So this chapter took longer than I wanted it to to get posted. I had it all planned out since the beginning, basically, but it took me a little longer than i liked to get the time to sit down and work on it.

But here it is, all finished for your enjoyment. We have an epilogue left after this and then this story is finished.

I hope you all like it, thanks for reading. :)


Miles found Ben in the den. If he had even the slightest hope that he could fix things with Charlie, he needed to talk to Ben. He needed him to know what was going on in Miles head.

"Hey, you busy?" Miles asked as he stepped into the room.

Ben shook his head and looked up from his computer. "No, not really, what's up?" Ben asked, motioning for Miles to sit down.

Miles sat down and shrugged. "Nothing much." He said.

Ben raised a brow. "I noticed you and Charlie were talking again." He said and Miles nodded. "Yeah, she uh, decided to just not be mad at me anymore." He said with a light chuckle.

Ben nodded with a smile. "Good, I'm glad." He said. "Now what do you really want Miles? I know you; you didn't just come in here to hang out for a while."

Miles sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "OK, this is gonna sound cliché and stupid." He said and Ben shrugged. "Things become cliché because they happen often, and they happen often because they matter."

Miles nodded. "Alright, how did you know Rachel was the one?" he asked in a rush to get it out.

Ben raised his brows and looked at Miles, almost as if he knew exactly who Miles was thinking about. "She told me." He finally said.

It was Miles turn to raise his brows. "What?"

Ben chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, she told me. I was too worried about ruining our working relationship, and finally she asked me out and a couple weeks later she told me she loved me and then finally she asked me when I was going to ask her to marry me." He shrugged again and laughed. "I was pretty stupid not to see what was right in front of my face, but when I did, I knew I couldn't let her go. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me."

Miles nodded, looking thoughtful and Ben once again studied him as he sat there. "So who's the lucky woman?" he finally asked.

Miles shrugged. "Nobody." He said Ben cocked one brow. Miles sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah ok, there's somebody, but I'm not sure how to fix things." He said.

Ben nodded. "Alright, what did you do?"

Miles smirked. "I didn't really see what was right in front of my face." He said, one brow raised and Ben laughed.

Miles smirked again and rolled his eyes. "Most of my life I've had either you or Bass to set the example, I'm a bit emotionally stupid." He said and Ben laughed again.

"Yeah I guess we should be happy you've turned out as adjusted as you have." He said before turning serious again.

"Alright, well; do you love her?" Ben asked.

Miles sat there for a moment, thinking about the question, and then he nodded. "Yeah, I do." He said; a slight smile on his face.

"Have you told her?" Ben asked.

Miles shook his head. "No."

Ben rolled his eyes and stood up and walked around his desk to stand in front of the man that had always been like a little brother to him. "Then go and tell her." he said.

Miles shook his head. "I don't think it's going to be that easy to fix things, I was really stupid." He said.

Ben shrugged. "You know, I have a feeling she's already stopped being mad at you." He said and Miles looked up at him and furrowed his brows.

Ben reached out and laid a hand on Miles shoulder. "I just want you to know; no matter what happens, with you and this woman," he said and looked Miles in the eye, making sure he was really listening. "or with you and Charlie, nothing will ever change the fact that you're family." He said. "Do you understand?"

Miles nodded. "Yeah." He said, thinking for the first time since coming into the room, that they were finally on the same page.

Somehow, Ben knew, and was telling him it was ok.

Miles stood up and clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Thanks for this, I think I need to go have a talk with somebody now." He said and Ben watched him leave the room.

And he wondered to himself, just how long it would be before that man became an official member of the family.

Miles found Charlie in the kitchen. It seemed they were destined to have all their important conversations in this room.

"Can we talk?" Miles asked as he leaned against the counter by where Charlie stood fixing a glass of iced tea.

Charlie nodded and sat the tea pitcher down. "Sure, what's up?" she asked.

"Lastnight," Miles started out. "you said you had been in love with me." He said and Charlie only nodded. "Are you still?" he asked, not really sure he wanted the answer.

When she shook her head, Miles felt as if he were going to be sick until she spoke. "Nope, that's not how this is going to go." She said. "You can't just ask me that and expect and answer without giving me anything first.

"It might be childish, but I deserve for you to put yourself out there and tell me how you feel without knowing how I'll respond." She said.

Miles nodded. "You're right. You do deserve that." He said, but then he shrugged and shook his head once. "but there aren't really words to describe it."

Charlie shook her head again. "Then get as close as you can." She said and he smiled slightly, knowing that excuse wasn't going to fly with her.

"Alright, but I've never done this before, so bear with me." He said.

Miles sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I care about you more than I ever have with anyone else." He shook his head once. "I didn't expect it or plan for it. It happened in a moment. It was sudden and it consumed me." He said.

Charlie raised her brows, not having expected this kind of explanation.

"One minute you were this kid I'd always known, and the next you were everything I have always wanted all wrapped up in a pretty bow standing in front of me." Miles said, finding the words coming easier than he had expected.

"You already know why I avoided you all this time, but what you don't know, is that there wasn't a single day that went by that I didn't wish I were a better man, a man that was worthy of someone like you."

Charlie realized her mouth was hanging open and she snapped it shut and Miles smiled and reached out to brush his thumb over her chin.

"I love you." He said and she sucked in a shuddering breath. "And if you don't love me right now, that's ok." He said and Charlie raised her brows in question.

Miles shrugged slightly. "I don't want to keep your heart if you don't want me too. I just want you to be happy, and if that's not with me, I'll have to accept that because it's my fault for walking away in the first place."

Miles took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh and nodded once. "So there you have it, I love you." He said.

Charlie didn't say anything and Miles opened his mouth, not sure what more he was going to say, when she suddenly took a step forward, putting herself directly in front of him.

She reached up and slipped her hand behind his head to the back of his neck and pulled his head towards her as she raised up to meet him. Her mouth finding his.

And just like that, after all this time. He was home again.

"Finally I swear I thought I was going to have to lock you two in a room."

They pulled apart and looked toward the doorway to see Danny standing there and Charlie chuckled as Miles glared at him.

"Kid, get lost." Miles said.

Danny rolled his eyes and headed past them to the back door and Charlie laughed.

"Where were we?" Miles asked as he turned back to Charlie.

She smiled. "You were telling me how much you loved me." She said.

Miles cocked his head slightly as he leaned closer to her. "Actually, I think we already covered that." He said as he claimed her lips once again.


Yay! Finally! That man was driving me crazy with all his hemming and hawing around...lol

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