Thank you again to everyone who has given me feedback on this story. I really appreciate it. When I first started posting I didn't really know where it was going but last week I had what I hope was a brainwave so I hope you all enjoy the direction the story will be taking. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Four

"Please come in with me," Bianca begged.

It was the following week and Charlie had driven her friend back to the group with the idea that she would sit and read in the car outside.

"I don't think it would be helpful," Charlie said unhappily. "Joey's facilitating the group and she'll do a better job if I'm not there. It's not fair on her."

"What actually happened between the two of you?" Bianca wondered, not leaving the car.

Charlie sighed.

"I broke her heart," she said.

"How?"

"I cheated on her."

Bianca pulled a face. She pictured Liam's reaction when he'd found out about Heath.

"But if it was just a mistake..." she said. "I mean, Liam and I are trying to work through what I did..."

"That was different," Charlie said. "Liam abandoned you."

Bianca started to defend him but Charlie continued regardless.

"He did a disappearing act," she said. "How were you to know you were even together?"

"I still shouldn't have..."

"Maybe not," Charlie agreed. "But what you did with Heath was far more forgivable than what I did. Joey didn't do a single thing wrong when we were together. She did nothing but love me from pretty much the first moment we met. I messed her around and I hurt her time and again and she kept coming back for more. Then, when we finally decided to go for it, I messed it up. I slept with a guy behind her back. She left me as quickly as she could and understandably, I'm probably the last person she ever wants to see again."

She sighed unhappily as Bianca hung onto her every word.

"I want to support you," Charlie said. "But I can't go in there. It's not fair."

Sighing unhappily, Bianca nodded and climbed out of the car. Charlie watched her go and then sank back against her seat, closing her eyes in despair. How could it be that Joey was so close and yet so far?

Joey looked up in surprise when she saw Bianca walk into the room alone. Only Mike had arrived so far. Nikki, Tash and Jaq had yet to turn up.

"Are you alone?" she asked, cursing herself immediately for caring.

"Charlie's waiting in the car," the school teacher said.

Joey nodded, trying to figure out if she was relieved or not. Bianca took a seat beside her, speaking quietly.

"She doesn't think you want her in the group," she said.

Joey shifted anxiously.

"I presume she filled you in on our past," she said.

"Yes," Bianca said. "And I'm really sorry for what you went through with her. But... well, completely selfishly, I need her, Joey."

Joey swallowed anxiously fidgeting a little.

"If you'd let her be part of the group, I'd really appreciate it. It would help me and honestly, I think it would help her too," Bianca said, trying not to sound too desperate.

"I never said she couldn't be part of the group," Joey said, grateful that Mike was busying himself with rearranging the coffee table, partly because he had issues with OCD and partly because he had manners and didn't want to listen to their private conversation.

"I know but, well, maybe if you told her that..."

"Why don't you go out and tell her to come in?" Joey suggested.

"She wouldn't believe me," Bianca said. "She needs to hear it from you."

"I'm really not comfortable with seeking Charlie out and begging her to spend an hour and a half in the same room as me," Joey told her.

"Please?" Bianca asked, not caring about her own desperation now.

Sighing, Joey gave in.

"She's in the car park," Bianca said. "Her car's..."

"Blue?"

Bianca nodded. Joey forced an unhappy smile and then headed out of the room.

Charlie nearly leapt out of her skin when the passenger door opened. Her eyes widened when Joey plopped into the passenger seat.

"Joey!" she said.

"Bianca wants you to come inside," Joey told her. "So why don't you stop drawing attention to yourself and do what she asks?"

"I'm not..."

Joey looked at her. Charlie struggled to read her expression.

"I don't want to be part of your life again," Joey said. "But I have no objection to you being part of the group. Bianca thinks it will help her and obviously you've got issues about what happened to you. Something else you lied about, I might add."

Charlie swallowed anxiously, lost for words.

"So, like I said last week, you're welcome to the group," Joey told her, looking back out of the windscreen.

Her heart was pounding just being close to Charlie again. Her mind had been a mess since last week. Seeing Charlie after so long had brought back a lot of feelings she thought she had escaped.

"I'm so sorry for everything that happened," Charlie ventured.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Joey replied. "But thanks. I appreciate it."

Charlie nodded. Joey looked at her, trying not be struck by how beautiful she still was.

"Will you come inside?" she asked.

"Only if you don't mind."

"My job is to look after the people that come to my group," Joey said. "If Bianca's putting her trust in you, however ill advised I might think it is, then I have to do right by her. And I'm not keeping you out when she needs to you be there. Okay?"

"Okay," Charlie said quietly.

Nodding, Joey climbed out of the car she'd once known so well. Hesitating, Charlie also got out. She locked up and followed Joey into the building.

Next time... Charlie rejoins the group...