Chapter Twenty

Ruby, Casey, Ben, Romeo, Indi, Dex, April and Xavier all looked a little alarmed when Charlie arrived home rather early and rather irate.

"Party's over," Ruby's mother snapped. "Go home."

Then she stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door.

"I think you'd better head out," Ruby said, a little embarrassed, not to mention worried about the state of her parents' marriage.

They thought they were hiding it but she had heard them argue a lot recently. Casey stood and showed them all out while Ruby knocked tentatively on Charlie's bedroom door.

"Mum?" she said anxiously.

She opened up to find her mother face down on the mattress. She shook like she was crying.

"Mum?" Ruby repeated, coming to perch on the bed.

Charlie sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, all the while knowing that it was a rather stupid question.

"Yeah," Charlie lied. "I just had an argument with your Dad, that's all."

She forced a smile and put her arm around her daughter.

"You guys seem to be fighting a lot lately," Ruby ventured.

"Yeah," Charlie sighed. "But we'll get through it. We always do."

"What are you fighting about?" Ruby enquired.

"Just… grown up stuff," Charlie replied. "Don't worry about it."

Ruby nestled herself against her Mum.

"I love you," she said sincerely.

"I love you too," Charlie said.

First thing in the morning, Charlie headed to the chemist. She then went to Joey's house, bursting into tears on her doorstep. Joey immediately gathered her complicated friend into her arms and held her.

"What's happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Brax!" Charlie sobbed.

"What? What did he do?"

She took her hand and led her through to the lounge. Through tears, Charlie explained the events that had transpired the night before.

"What?" Joey asked, alarmed.

She reached out and cupped her face, gazing into her sad eyes.

"He really did that?" she asked. "Tried to trick you into getting pregnant?"

Charlie nodded.

"When you expressly said you didn't want a baby?"

Charlie nodded again. Joey dropped her hands, angry.

"Fucking bastard!" she said.

Charlie sank back onto the sofa, taking her shoes off so that she could curl up.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked more softly.

"Pissed off," Charlie said. "Hurt."

"Do you think he might have succeeded?" Joey wondered.

"I hope not," Charlie said. "I went to the chemist first thing this morning for the morning after pill. It can take a while for you to actually get pregnant after intercourse so hopefully I've fixed the situation before a baby has the chance to exist. But I don't… I don't feel all that comfortable with that."

Joey nodded, shifting to sit cross legged on the couch, facing her.

"I don't believe in abortion and stuff," Charlie said awkwardly. "I mean, I understand that other people might choose to do it but I never thought I'd do it myself. And I wouldn't, you know? If I was actually pregnant and I hadn't realised or something then I wouldn't hesitate in having the child. But if I stop it before it exists, do you think that's okay?"

Joey was touched by how genuinely terrified she looked.

"I think each and every person has to do what's right for them," she said, taking hold of both her hands. "You might not even have been pregnant in the first place. And it's not like you go around having unprotected sex all the time and popping pills. Brax tricked you into doing something he knew you didn't want. I think you should cut yourself some slack."

"I love Ruby so much," Charlie said, holding her a little tighter. "But I can't handle being forced into having a child all over again."

Fresh tears crept out. Joey moved forward to hold her.

Charlie had never been so grateful to have the day off work. She'd spent pretty much the whole time with Joey who had been a wonderful support to her. If she hadn't felt so angry with Brax, she knew she would feel conflicted. But right now, she was happy with her feelings for Joey. And if she ever saw her husband again, it would be too soon.

She sighed heavily when she saw his car in the drive. As she pulled into her own parking space, she braced herself for having to face him. He was on the sofa watching TV when she came in. Turning the television off, he stood up and immediately apologised.

"You can't just say sorry and have it all forgiven so easily, Brax," Charlie said firmly. "You tried to force me to get pregnant."

"Charlie, you know it wasn't like that," he said desperately.

"Then what the hell was it like?" she demanded. "Because I honestly have no idea what the hell you were thinking!"

He sighed and sat down.

"I was just trying to fix things," he said.

Charlie shook her head and sat beside him.

"Things were fine before you got this stupid baby idea in your head," she told him.

He looked at her, resting his forehead on his palm.

"What planet are you on?" he snapped. "And speaking of which, do I even need to ask where you've been today?"

"I've been with Joey," Charlie told him.

He looked disgusted.

"You're not even bothering to hide it then," he accused.

"Hide what?" she snapped.

"That you're fucking Joey!" he shouted, standing up and beginning to pace.

"We only do that when you're involved," she insisted. "No need to hide that, is there?"

He sneered at her.

"I know you've got something going on with her," he said. "I feel like an outsider in my own fucking marriage."

He was relieved to be successfully deflecting attention. She stood too and looked in square in the face.

"There's a connection between Joey and I," she admitted. "But unlike some people, I don't believe in cheating on your partner."

"Oh so we're arguing about that now, are we?" he snarled.

"No, actually," Charlie said, getting back to the point. "We're arguing about the fact that you tried to trick me into getting pregnant!"

Her pulse race as fury pounded through her body.

"Excuse me if I want a child of my own!"

"You have a child of your own!" Charlie insisted.

"No!" he shouted, picking up his coffee mug from the table and smashing it against the wall behind Charlie. "I have the child of Grant fucking Bledcoe! That's what I have!"

Charlie hated him.

"Who's Grant Bledcoe?" came a quiet voice.

Both parents turns to find Ruby hovering at the bottom of the stairs looking desperately anxious.

Next time… Charlie and Brax have some explaining to do…