Chapter 25

A tear rolled down her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath trying to stop the tears that were coming freshly to her eyes. She smiled feeling the soft wind blowing her hair away from her face a little making her feel so much alive as a smile crept to her lips as finally the million tears that were to come were held back and long dried.

Two strong muscular arms slowly and gently were wrapped around her waist from behind instantly making her feel more relaxed as they pulled her back towards their chest. She opened her eyes her smile growing a lot bigger,

"Joe," she said as she tilt her head a little to take a glimpse of the older guy who was smiling back at her.

"Hey, Dems." He whispered.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him not moving a bit from the comfortable position.

"I could be asking you the same question." He smirked as she laughed and finally pulled away a little and turned to face him with his hands still around her waist.

"Well, I was visiting my grandparents." She said a little quietly as they both glimpsed at the cold stone now behind Demi with a sad expression.

He looked at the bright colored flowers newly positioned on the graves and smiled a small smile looking back at the girl in his arms, the girl he thought he wouldn't speak to ever again let alone hold like he's doing right now.

"I see you brought flowers too." He said amused.

"Yes, now you didn't tell me what you're doing here?"

"Well, you can visit them and I can't?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Just that?" she mumbled remembering the conversation she had with her cousins about letting out her feelings to Joe.

"Well, and I wanted to see a certain girl." He said as she couldn't help but blush at that.

"Who would that be?"

"Someone not smart enough." He huffed faking annoyance. "I want to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Let's just sit down first." He said and pulled her down with him as he sat crossing his legs and she mimicked his position facing him, both of them didn't even realize they were holding hands nor that Joe was playing with her fingers; if Demi had noticed she'd be blushing like a tomato.

"So…?" she asked.

"Well, you remember what happened, Dems." He said nervously as she suddenly noticed he was holding her hand only because he let go of it scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah," she gulped with her heart racing.

"Well, you remember how we used to be? I want you to know that none of that was fake, I was so sincere about my feelings with you, I never meant anything with Taylor… I know I was wrong with her, but with you, nothing felt more right."

She smiled at his nervousness knowing she's not the only one with a racing heart right now, "Really?" she bit her lip, "Well, Joe," she cleaned her throat, "I meant everything too, you were my first and only serious relationship."

"But, the thing is…" he started again after a while but trailed off.

"What?"

"I mean, I never stopped. Like, I never stopped having feelings for you, all this time…" there he said it.

She had her mouth slightly opened from the surprise, was he really telling her that he still likes her? All this time? That is a lot of time, he might have met some other girls, but he still likes her?

"I mean, it's okay if you don't feel the same way anymore, but the thing is-"

"Stop." She giggled. He looked over at her fear written all over his features.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Joe, stop. I like you too."

"I know, I know, you don- wait, what?"

"I like you, Joe. A lot. Never stopped either."

"You're not joking right?"

"No," she shook her head smiling and biting her lower lip.

"Demi! That's- really? Wow, I never expected that, I mean, I wished you'd somehow give me another chance, but not like really still having the same feelings. That's really… it means a lot." He stopped rambling and looked into her eyes finally leaning in for a kiss. It was soft and sweet just like old times, only a lot better.

XxXx

"Nick!" A loud bang on his door made him groan while parting his lips from his girlfriend's who was laying on his bed with him on top of her.

"Just a second." He yelled annoyed as Miley giggled at his face. He looked over at her and despite his annoyance he couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked with her messy hair. She fixed her hair as he buttoned his shirt and then went to open the door only for his annoyance to return seeing Delta at the door.

"Hey, Nick." She said pushing him a little to the side and entered the room, "What is she doing here?" she snapped as she saw Miley placing her hands over her hips in a protesting way.

"Me? What are you doing here?" Miley stood up angrily.

"I asked first." She smirked.

"Enough!" Nick gritted his teeth and held her arm roughly making her face him as she looked at him with shock.

"Ow, Nick, it hurts."

He let go of her arm and looked at her sending daggers through his eyes, "What happened to you? You were not like that, Delta. This is not the girl I fell for. You changed, do you really love money that much? God, you're unbelievable."

"I didn't change, Nick. You did."

"No," he shook his head in disbelief, "You just went all greedy on me. Well, to be honest, I thought I loved you, but in fact, it turned out to be I was wrong. This wasn't love. And definitely what you have isn't also, not to me anyway."

"Nick, I…"

"Save it, Delta, if you think we're going back then you're wrong." He snapped then sighed realizing how harsh that sounded, "Listen, money isn't everything, Delta, maybe me and you just don't belong together, but, don't blow a relationship over the material things."

Delta just stared at him for a while before rushing out of the room. Nick sighed and stepped towards Miley. "Are you okay?" Miley bi her lip.

"I should be the one asking that." He smiled at her.

"I'm fine."

"Hey, Miles." They both looked towards the door and saw her mother looking at her.

"Yes, mom?"

"Can I have a word with you?"

Miley looked over at Nick and put her hand over his chest, "I'll be back soon." She told him and he nodded at her with a smile as he rubbed her lower back giving her a peck on the lips.

Miley then followed her mother out and into her room, Demi wasn't there so they were both alone.

"Sit down, Miles." The older woman patted the place beside her on the bed as Miley followed confused. "I know we talk about that yesterday, but, Nick and Denise were there, and I want to have this talk again with you."

"What is it, mom?" She smiled thinking how grateful she was for having Miley call her 'mom' after everything. She's not her biological mother, just raised her, but still the girl called her 'mom'. She never had the bliss of giving birth to her own child, but somehow Miley was just enough.

"You and Nick," Miley instantly smiled upon hearing their names. "I trust you and everything, Miles, but, are you sure?"

"Sure of what exactly?"

"Of the whole 'I love you' thing, I mean, don't you think you're moving too fast?"

"Well, I know it was an extremely short interval of time until we committed the love, but, mom, really, you know I wouldn't have said this unless I meant it."

"I know, but, maybe you're just broken and confused that your imagination made you feel like it's love when it's not. I know very well that you had a lot going on with your life lately, and maybe just because you found reassurance with Nick you felt like that?"

"No, mom, I already thought about that, maybe we've rushed into saying that, maybe we should have waited, but, you saw how he said it, he was rambling, mom, doesn't that mean he meant it? Beside, me and Nick felt that way before even finding reassurance, I mean, yes, we were talking about our problems and all, but just as friends, when suddenly, we clicked and the chemistry began."

"Are you sure that it won't fade away with time? For both of you? You know, I don't want you to get hurt again-"

"I know, mom, but this is already something different, I could feel it's different from Jake, and he says it's different from Delta."

"Well, another thing, Jake and Delta, you two moved on pretty quickly from them both, which makes me even more worried."

"You know that the thing with Jake has been over for me for a while. And for Delta, well, maybe he did move on quickly, but he was already falling out of love –if that was even love."

"You seem sure."

"I am."

She sighed, "Just… be careful, Miles. I'll always be there for you, you know that."

"I will be, mom." She kissed her cheek as the woman pulled her in a side hug smiling.

"Well, another thing is your father…" she pulled away and looked at hr with such concern again.

"What about him?" Miley frowned not liking talking about him.

"He's not gonna let that go and you know that."

"What is he gonna do?" she rolled her eyes.

"Well, he might wait until you're home and lock you up there and force you to do what he want. That's the least of it."

"Well, I'm not going home then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we all decided to spend the few weeks left of summer here together, right?" she said referring to last night's late decision that the cousins had decided. "Well, after that I'm going off to college again, which is not at home and I'll just stay there." She shrugged.

"What about vacations?"

Miley thought for a moment and shrugged again, "Well just see when it comes to that point. Mom, I'm not going to let him control any other decision of my life, I've had enough. I'm turning twenty one soon and he'll no more have any lawful controlling over me."

"I'm not letting him control you either."

"I know you won't, mom." Once again the mother and the daughter shared a meaningful hug.

"Well, then, I've got you away from your boyfriend for a while now go-"

"MILEY!" An excited exclamation cut her off as they both looked at the door to see Selena rushing towards the door, "Oh, I'm sorry did I interrupt anything?" she said with the same wide smile still on her face.

"No, what's wrong?"

"DEMI AND JOE." She squealed loudly as Miley stood up.

"WHAT? Really?"

"Yup,"

"God, where the hell are they?"

"Downstairs,"

"Miles- oh, I see that I'm late." Nick said as he also came rushing to tell her the news. Well, by the look of it, everyone has been expecting that to happen and was just waiting for it.

"Yes, you're, Nicolas. Come on, let's see them." She said and ran outside with the other two as the older woman stood there chuckling, they were acting like teenagers, but that was just because they'd missed their teenage years together, so that was kind of them trying to make it up for that.

After an hour or so, when they were all gathered together for a change, Joe and Demi were sitting next each other holding hands while awkwardly everyone was looking at them, while Nick and Miley were cuddling secretly happy that they were not the center of attention for the first time since they got together.

"Guys, this is really creepy." Joe said as they laughed and chuckled.

"Well, you two look cute," Taylor smiled, you'd think she's not okay with that, but she was totally okay, she was so over Joe.

"Doesn't mean you wouldn't stop staring."

"Now you know how it felt." Nick told his brother with a smile as the older one groaned.

Denise and Lilly were finally having a serious talk. It was the first time in fifteen years that they actually talked, surprisingly there were even smiles into the conversation and some laughters.

Tish, Miley's mother, and Susan, Richard's wife were also involved in talk, it was weird how the two brothers hated each other while their wives didn't hold a guard against each other.

Kevin and Danielle were looking at his brothers gossiping about them and their new romances and how suddenly both of them just found a new relationship in that house.

Taylor, Selena, Liam, Justin, Nick and Miley were talking with each other, involving Joe and Demi some times and others the couple were just talking together.

Suddenly, everyone's head snapped towards Liam who stood up put of the blue indicating he has to leave.

"Where to?" there came the confused question.

"I have to go buy a ring and get my girlfriend down here to spend the rest of the summer and announce an engagement."

"Really?"

"You guys wanted to meet Jen, right?"

"Wow, that's great."

"Want a company, man?"

"Actually…"

"Oh, great, I'm just gonna come." Justin said standing up patting Liam's back.

"Thanks, dude."

"Liam, I'm really proud of you." His step mother told him proudly, after all, she was also the one who raised him and the mother of his two sisters, she loved him.

"Thanks." He smiled gratefully, "I'll be back by tomorrow." He said and left with Justin.

"That's great, isn't it?" Miley turned to Nick.

"It is."

"I'd love to see him proposing as she says yes." She said excitedly as he smiled at her, "Isn't that great, Nick? This house being ours?" she said as suddenly it hit her. She is dating Nick and they're having this big house as theirs, could it be possible that they'd grow up together and come and live in that house as a married couple? Just like their grandparents?

"Yes, Miley, it's really… something." He said glancing around.

"You wouldn't leave me, would you?"

He looked at her frowning, "Of course not, why'd you say that?"

She played with her hand thinking back to the conversation she had earlier with her mother, "Nothing, I mean, just maybe you'll realize you don't really love me."

"You think we're moving too fast?"

"No, I mean, well, you can't deny that it's a little too fast saying I love you after only a little over a week! Not that I'm complaining but-"

"I understand,"

"You do?"

"Yes, but, Mi, just know that I really mean it, we can just slow it down from now on and just act like a freshly starting couple." He said as she laughed.

"You know what, I want us just to act like we feel, no holding back feelings or pretending we're something when we're something else."

"Wise decision."

"Great then." She smiled as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I can imagine us living here one day together." He said and then looked at her to see her smile, "But not now, if you thought I'm already asking you to move in."

She laughed heartedly, "I know, Nick."

"Hey, guys, want to join in the game?" Kevin called for them while holding cards in his hand as the others were already gathered in a circle.

"Oh, yeah, what are you guys playing?" Nick said as they both rushed to take place between the others.

From a distance, Lila was watching the group while a smile pulled on her face; she was happy that they were finally a big happy family, containing the siblings' kind of love and the lovers' one. She knew that a big part of this was what she had done, even if it was wrong, but it was a big risk she had to take, because she only had one month to make them closer and keep her promise, and that was the only way in her mind.

Over that month, she's managed to grow closer to them herself, just without their acknowledge, she was sure there all the time knowing what's wrong or right with them, she just never spoke to them, but she liked them.

"Rest in peace, Mr. Albert."

A/N: Hey, guys, this was even longer than the last one, but I had to do it this long :D Well, I'm thinking of 2 options:

First, doing a sequel? I actually have some ideas for their future you know that they're finally a big happy family but they have to leave the house, like continuing on with their life and how it will be with everyone? In that case there will be a short epilogue next chapter. And the sequel will be a short story, I guess.. still not sure!

Second, No sequel and just explain their lives shortly in a long epilogue, which is also next chapter… in either cases, next chapter will be an epilogue which means the end of the story…

Well, you guys decide what's best.. after all, you're the ones who are going to read, so you guys decide, it's okay with me either cases :D :D

And don't forget telling me your opinion on this one… but plz tell me which option you'd rather so I know how to write next chapter :D