Sorry for the delay in updating.
Hope you are enjoying the story.
Chapter 12
Charlie walked out the french-doors, towards Miles. She was a few feet away from him when she stopped.
"Miles?" She could hear the nervousness in her own voice, she was apprehensive of what he was going to say.
Miles turned round at the sound of her voice. He was glad to see it was just Charlie, but the scared look in her eyes, he knew he had put that there; and hoped he could take it away. "Hey Charlie." he just looked at her.
They looked at each other for a few minutes. each waiting on the other to speak first.
"I …" Miles swallowed and started again "I am sorry Charlie. I never meant to hurt you. Believe me that last thing I would ever do is hurt you. I..." he looked into Charlie's eyes, " I really care for you." His looked into her eyes searching for any kind of hope.
Charlie looked at Miles, he could see confusion and anger in her eyes " You care for me?"
"Yeah I really do Charlie" after he said it he noticed Charlie's stance changed, she seemed really angry.
"Really Miles, after what was it you said, how did it go. Oh yeah "I don't want to be here. I was happy in Chicago. I don't love or care for a and I certainly do not trust..." Miles winced at hearing his words repeated back to him. "Sorry if it is a little hard for me to believe you care. Who were you going to say you didn't trust. Was it me?"
"Charlie how can you think that" Miles sounded dumbfounded that she could.
Charlie laughed at his comment, "How can I, quite easily actually. The way you have treated me lately I believe it was me you were going to say you did not trust, over you actually caring for me."
Miles stepped forward to take Charlie's hand, she lifted her hands and stepped backwards. Charlie saw the deflated look in Miles's eyes. He just saw the anger in hers. He stepped back.
"Charlie, I lo.. I do really care for you. I trust you with my life. You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I feel again."
"How can I believe you?" she whispered. "If you care so much how could you say those things? Push me away?" He could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"I loved you Miles. I would've done anything for you. Risked my life to save yours. But everything I have done lately, you have either dismissed me, or not trusted me. Connor has shown me more trust and respect than what you have lately." Miles's eyes darkened at the mention of Strausser 's name.
"Charlie, Strausser is just using you to get at me!"
Charlie could not stop the anger from showing in her voice, she could not help shouting at Miles. "Why does everything revolve around you? Monroe took Danny because of you, and Neville killed my father because of you; and now you believe Connor took me to get back at you. Some ego you have there Miles"
Miles winced at what she said he felt it was true. "You can not trust him Charlie"
"And I can trust you? You can't tell me the truth. At least Connor has not lied to me." Charlie knew she was pushing Miles's buttons, mentioning Connor. She smiled. "At least he tells me the truth about who he is and who he wants."
"He.." Miles started, but Charlie interrupted him. "Leave Connor out of this. It was you who said those things, and pushed me away. But thank you. You actually made me see the error of my ways."
Miles looked at Charlie confused "What do you mean?"
"That I was a trusting fool. Who means nothing to you. I wish you did care for me, and did not see me as a kid, but I know you never will. You do not need to stay here and pretend you want to help get Danny. Connor and I have spent the afternoon looking into ways to get Danny back. Connor is going to help me get Danny back so you can go back to Chicago or wherever you want to go." Charlie felt slightly better at getting what she was feeling off her chest.
Miles was shocked. Had he really done such a good job that she really thought all this. How can I get her to realise how I really feel. No matter how many times I tell her she doesn't believe me.
Miles did the only thing he could. He stepped forward and put his hand gently onto the side of Charlie's face, and cupped her face, he then kissed her.
Charlie was shocked, one minute Miles looked shocked and hurt, then the next thing she knew Miles was kissing her.
Miles knew this was the right thing to do, he could feel her relaxing into him, accepting his kiss and kissing him back with passion. He pulled her closer so she could feel the effect she was having on him.
Charlie didn't know how long they had kissed, but she broke the kiss, and stepped back. She could see the emotion in Miles eyes, the lust, wanting and desire. It mirrored her own.
"Miles." Charlie started slightly breathless. "Miles, I don't understand how can you kiss me like that, and say all those things?"
Miles smiled at Charlie "Because I want you Charlie."
"Then why have you never shown me before? Why say those things at the camp? It really hurt feeling I meant nothing to you? That I was only a kid in your eyes, your long-lost irritating niece" her eyes filled up and she whispered "You no longer trusted me" All the hurt was in her voice and her eyes. "Why did you ignore me when I walked into the room earlier? Connor and Aaron at least acknowledged I had walked into the room. You looked like you never even noticed I was there!"
"I did. What I mean; I was speechless when you walked into the room earlier. You look amazing, if I had moved from the table you and everyone else would've seen what you do too me, especially wearing that dress." She blushed slightly, he laughed and took a step forward cupped her face again and looked into her eyes.
"Charlie from the moment you walked into the bar all those months ago I have never seen you as a kid. Until you said who you were I was thinking who is this beautiful young woman?"
"Then why lately do you refer to me as "kid", have I not shown you I am no longer the niece you once knew" she asked him questionably
"Because if I didn't I would not be able to stop the feelings I have for you. I am nearly 10 years older than you Charlie!"
"Age means nothing it is just an excuse. Is it more to do with you being my uncle?" She gave Miles a quizzical look.
Miles let Charlie go and wiped his hand over his face. It was now or never. He had to tell her.
He took Charlie's hand and looked at her "Ben was not my brother Charlie" she looked at him confused Miles took a deep breath "I am not your uncle" He watched the shock enter Charlie's eyes. She then released his hand, and it then connected with his face.
"What the hell Charlie" God she had some weight behind that slap, he was just glad it was not her fist.
"You waited all these months before telling me? Why now? Yes it is true?"
"I think I should start at the beginning, lets sit down"
Charlie stood still "No I think I will just stand" Miles looked at Charlie. "I really think would be better if we sat down."
Charlie looked puzzled and concerned, what could he being going to tell me?
They walked over towards the table, which was just out of view of the window of the dining room, something Miles was quite glad about.
"Ok, please remember, that what I tell you does not change how I feel for you, that I want you." Charlie was back to being unreadable.
"I have always tried to see you as my niece, but I have also had feelings for you which I knew was not just uncle and niece. You had me wrapped round your finger when you were younger" He winked at her "You still do. But as we both got older I realised that it was not a faze that I wanted to spend time with you, made excuses to come and see Ben, so I could see you. So I joined the Army. It was the hardest thing not being able to see you, but when I came home you were always so pleased to see me. You would coming running out the house when ever I was back. That always brought my feelings for you back, which truthfully had never went away, just pushed deep down. You do not know how much control I had. It was the thought of Ben killing me if I done anything that helped, he was in all sense my brother and I loved him and could not do that to him. But you are amazing you gave me hope, and you see the good in me that I had given up on a long time ago ever getting back. You got into my heart and I could not let you go. "
Charlie just looked at him, trying to keep from showing anything in her face "So tell me how you are not my uncle. I do remember you from when I was little."
Miles took a deep breath, god he wished he had some whiskey, a good malt.
"When I was about 8 years old, my parents were killed in a car crash. I was adopted by Ben's parents. After they had your father; they had trouble trying to get pregnant again. So they decided to adopt, so they picked me. I always saw them as my parents as I was growing up. My biological ones were not good people. I think if they had not been killed in the crash, they would have been arrested and I would have ended up in care anyway." Miles watched Charlie to see if she was going to say anything.
"So why did no one ever mention it? Why did you never tell me before?"
"I was scared Charlie. I didn't think you could handle the truth. After learning I helped start all this was bad enough" He saw for the first time emotion in her eyes, and it scared him.
"What gives you the right to decided what I can or can not handle?" Charlie was angry. "Have I not proven myself to you, that I was loyal that I cared for you, and what you did with Monroe was in the past. That I actually trusted you. But you didn't trust me enough with something that I actually had a right to know about"
Charlie stood up and walked away from him. Feel so hurt that he didn't trust her. She turned around. If she was not that angry at him she would have went to him seeing the anguish on his face. But she had to stay strong "So any other secrets you have not told me?"
He thought for a moment, but decided against telling her about Connor at the moment. He just shook his head. Not trusting his voice. She nodded and turned away from him, staring out into the night sky.
He put his hands into his head, god I really know how to screw things up. One minute she is nearly back to me and then I ruin it. He decided he had to try to fix this, no matter how much it took. Connor was not getting her.
Charlie felt Miles walking up behind her. She tensed waiting to see if he would touch her "So you have had no excuse for having feelings for me. So now you tell me that you're not my uncle, after months of pushing me away, when you knew how I felt."
She turned, and noticed he was closer than she realised, but she was not going to step back and show him how he still effected "Do you really want me, or is it just because Connor is showing interest in me that you say you do? Are you jealous of Connor?"
Miles kissed Charlie before she moved out of his reach. He could feel her fighting him, and then giving into her desires. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, loving that he could see the want and lust in her eyes that he felt which gave him hope that all was not lost.
"Charlie, When that man took you and tied you up in that room. My heart stopped when I saw how close that arrow had came when we came into the room. But what eats away at me is when you went onto the boat. I knew I should not of let you talk me into letting you go." Miles lifted Charlies hand and rubbed her scar with his thumb, then looked back into her eyes. "When I saw you locked in that cell. I knew then that I coud no longer hide my feelings. I could not stand you being hurt. Seeing the mark, it made me realise it was my fault it had been put there. I had not protected you when I should of" He kissed her scar.
"So I started calling you kid. To remind myself I should not want you, that I should push you far away as people I love get killed or hurt. I didn't want you out of my sight in case something else happened to you. I wanted to be there to protect you." He looked into her eyes. "Truthfully, maybe I am jealous of Strausser. But that has made me see how stupid I have been to deny us both what we want. I would take you upstairs now and show you how I really feel; and how much I love and want you. But I don't think that would solve anything, well one thing it would. But I am not sleeping with you with Strausser in the same house"
Charlie looked into Miles eyes she was shocked that he had said he loved her, but she could not let that sway her, she was not sure he had realised he had said it. "Miles, I need time to digest everything you have told me. That everyone I loved has lied too me! I really don't know how I feel. Just give me a little time to sort out how I feel. You really hurt me and I don't know if I can really trust you as I once did. Everyone I loved has lied to me. I honestly do not know how I feel other than confused."
Miles gave Charlie a smile and a kiss, to show her how he felt "I know, but just remember that I do want you. I will earn your trust back. Just give me a chance is all I ask"
Charlie just nodded at his request. "Can you make my excuses to everyone. I just want to have sometime to myself" she squeezed his hand" Goodnight Miles. Thank you for finally being honest with me"
He watched her walk around along the terrace and head out of sight around the house. He was glad he was getting a second chance. He was now hoping he had done the right thing and not mention his brothers...
Authors Note
Sorry was longer than first intended. Working on next chapter as you read
