A/N: Fun fact - this chapter was not in my original story when I first published. Like I said when I went back to this fic a couple weeks ago I added some more things to the later chapters, wrote an epilogue and wrote this chapter in between the previous and next one. I felt like I rushed to the next chapter from the last one and there needed to be a filler chapter in between the two. So yeah. This is a filler chapter lol Enjoy?

~XXX. Back To Normal~

~i. All Children Grow Up~

When Finn and Rose returned from their trip that Sunday, as promised Poe took Rey over to give the ladies much needed 'girl talk' while the men ran errands for their movie night and sleepover. Finn opted to pick up dinner and drop by the store to buy an excessive amount of wine for the ladies and action movies for the guys that evening. As for Poe, he was tasked to head over to Ben's loft to finally pick up Rey's things.

"I can't believe Rey - a woman - only owns these many clothes!" Poe said as he lugged the three medium-sized luggage bags from the bedroom down the hall. He was amazed to learn that all her belongings fit into just three suitcases.

"Yeah well what can you expect? She moved around a lot when she was younger, remember?" Ben figured Poe knew of Rey's fostered youth.

"True," his friend nodded. He stood in the living room with Ben looking around the immediate area. "Did she have anything else?"

"Yeah, just a few things on the shelf over there." He pointed at the wall.

He knew that Rey wouldn't be the one to stop by to gather her things, but Ben still dreaded the day her stuff would be removed from the loft. It just meant that it was really over, and she was completely out of his life.

"Hey man, do you want a beer?" He asked Poe as he walked to the kitchen. He couldn't even bare to look at her things. Yeah, it was that bad.

"You know I'll never say no to a beer," Poe hollered.

He quickly grabbed the things he figured belonged to Rey on the bookshelf – most likely the 'British' novels and the photos with her parents and their friends. He picked up the Vegas photo that she and Ben framed and observed it for a moment. He was debating if he should take the photo for Rey to have a memento of this whole ordeal. As much as she says she wants to move on, her friends knew she was still desperate to hold on. My oh my were they drunk out of their minds in this photo. But even a stranger could tell there was a spark between them. Poe chuckled a bit and placed it back on the shelf. He figured Ben should keep this memento since they spent the six months in this loft together.

Once he packed up the books and photos, he got up and walked over to the kitchen island, accepting the cold beverage from his friend.

"Thank god you're done with the whole no alcohol thing too! I mean I got to hand it to you both, you guys stuck it through!" he chuckled.

"Yeah well, I don't see a reason to keep going with that," Ben said before taking a swig.

Poe nearly choked on his beer.

"Whoa man, you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," he coughed, trying to clear his throat. "It's just… Rey literally said the same thing the other night when we were taking shots."

"You two were taking shots?" Ben didn't mean to sound intrusive.

"Don't worry Ben, I would never sleep with my friend's ex-wife," he teased.

"What are you talking about?" Ben tried to be coy.

"Alright," Poe hummed. "I'll just ignore your green-eyed scowl at me just now," he smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Poe," Ben dismissed his friend.

Oh Ben, you're so transparent, Poe thought to himself. After a couple moments of sipping their beers in silence, Poe decided to speak up. Maybe he could get something out of Ben like he did with Rey.

"Seriously, man. How are you holding up?"

Ben sighed, knowing Poe wasn't going to leave without talking to him about her. He spent all weekend talking about it with his parents, Hux and Phasma. It's like they didn't understand that talking about it hurt more than it helped.

"I'm peachy," he said sarcastically.

"Peachy you say?"

"Yep, just peachy… Never better," he said dully.

Poe rolled his eyes. Alright Solo looks like I'm going to have to squeeze it out of you.

"Do you remember that time when we did that stupid dare at the farmer's market when we were like 13?"

"Oh you mean when Wes Janson tricked us into skating over a stack of orange crates?"

"Yup. Only to have him throw peaches at us and we lost our balance and knocked over Maz Kanata's stack of apples?"

"Oh yeah," Ben winced at that memory. "My mom gave us both a long lecture because she was friends with Maz."

"I could still feel your dad's headlock on my right shoulder," Poe shuddered at the memory of their horrible punishment.

"Dude, me too!" Ben said. "I swear he could have dislocated my shoulder because it hurt for weeks."

"Fucking Janson. Why did we ever listen to him?" Poe snickered.

"Because he was a year older than us and we thought he was cool," Ben replied.

"We were so wrong though because he was not a good influence."

Poe and Ben laughed at that memory.

"Dude we were such little shits back then," Poe chuckled.

"Yeah that's an understatement," Ben agreed.

"I honestly didn't think I'd ever get my act together."

"Yeah well… we all got to grow up some time, right?"

Poe paused for a second, contemplating what Ben just said.

"I don't know, am I really a grown up? I'm an adult legally, but shit, I can't take a real moment seriously without cracking in a joke or two."

"Well you're talking to me pretty seriously, that's a good sign. And you own a bar, Poe. That's a very mature and adult thing to be a business owner."

"Ben, I own a place with access to alcohol let's be real…"

They both laughed.

"Hey just because you're an adult doesn't mean you have to stop having fun or being happy."

"I'll drink to that!"

They clinked bottles and took a swig of their beers. Ben thought about his own maturity for a second.

"Do you… do you think I've grown up?" Ben mumbled. "Like changed since we were kids?"

"I don't know, dude. You were like six feet tall since eighth grade. You've always been a giant to me," Poe kidded.

Ben laughed along with him.

"Come on, man. I'm asking for real."

Poe knew this was his chance to get Ben to open up candidly.

"Well the way I see it, the only way we can grow is if we change. That's not to say that we have to be different people than our true selves. But we grow into the people we were meant to me."

"Ah so I guess I'm a loser."

"No," Poe chucked Ben on the shoulder. "You're a good person."

"A good person?" Ben wasn't convinced.

"Yes dude, you are. And you're caring too. Remember when I showed up here super sloshed and you took care of me?"

"That was more Rey than me doing the caring."

"You helped too. And I heard you tell Rose you would have rather had me here with you guys than alone at my apartment. That's a true friend right there. Real mature," he pointed.

"Yeah well I can't risk you gallivanting around Los Angeles in the middle of the night with your chatty drunk ass. You know too many embarrassing stories of my childhood," Ben joked.

"I would never tell anyone about our youthful escapades!" Poe laughed along.

"Yes you would! You're a chatty drunk!"

"See, and this is why you were a good friend and kept me for the weekend," he laughed.

"I guess," Ben shrugged.

"You also helped me with Kaydel," Poe reminded him. "I talked to her once I left here and we agreed to be friends. Now we're going steady. Well, we're trying again with the whole dating thing. She's giving me another chance."

"Good for you, man," he genuinely smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm so lucky. I just don't want to screw this up," Poe confessed.

Ben looked down at his beer bottle, picking at the label while deep in thought.

"Hey, at least you're getting a second chance."

Poe looked over at his suddenly melancholy friend.

"Erm… Are we still talking about Kaydel or… someone else?" he treaded lightly.

Ben sighed. He couldn't hide this from Poe. He was the only one who really knew both sides of the story and both people in this 'relationship'.

"I fucked up, dude."

Well he admitted something, Poe thought. That's a start.

"Yeah well… I could've told you that," he lightly joked.

Ben sulked in his seat. No use denying it. He did mess up.

"Hey man, don't beat yourself up too much. It's not entirely your fault. You and Rey both said things in the heat of the moment," Poe tried to console him.

But Ben shook his head in disagreement.

"No. I started the fight. I pissed her off. Said stupid shit. Pushed her away."

"Come on, Ben. Don't say that."

"I missed my chance with her, didn't I?"

"No you didn't, buddy. If you still care, there's still a chance."

Ben got up and started pacing around the kitchen. Was there really still a chance? Did he deserve one?

"You know what... Come to think of it I never even got a real first chance with her. Why even bother asking for a second one?" he asked his friend.

"Because you two deserve a chance. Period."

"I don't know, man. It's just gotten too complicated, nothing left to salvage from it."

"If you say so," Poe said plainly.

He looked at his friend quizzically.

"What, you think there is?"

"Ben of course I do. We all do!" Poe exclaimed. "It's just you two that refuse because you're both so damn stubborn!"

It's not like he hadn't heard that before. His parents, Hux and Phasma mentioned it to him all weekend. Even he couldn't deny how pigheaded he had become this whole week.

"I'm scared, Poe," Ben confessed. "I didn't want to hurt her, but I ended up doing it anyways. I was too scared to take that chance."

"Ben," Poe sighed. "If you're not scared, then it's not a chance worth taking. It doesn't make you weak, man. It makes you brave. You have to be scared when you take chances, otherwise what the hell are you doing?"

"Honestly, I just don't want to risk getting rejected anymore. I'm tired, man. I'm tired of gambling my own hopes, my own feelings only to lose it all."

Poe thought for a moment.

"Maybe this wasn't only about you gambling on yourself."

"What do you mean?" Ben was a bit confused by his friend's words.

"Maybe it was also about you gambling on Rey. I mean think about it, Ben. Was she worth taking a risk? Is she still worth it?"

~ii. It's OK To Take A Break~

Once they were officially separated, things went back to normal - at least as best as it could. Almost two weeks have passed since Rey moved out of the loft. She was crashing on Rose's couch once more but promised to soon find a place to live. Rose of course didn't mind. She would have preferred Rey to be there instead of alone in an empty apartment, especially during this rough time once again.

Ben came clean to Han on the day of the court appearance, and as much as Han wanted to berate his son some more, he felt empathetic and decided against it. That talk at the bar really helped him see his son at a better light. Leia on the other hand was livid. She wasted no mercy and chided him for his foolishness, for his lying, and for hurting Rey. Never mind his poor decisions in Vegas. Leia only cared about the broken heart his son put on himself and his now ex-wife.

As for Rey, the only person she didn't come clean to yet was her boss and anyone else at work who knew about Ben. But she had some time there as Lando was on a business trip for the next month. As good as that was for her, it only meant that Rey would have to face Leia eventually as their business dealings were still ongoing.

Rey moved from a semiprivate shared office to an upper level corner space of her own when her promotion was official. Snap of course was furious, but at the end of the day he now reported to Rey. That was a sweet victory the day Lando informed him of the new management structure. Rey was able to keep Jess and Jannah as her assistants, and their desks were moved in front of her new office as well.

It was the start of the new school year and their youth program was opening in less than a week with a record 2,000 registrants that signed up. It wasn't as big of a number of say the YMCA, but for a tiny nonprofit it was a milestone. Leia's company, Skywalker Enterprises, was certainly to credit as her partnership with Cloud City was to offer full financial support to over 500 kids in the program. It was the most generous gift any benefactor had ever offered. Luckily, the contract had been signed prior to the incident with Ben, but Rey knew she'd have to speak with Leia someday soon to follow up their partnership.

She didn't think that day would be today. Nor did she think it would have to be in person…

The day started the same - read new contracts, approve benefactor list, and follow up with current accounts. With this promotion it meant more work and more hours spent at the office. Though Rey didn't mind one bit. She was finally doing what she wanted at her job and was loving every second of it. She also took advantage of staying busy with her job so she wouldn't have to think of Ben. It was already hard enough that she never had any real sleep at night when her thoughts haunted her of the man that was once her husband. She didn't want any more of a distraction during the day.

She kept herself busy the entire day until a random knock came from her door.

"Yes?" Rey said, not looking up from a contract she was reviewing.

"Hey Rey, did you have a meeting today for 4 PM?" Jess asked her.

"I don't think so, do I?" She put the stack of papers down, checking the calendar on her computer. There was something blocked off, but she couldn't remember what for.

"Apparently you do. Jannah buzzed me from the lobby saying Leia Solo's here to meet with you."

SHIT.

Rey froze in her seat, staring blankly at her assistant. Jess didn't know that Leia Solo was the mother of Rey's husband. Well, ex-husband now.

"I don't remember Lando telling us she would drop by while he's away on business. Do you want me to reschedule with her until he gets back?"

"…N-no. No. It's fine. I'm technically in charge of that account," Rey said to her. "Um… yeah, bring her in."

Okay be cool. Be cool, Rey. I mean, you're just meeting the woman who welcomed you to her family, called you her daughter-in-law, and oh right who you lied to for six months!

Rey panicked. No, that was just putting it lightly. She was having an anxiety attack. Quickly, she tidied up her desk and tried to busy herself, anticipating the inevitable confrontation with the woman who might expose Rey's secret to her boss and cost her this job.

Crap, I never thought about that. Welp… there goes my career.

Rey heard Jess making small talk with Leia as she escorted her to her new office.

"Oh yeah, Rey's doing so great as the new director. We're all so happy she got promoted over Snap," Jess giggled.

"Well, she's definitely a determined worker, that's for sure," she heard Leia say.

They reached her door and Rey met face-to-face with Leia for the first time since the court dealings.

"Rey," she calmly said. Dear God the agony of wondering what her simple tone meant.

Rey stood up from her seat and hastily walked around her desk towards the door.

"Leia, hello," she said curtly.

"Girl, you never told us Ben's mom is Leia Solo!" Jess exclaimed. "No wonder you two got along quick!" she said of Leia's professional relationship with her boss.

"She tries to be modest at work," Leia answered for her.

Well played, Leia. Well played.

"Thanks Jess. Can you shut the door on your way out?" Rey said quickly, wanting to get this confrontation over with.

"No problem, Rey. See ya."

All too soon, the two women were left alone in her office.

Rey didn't move. She was sure Leia knew everything on the count of Han showing up to their court appearance. There were so many things she wanted to say to Leia. Most importantly, she was full of remorse for lying.

"U-uhm," she tried clearing her voice, but the nerves we so evident. "Please, sit down."

In her new office, there were two armchairs at the corner of the room for casual discussions. She and Leia each took a seat. Leia remained quiet and poised, with an unreadable expression. Not that Rey was actually looking at her. She averted her eyes whenever she happened to glance over at the older woman. Rey was fidgeting with her thumbs again, a nervous hack of hers.

"Rey," Leia said again. This time, Rey looked at her. Square in the eyes. It was the most difficult thing she'd ever done. "You know why I'm here. And it's not because of work."

Time to face the music.

"Leia, I'm so-"

"Sorry?" she finished for her. "What exactly are you sorry about, dear?"

Her term of endearment crushed Rey. Even after knowing what she and Ben did, Leia was… nurturing her. But what exactly was she sorry for? Because she admitted to Poe the night that he babysat her - with the help of plenty of alcohol - that she didn't regret the time she spent with Ben. No matter the unfortunate outcome.

"I'm- I'm sorry for not being the person you thought I was…" she lowered her head in profound shame. It took all of her might to not shed a tear in front of this woman.

"I've always thought you were smart, headstrong, and confident," she lifted Rey's chin to meet her gaze. "And I still think you're all those things, Rey."

Leia's smile was gentle. She was showing her no contempt. It was at that moment Rey realized that she wasn't there to yell at her or worse, take back her business. Leia was there simply to see how she was doing.

"B-but I lied to you. We lied about everything," Rey was on the verge of tears. She couldn't accept any compliments. Not because of this. Especially not from Leia Solo.

"The only lie I saw was the one you two made for yourselves."

"Huh?"

"Dear, I'm a wife and a mother. There was something between you and my son, whether you care to admit it or not," she pointed.

"Right," Rey replied. Everyone saw it. That was for sure. "So, you're not mad at me?"

"Can't be mad at someone who made my son happy," she smiled at her.

"Leia," Rey blushed. She couldn't take how nice she was being to her.

"Honestly, Rey. You and Ben need to stop punishing yourselves. So you got married by accident. It's all over now. No one's blaming you two for anything."

"I guess not…"

"So please stop wearing yourself down because of this."

"I know, it's just… I don't know. I'm distracted. I'm not feeling myself. I'm still jumbled in the head about the whole thing," she sighed.

"I get that. But don't keep it all jumbled in. It's not healthy."

"You're right," she agreed. "But it's the only way I ever knew how to cope with things. I know it looks like I'm making excuses but… I just..."

"Don't tell me what things look like. Tell me what they are."

"I think I'm just tired, that's all. The mental and physical exhaustion has caught up to me," she replied.

A bit of silence passed between them.

"Did you ever love my son?" Leia asked out of nowhere.

Rey looked at her, shocked. She wasn't sure what the right thing to say was at that moment. She wasn't even sure how to answer it truthfully.

"It doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"Of course it does. It always matters."

"Honestly, Leia. I'm too afraid to answer that question to anyone," she admitted.

"Why is that?" Leia frowned.

"Because… I think I'm scared to know if he loved me back."

Rey let out a tired sigh. Finally, the truth came out.

"I understand, dear." she nodded.

The ambiguity Rey tried to protrude couldn't have been any clearer. Leia completely understood. She and Rey felt a bit at ease for the first time that afternoon. The two ladies sat comfortably in silence for a bit.

"So, um…." Rey was nervous to ask her question.

"You can ask me, go ahead. I won't bite," the older woman lightly chuckled.

"How's Ben doing?" she was finally able to say.

"Oh you know my son, he's coping the only way he knows how. By shutting us out. He's probably opened up to you more than he's ever opened up to anyone."

"I'm sure he talks to you about things. Hux and Phasma too."

"Of course he does, but he's very selective." Leia said. "And don't think I didn't notice your brief interactions. My son trusted you. It only makes sense that he was able to open up to you with ease."

"So he hasn't talked to anyone since?"

"He's spoken to me and Han. Technically Han forced him to tell us everything. And I know his friends are consoling him the best they can. The most we got out of him these past couple weeks was that he showed up to dinner last night with his friends. I don't think he's left the loft since."

"Oh…"

"If it helps, dear. He seems to be alright. He's keeping himself busy with his pilot's exam."

"That's great to hear. I really hope he gets it."

"Me too. That way Ben and Han would stop arguing about it."

"Well Ben loves the pilot life. I'm sure he'll get his license soon."

"I just hope he doesn't give up again. He said something last night that none of us were quite sure what he meant."

"Oh?" Rey was curious.

"Han offered him his old job back for the time being," Leia shared. "But Ben refused saying something along the lines of not doing anything and being happy over doing something he doesn't love. Something like that. It was a bit ambiguous, but he didn't elaborate on it."

Rey smiled to herself. She knew exactly what he said. She had told him those words all those months ago…

*Flashback to dinner at Han and Leia's the night before*

"It's so great that you all get to have dinner with us tonight," Leia acknowledged Ben and his friends.

Ben had not left his loft ever since the day of the court appearance. Han took him to a bar so he could try to console his son. Then later Leia met them at the loft, and he made Ben explain the whole story to them again. After a very long discussion - with yelling and crying from Leia - eventually his parents hugged him and left, leaving Ben to cope his own way. The next day, Hux and Phasma came over so he could talk to them, though he didn't say much. Instead, they stayed over and dropped by every day for the next two weeks to ensure he didn't fall into a deep depression. The only time he left his apartment was on his assigned testing day for his pilot's exam. By some miracle, Ben passed with flying colors. All those months of studying with Rey paid off. His friends wanted to go out and celebrate but of course Ben declined.

After much convincing, Ben decided to come out from his self-isolation and go with Hux and Phasma to his parents' house for dinner that evening. Not only was it a subtle way to celebrate his achievement, but Hux made a good point that if he didn't see his parents any time soon, they'd make the trek to his loft. So he grudgingly obliged.

"Thanks for inviting us for dinner tonight, Leia. That was very kind of you," Phasma said.

"Well it was the only way Ben would come," Han grunted. "But we like you kids so it's certainly the more the merrier!"

"Appreciate that, sir," Hux chuckled.

Phasma helped Leia bring over the dishes and everyone dug in. Ben may have accepted to come to dinner, but that didn't mean he was in the mood to be chatty. He stayed quiet for most of the meal while the others engaged in small talk.

"So Hux, how's that that tenure thing going at the Academy?" Han asked.

"It's going well, sir. A different feeling, but it helps me be more at ease with my research knowing I've got the full support of the university."

"That's great," Leia said to him. Then she turned to Phasma. "And what about you, dear? How's everything?"

"It's going well," Phasma said. "I'm finally done with my portfolio that I'm able to send it to more firms. Hopefully I'll get picked up by a company, but until then I've got enough freelance work to keep me busy."

"I could always use a photographer for our community events," Leia suggested.

"Count me in anytime!" the two women clinked wine glasses.

It was hard not to notice Ben's silence and it was getting difficult to even get him to talk. Leia nudged Han to make a gesture for the sake of everyone at the table.

"Erm, ahemmm," he cleared his throat roughly. Even Ben couldn't ignore it as he looked up from his half-eaten steak at his father.

"So, uh… how's everything with you, son? How's that pilot class thing going?"

Ben leaned back in his seat and smeared the mashed potatoes on his plate with his fork, not wanting to talk, but knowing he'd have to say something so he can hurry up and end the conversation.

"It's still going, Dad," Ben answered simply.

Leia, Hux and Phasma sat quietly as the two Solo men continued their forced discussion.

"Okay, where are you in your studying? Have you done any of the exams yet?"

"I just passed the written test."

"Honey that's great," Leia patted her son's hand. He looked at her, weakly smiling in appreciation.

"Good for you, son," Han was actually impressed. Ben never made it this far in the past. It was a real achievement. "Who's helping you with your training hours?"

"I called Wedge at the airfield to help me out if you don't mind. I'll pay for the rental of a craft too."

"Don't worry about it, son."

"Thanks," he said plainly.

"How many hours do you need before going on a checkride?" Han asked him.

"About 40 hours," Ben said. "Wedge is pretty busy, but he'll open up his schedule for me soon. 'Til then, I'll probably keep studying for the oral exam. Maybe get all my hours done in a month or two."

"I'll tell you what, son. Why don't you come back to the airfield and take your old job back? That new guy Randy isn't the brightest apple. I could sure use you in the control tower again. That way you've got stuff to do while you study for your next exams."

"Oh sweetheart that's a wonderful idea," Leia said to her husband. She turned to her son. "What do you say, Ben?"

Ben thought for a moment. On one hand, he could use the distraction. And although it wasn't the best job, he knew it well. But on the other hand, he'd been working so hard to get his license so he wouldn't be stuck at the control tower for the rest of his life. He knew if he took it back, he'd become complacent and he did not want to give this up. Not this time. He made a promise.

"Thanks dad, but I'm going to have to pass on that," he surprised everyone with his decision.

"W-what?" Han wasn't expecting a 'no' from him.

"It's just," Ben placed his fork down and sat up straighter in his chair. "If I do that, I'll be honest with you, I might give up on my dreams of ever becoming a pilot. I've come this far… I'm not stopping now."

Again, they were surprised by his confession. It was very mature of him to admit all that.

"Look I respect that, Ben," Han replied, "But I'm just trying to help you out for the time being. You know, to have a steady paycheck and have something to do."

"I get that, dad. But I don't need to have something to do. I'm fine with what I'm doing now. And I'm fine with using my free time to study."

"So what? You're just going to bum around and do nothing until you get your license? That's not really a productive use of your time, Ben," Han was starting to get frustrated.

Leia glared at her husband, subtly warning him not to lose his cool in front of everyone. Ben unexpectedly chuckled to himself because he had a good answer to that. It confused everyone of his behavior.

"I'd rather do nothing and be happy than be doing something I know don't love."

While everyone around the table was muddled by this ambiguity of words, Ben smiled to himself knowing the significance of it all… and the person who helped him realize it.

*End Flashback*

"-what it means?"

She looked over and a glassy expression was on Rey's face.

"Rey, dear?" Leia waved a hand in front of her.

"Oh sorry, Leia. Was just lost in thought." Rey shook herself back to attention.

"It's alright. Was just hoping you were able to clarify for me what Ben meant by all that."

Rey lightly chuckled before answering.

"Must be something he really stands behind. Doing what you love, no matter the shortcomings… Words to live by."

She smiled again to herself. This time Leia noticed. As she suspected, her son had changed for the better, and it was because of this woman.

Leia got ready to leave moments later, assuring Rey countless times that their personal life will not affect their business relationship. Rey thanked and hugged her, apologizing again for the inconvenience of it all.

"Rey," Leia said before stepping out of her office.

"Yes Leia?"

"Maybe you should take some time for yourself. Rest and recharge."

"I don't know…"

"It's ok to take a break," Leia gently smiled. "You really need to care for your mental health as well. I know the strain this has caused you both."

"If I take a break, it'll just make me miss him more," she confessed.

"Well that's the plan," Leia teased. Rey lightly chuckled.

"I don't know. We'll see. Maybe I'll take just one day off to de-stress."

"Good girl," Leia said. "Take care of yourself, dear."

"I will, thanks."

Once Leia departed Rey flopped back in her desk chair. She let out a breathy sigh, relieved to have that confrontation over with. Maybe she's right, Rey thought. Maybe I need a break.

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Saving What You Love

"Do you love her?"

"What?" he said nervously.

"No. Enough with the bullshit. Do you love her?"

"Phas-"

"Do. You. Love. Her?" she said again.

He glanced between his two friends, paused a bit then slowly nodded.

"Then go tell her."