kid, but now looking down at her as she slept, he didn't see that kid anywhere in her features. Instead, in her place was a beautiful young woman. A woman he could still taste on his lips. And she tasted like home.

…

Present Day…

Four years later and he would almost swear he could still taste her. Miles opened his mouth to tell Bass they should just go somewhere else, but all he got out was a groan when he noticed his friend already headed for Charlie's booth.

I completely loved writing Bass here. I see him being a bit of a comic relief for them. I hope you guys liked this version of Bass as much as I do. and I hope you liked "The Kiss" from Miles POV I loved writing that!

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