Chapter Twelve

"We should um… get you to the hospital," Joey said when they parted.

"I feel fine," Charlie assured her, leaning in for another kiss

Lying at the edge of the road, on top of Joey and in her arms felt like the exact right place, the place she was meant to be.

Joey permitted the kiss, overwhelmed by the love and lust that surged within her. She wanted to object. She wanted to push Charlie away and announce that she hated her. But she couldn't. They kissed for a long time.


"Okay, we really have to stop," Joey managed eventually.

She smiled and Charlie reluctantly released her. Sitting side by side, both women felt suddenly shy and awkward.

"You should get checked out at the hospital," Joey ventured. "I can take you."

"I'm not injured," Charlie said.

"Better safe than sorry," Joey insisted.

Willing to do pretty much anything she wanted, Charlie agreed and they headed to the ambulance together.

"So, um… how long will you be sticking around?" Charlie ventured when they were on their way.

"I'm hoping to be off again today," Joey told her, keeping her eyes focussed on the road.

Charlie studied her profile, trying to read her. Once upon a time, Joey had kept her heart firmly on her sleeve. She was open about her feelings and you could read her emotions through her eyes. But she seemed so guarded now and Charlie hated to think that it was her fault. Somewhere along the way, the light in Joey's eyes had died. Charlie hoped that, whether she was around or not, it would reignite one day soon.

"You don't want to spend time with anyone or…?"

"I have nobody to spend time with," Joey said shortly.

"Well, I know Ruby would love to see you…"

Joey shrugged.

"And I'd love to be able to…"

"Charlie, I'm not sticking around," Joey said tiredly.

"But there are so many things we need to talk about," Charlie tried.

"Like what, exactly?" Joey asked. "About how you forgot me the moment I left and hooked up with the first criminal you could find?"

"Brax and I…"

Charlie trailed off, realising that Joey wasn't talking about him.

"Ah, so Mr Tattoo is a criminal too, hey?" the paramedic remarked. "Is that why you're a cop? Bad boys turn you on?"

"No…" Charlie sighed.

"So, what else do you want to talk about?" Joey asked. "If not that prick, Angelo or this Brax guy… what about all the other guys you've screwed in the last two years."

"I haven't…"

"I don't care," Joey told her.

"You sure seemed like you cared when you kissed me," Charlie said rather sulkily.

Joey glanced at her and then returned her eyes to the road.

"That was a mistake," she said.

"You must at least have some residual feelings for me…" Charlie mumbled.

"Do you really want to know the kind of residual feelings I have for you?" Joey asked.

"I want to know everything you want to tell me," Charlie said. "I want to know how you've been. When did you meet Aden again? When did you become a paramedic? Have you got a girlfriend...?"

"I know it's an alien concept to you, Charlie but I'd never kiss someone else if I was in a relationship," Joey said bitterly.

Charlie sighed heavily.

"You cheated on me by sleeping with Hugo, you got together with Angelo when he still had a girlfriend… And now you're seeing some guy and you just kissed me. Tell me, was there an overlap between Angelo and Brax? Is that just the way you roll?"

"You make me sound like a terrible person," Charlie said.

"If the cap fits," Joey remarked.

"Look, stop the ambulance," Charlie finally snapped. "I'll walk to the damn hospital."

Joey looked concerned but didn't stop driving.

"Joey, stop," Charlie begged. "I ran down the road and fell off a cliff to try and talk to you. You saved my life and then you kissed me and now you're being nothing but hostile. If this is all there is between us now then I want to leave."

Joey stopped the ambulance, mumbling that it was just like her to bail. Charlie paused in opening the door.

"For your information, sleeping with Hugo behind your back was the single worst mistake I've ever made and if Aden really has updated you so sufficiently, then you'll know exactly how long my list of regrets is," Charlie said. "I've never forgiven myself for it and I've spent pretty much every day since you left, wishing I could have another chance with you. I did not encourage Angelo to cheat – that was his look out. And for the record, I stopped seeing Brax weeks ago. I realised how much he'd lied to me and how deeply he was involved in criminal activity and I broke up with him. I wavered for a bit and considered getting back with him but he'd hopped into bed with Tegan, the girl we just rescued. I found them in a hotel room. Call it karma if you like."

"I will," Joey said.

Charlie gazed longingly and full of hurt before opening the door.

"Okay, wait," Joey said when it looked like Charlie was really going to leave. "At least let me drive you as far as the hospital. Our last goodbye was tragic enough without having this one be me ditching you on the side of the road."

Charlie sighed and settled back into her seat.

"I'm sorry for being hostile," Joey said earnestly.

She killed the engine and turned to face Charlie, for the first time, really allowing herself to take in just how beautiful she was. Her heart broke a little bit more.

"I really meant it when I said I'd come back in three months," she explained. "So when I checked in with Aden a couple of months later and I found out you were sleeping with Angelo, something inside of me died. And I've never been able to revive it since."

"I'm sorry," Charlie said softly. "It really wasn't…"

"It doesn't matter what it was," Joey said. "I was obviously just a passing thing for you and you never wanted our relationship to be long term."

"I did!" Charlie protested. "I still do."

"Then why didn't you wait for me?" Joey asked, her voice breaking a little. "I know you said three months was forever but I wasn't expecting you to take it quite so literally."

She managed a smile. Charlie smiled weakly back at her.

"I didn't think you were coming home," she said sadly. "I didn't think someone as incredible as you would want to come back to me once you'd been set free. I didn't think I was going to see you again. You didn't get in touch with me. I heard nothing from you. I was lonely and in pain and so was Angelo and it just… happened. But I can assure you now that had you come home, I wouldn't have wasted a second in doing whatever it took to be with you again, Joey. I still love you so much."

"What about this Brax guy?" Joey asked. "And what kind of stupid name is that anyway?"

Charlie chuckled.

"His name is Darryl Braxton," she explained. "Brax is a nickname."

Joey nodded thoughtfully.

"I have strong feelings for him," Charlie admitted. "It's not something I can explain and it's not something I even want. Ironically, he treats me better than Angelo ever did. But the thing is, nobody's ever going to compare to you."

Joey chewed her lip.

"How, um… how have you been?" Charlie asked when silence descended on the ambulance.

"I've been good," Joey said. "I share a flat with Aden and we get on like a house on fire. I stayed on the trawlers for quite a while and then, last year, Aden called me on his way out of Summer Bay. We arranged to meet up and the rest is history, I guess."

"And you're not seeing anyone?" Charlie clarified.

"I don't do relationships anymore," Joey told her.

Charlie looked confused.

"Since you, I've never been with anyone that's lasted more than a few hours," Joey explained.

She registered the shock on Charlie's face. It only went to prove how much she had changed, which in turn only proved how damaged she was.

"How come?" Charlie asked meekly.

"Because if my heart breaks again it'll be for good," Joey told her.


Next time… Tegan dies and Charlie struggles to say goodbye to Joey…