Chapter 38 #4
“It’s more,” he says softly. “Your eyes…those big brown doe eyes.” He chuckles, low and warm, and the sound feels like sunlight breaking through clouds.
“I saw something in them, Viv. A strength so quiet it’s almost hidden.
And I couldn’t stop wanting to know what built you, what hurt you, what made you, who you really are.
I knew there was more to you than anyone else saw, and I couldn’t look away. ”
Each word seems to echo inside me, peeling back layers, showing me the truth of how he’s seen me all along.
“The more I knew you, the more I fell,” he admits, his voice raw now, trembling.
“The way you love Riley, the way you protect her even when you’re the one who needs protecting…
Viv, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.
And I kept telling myself I wouldn’t get attached.
That I wouldn’t let myself fall because I didn’t think I’d be enough for you.
” He swallows hard. “But every time you laughed, every time I saw you care for the people you love, I fell deeper anyway. I kept taking a risk with you. Until it wasn’t falling anymore—it was just… you. Always you.”
He takes a small, shaky breath, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I want to be enough for you. I will be enough. For you. For Riley. If you’ll let me.”
My breath catches as I look up at him, my chest tight with a thousand different emotions. The intensity in his eyes holds me captive, and I find myself lost in the way he’s looking at me, like I’m the only thing that matters in this world.
Before I can even finish, before I can put everything I feel into words, he reaches out with a trembling hand, touching my cheek as if it’s the most delicate thing in the world. His thumb gently brushes my skin, and I close my eyes, leaning into it.
His hand feels like home. His touch feels like love.
“You’re already enough for me Miles. I choose you. Today, tomorrow, always,” I whisper as our foreheads rest on each other’s. My voice trembling with everything I’ve been holding in, every piece of me that’s been waiting for this moment.
He pulls back slowly, and I watch his eyes soften with a hint of relief and then, with the smallest movement, he pulls me closer, the kiss coming softly, slowly. At first, it’s just the faintest press of his lips against mine, tentative but warm.
I deepen the kiss, one hand coming to rest gently on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under my fingers. I can feel him, even though he’s lying there, vulnerable and unable to move. I can feel him in every soft, deliberate touch.
His hand finds my hair, gently threading through it, as if he wants to pull me even closer. And yet, it feels like we’re both in this together, two souls reaching for each other in the quiet of the hospital room, in the silence that holds all the words we don’t need to say.
When we finally pull away, our breaths mingling in the space between us, I look down at him, my heart swelling in a way I never expected. His eyes are soft, filled with a depth of love that matches my own.
“I love you so much, Vivian,” he whispers, his voice rough, raw, and I can hear everything in those three words.
And just like that, the world feels like it’s finally right again.
Before either of us can say anything else, there’s a knock on the door, and I call out, “Come in.”
Mya walks in, looking like she’s stepped out of an alternate universe. The woman who practically lives in heels and silk is now wearing jeans, a sweater, and sneakers? My brows lift on instinct. Even her signature blowout is gone, replaced by a loose ponytail.
“Hey, you’re wearing…sneakers?” Miles chuckles, eyeing her with a grin.
“I see you’re still your usual self,” Mya says, her voice playful, but there’s a warmth in her tone that speaks of years of friendship.
A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips as she leans down to give Miles a quick affectionate hug, her hand giving his shoulder a light squeeze.
She pulls back, looking at him for a moment, a glint of something tender in her eyes before turning to me.
“Hey, Viv,” she says, her voice softening as she opens her arms, pulling me in for a hug.
“Hey, Mya,” I can feel the weight of everything sitting heavy on us all.
“You heard the news?” I ask, glancing between her and Miles.
Her lips press together, and she nods slowly.
“Yeah, I heard.”
She exhales, gathering her thoughts, before looking up at me with a deep, almost apologetic expression. “Since you’re off because of all this…I need to resign as your agent.” Her voice cracks slightly, the sadness and guilt clear.
Miles looks at her with the kind of softness I wasn’t expecting, his eyes filled with gratitude and understanding.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” he says quietly, reaching for her hand. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work alongside.”
Mya smiles, but there’s a sadness behind it, her eyes glistening with tears she quickly blinks away. She stands up, her movements brisk as if she’s trying to hide the emotion.
In walks Riley, her little face lighting up the room like a beacon, followed closely by my dad, John, Maria, Greg, Mindy, and Cameron. The atmosphere shifts immediately, the weight of tension lifting as their presence fills the space.
Riley trots over to Miles, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her small hands.
“I made this for you,” she says, her voice a sweet melody.
She carefully places the drawing in front of him, and I see his face soften. His eyes flicker with warmth as he takes in the sketch. It’s a simple drawing, childlike in its innocence, but it speaks volumes. It’s us at the lake, captured through the eyes of a five-year-old.
The lines are imperfect, the shapes a little unrefined, but it’s clear enough to see how much she cherishes this, how deeply she adores Miles.
“It’s beautiful, Riley,” he says, his voice soft and full of affection. “I love it, thank you.”
Her eyes widen, the sheer joy of hearing those words lighting up her face.
“You really do?”
“I really do,” he assures her, his voice thick with sincerity.
“I’ll keep it in my pocket wherever I go. That’s how much I love it.”
Her smile grows, brighter than I’ve ever seen. Slowly, carefully, she leans in and hugs him, cautious of his injuries but still managing to give him the tightest embrace.
The sight of them together tugs at my heart in ways I didn’t expect. My eyes sting with tears as I watch Miles, strong, broken, but still able to make her feel safe, seen, and loved.
Cameron and Dahlia quietly exit from the room, their footsteps soft against the floor as they say their goodbyes.
John and Maria follow shortly after, leaving Miles with so much love in their words, their support unwavering. The warmth in the room lingers, even as they leave, and it feels like a slow exhale, a relief after the storm.
Dad, Mindy, and Greg are the last to go, leaving the room quieter with every step they take. The door closes behind them, and now it’s just the three of us.
Miles, Riley, and me.
Riley, completely unbothered by the space she’s taking up, is curled up next to Miles on the bed. He’s big, yet somehow, she fits perfectly beside him, her tiny body nestled against his side. It’s like they belong there together, and it makes my heart swell.
I sit quietly in the chair next to the bed, just listening to them. My eyes flicker between Riley’s small, innocent face and Miles, who, despite everything, still manages to smile softly at her.
“You really do go on crazy bulls,” Riley says, her voice so soft, so full of awe. Her eyes are wide as she takes him in, almost as if she’s still trying to make sense of the fact that this man she adores has been through so much.
“It’s scary,” she adds, her voice dipping into a gentle, almost reluctant honesty.
Miles chuckles softly, his hand resting on her small back, rubbing in comforting circles. “Yeah,” he says, his voice low and reassuring. “But I won’t be doing that anymore.”
Riley shifts in her seat, her tiny hands pulling at the neckline of her top. She hesitates for just a second, then pulls out the necklace I gave her, my old necklace that I’d always wear, the one I told her to keep under her pillow when she needed comfort.
She holds it up to Miles, her little fingers gripping the chain tightly as she looks at him with those big, innocent eyes.
“This was my daddy’s,” she says softly, and my heart skips a beat.
She’s not just showing him the necklace, she’s showing him a piece of Trevor. Her eyes flicker up to his, a quiet vulnerability settling in.
“Mommy would tell me stories from when they were in love,” she continues, her voice small, like she’s letting a secret slip out.
There’s a pause as she fidgets with the ring on the chain, her brow furrowing in thought. I can feel the air shift between us, that sweet, tender moment where everything feels fragile but somehow right.
She looks at him then, her gaze steady, but her question is simple.
“Do you love my mommy?”
I smile before I can stop myself, and so does Miles. It’s a smile that says more than words can ever capture, a smile that’s warm, real, and so incredibly tender.
“I do,” he replies softly, his voice gentle and full of care. His eyes meet mine for just a second, and I see the sincerity in them. “Is that okay?”
Riley pauses, looking down at the ring again, the weight of her thoughts almost too much for her small shoulders. She studies it, the silence stretching just a bit longer. But when she looks back up, her face softens, and she nods slowly, her lips curving into a small but knowing smile.
“Yes,” she says, the word simple, yet it carries so much weight in that one little syllable.
Her eyes look up at me, wide with a mix of innocence and understanding.
“Mommy, do you love Miles too?”
I pause, my heart swelling. She’s asking the question that’s been sitting in my chest for days, one I’ve never been able to fully put into words myself. I take her tiny hands in mine, the warmth of her touch grounding me. “Yes, honey, I do love him.”
Her smile stretches wide, that pure, untainted joy that only a child can radiate. She then grabs both of our hands, linking them together as if creating something sacred between us.
“I love you both too.”
I feel the weight of her words in a way I didn’t expect.
The love she has for us, for me, for Miles, it’s everything.
It’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for.
It’s real. It’s whole. And right there, in that simple moment, I realize how much I’ve been waiting for this, how much we’ve both been waiting for this again.
Her little hands in mine, our lives intertwined in a way I never imagined possible. The future doesn’t feel so terrifying anymore.
I kiss the top of her head, feeling the tears prickle behind my eyes. I hold her even tighter, knowing this is a love that will always be.