Chapter Twenty One

Charlie took a deep breath and knocked on Martha's door. She shuddered a little as she waited for her friend to answer, having not been to the house since the night Joey had found out about her mistake with Hugo. She shuddered again. As if it wasn't bad enough that she had cheated on her beloved girlfriend, she had done it with a man she now believed to be evil.

Over the last week, since she had confronted Angelo about why he was really back in the Bay, she had been working with him on his secret mission. But even with the story laid out, she was struggling with the revulsion of the man she had briefly been intimate with. She could still hardly believe what he was capable of.

"Hi, Charlie," Martha greeted, opening the door.

On consultation with Joey, Charlie had phoned Martha and arranged to meet up for lunch, like they had back in the days before they had both got a bit too busy. Charlie had actually been having a girls' day out with Martha when she'd first spotted Joey and realised she was in trouble. And then it had just gone from there.

Things had felt a little awkward since Charlie's night with Hugo too and she had suspected, after her ghostly visitation from Jack, that it was because Martha had been jealous. Every time she saw her now, she wondered why she hadn't realised sooner that Martha had developed feelings for her late husband's cousin. And that was exactly why today was so important. She had to keep her away from Hugo, no matter the cost.

"Wow, it's been far too long since you and I hung out," Aden admitted, as he drove himself and Joey into Yabbie Creek.

"Yeah, everything's been kind of crazy," Joey agreed from the passenger seat.

"I hope part of that is crazy, hot lesbian sex and that I get a description," her friend teased. "Because the idea of you and Charlie is seriously hot!"

Joey laughed and swatted him playfully on the arm.

"I'm still extremely impressed that you turned her," Aden said. "I mean, I thought she was so straight."

"She was," Joey said, unable to prevent herself from thinking about her girlfriend's betrayal.

She had forgiven Charlie completely and she was more than ready to keep moving forward and be happy together but it didn't mean that reminders didn't still sting.

"Sorry," Aden apologised.

News of Charlie and Hugo had swiftly got around the Bay, after Charlie and Joey's brief breakup, which had fortunately only lasted a night. Aden was pleased that they seemed solid again now, although people were still rather surprised that they were an item when Charlie had genuinely only had boyfriends prior to falling in love with a woman.

"It's fine," Joey said. "What she did still hurts when I think about it but really, I don't think about it anymore. We're stronger than we've ever been."

Aden smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Joey," he said sincerely. "You deserve to be happy. And, if I haven't mentioned it already, Charlie is smokin' hot!"

Joey giggled and assured him that he had mentioned it several times in just this car journey alone. Aden laughed and said there was nothing wrong with punctuating a point.

"So, what kind of ring are we looking for?" Joey asked, changing the subject from her relationship to his.

He had revealed to her the previous day that he intended to propose to Belle and had enlisted her help with choosing a ring and hopefully coming up with a special way to ask the all important question.

"Well, my funds a bit limited but something pretty," he said. "Beautiful but understated, subtle, you know? Something that will take someone's – preferably Belle's – breath away without actually trying. Just like the woman herself. Do you reckon it's feasible?"

"I reckon anything is possible," Joey replied rather wistfully.

She thought back to the strangest night of her life and although it still spun her out a little to have spent the evening with a ghost taking her through the past, present and future, she was so glad it had happened. She was so glad that it had helped her and Charlie find a way to make things work.

Charlie and Martha sat at a table in the Surf Club, enjoying a juice. Things were easier than Charlie had expected them to be and she was enjoying her friend's company. The only concern she had was that, like the day they'd met Joey, all Martha seemed able to talk about was Hugo. Before, the assumption had been that Martha had been pushing Charlie and Hugo together. Now, things seemed entirely different.

"So, you and Joey are really making a go of things?" Martha asked, curious about her friend's relationship.

Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, everything feels pretty good for us now," she admitted. "I'm really happy. It's the best relationship I've ever had, that's for sure."

"And the Hugo thing isn't a problem?" Martha asked.

"It was," Charlie said. "We very nearly broke up for good the night she found out. It was one of the worst moments of my life. But we've worked through it and we're stronger than we were before."

"I have to admit I was pretty shocked when I heard about you two," Martha said. "I never realised you were into girls as well."

"Nor did I!" Charlie laughed. "And it seriously freaked me out – hence the Hugo incident. But um… well, I guess when you fall in love with someone, nothing else really matters."

Martha smiled wistfully.

"And that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about," Charlie dared.

"Are you in love with me?" Martha cracked.

Charlie snorted with laughter and assured her that she was safe.

"Why?" Martha asked in mock offence. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Charlie promised. "You're wonderful. But I've definitely found the one and only person I want to spend my life with. And I already nearly lost her once… well, lots of times actually, but I'm definitely not doing that again."

"I'm happy for you, Charlie," Martha said sincerely. "So, um… what did you need to say?"

"Perfect," Joey told Aden.

"Are you sure?" the future groom asked worriedly.

It was their second jewellery shop and their twentieth ring but neither had run out of patience. But Joey was certain they had now found 'the one'.

"It's everything you described," Joey said. "Belle will love it."

Aden nodded and grinned, agreeing with her.

"I'll take it," he told the sale clerk.

"Martha, do you have feelings for Hugo?" Charlie asked, her voice gentle but her words getting right to the point.

If she was too careful, they would be there all day and she needed to protect Martha if she could. Jack's words to her were still ringing in her head and she knew she had to act on them.

"No!" Martha immediately denied.

Her face flushed pink. Charlie didn't have to be a cop to know she was lying.

"Martha…"

"I don't have feelings for Hugo!" Martha hissed. "How could you even ask me that? Jack's barely been gone a… Not even a year, Charlie! How could you?"

"Martha, I'm not accusing," Charlie said, keeping her voice low and gentle. "I'm just asking."

Martha swallowed and looked around. She sipped her drink.

"Fine," she said. "Yes. Yes, I have feelings for him. And I have no idea what I'm supposed to do about it."

"Can I tell you?" Charlie asked.

Aden and Joey stopped for lunch. Joey couldn't help but giggle every time her friend stopped to check he hadn't somehow lost the ring on their travels.

"So, now all I have to do is figure out how to actually propose," he said anxiously. "Any ideas?"

"Something quiet and intimate," Joey said. "Belle doesn't strike me as one for a big show."

Aden nodded his agreement.

"Any other ideas?"

"Just… tell her exactly how you feel," Joey said. "Let her know exactly how much you love her, how much you need her and how much she means to you. Let her know that you can't even breathe without her."

Aden grinned.

"Is that how you feel about Charlie?" he asked.

"How do you think I managed to forgive what she did?" Joey asked. "I love her so much and thought of not being with her now that I know what it's like to have her as my girlfriend, to hold her, kiss her… She's my world. Even when I didn't want her to be, she was. I didn't stand a chance of living without her."

"Hey, could you maybe write down what I should say to Belle?" Aden joked. "You're way more expressive than I am!"

Joey laughed and shook her head.

"You'll do it, Aden," she said. "And you'll be great. She'll say yes and she'll be thrilled and you'll have the most fantastic wedding."

"Speaking of," Aden ventured, looking rather nervous.

"No, I don't think I can marry you," Joey cracked. "I think that needs to be Belle."

Aden laughed.

"Would you be my best man?" he asked. "Well, woman? You know what I mean."

Joey was momentarily lost for words. She opened and shut her mouth a few times.

"Are you…? Are you serious?"

"Of course!"

"I was expecting you to ask Roman or someone like that," Joey admitted.

Aden shook his head and took her hand.

"Roman has been amazing to me," he said. "He's wonderful. And I have so many amazing friends in the Bay. And I know you and I haven't really known each other all that long but… I just… I feel like you're a best mate for life, you know? And I need someone I can rely on, someone I trust and love, to be by my side on the scariest, albeit it best day of my life."

Joey hugged him, happily accepting his request.

"Go for it," Martha said, desperate for help in the direction her life should take.

"Stay as far away from him as you possibly can," Charlie said very seriously.

Martha sat back, genuinely surprised.

"Was he that bad?" she joked.

Charlie laughed. Actually, he really was, she thought to herself. But she kept it in her head.

"If I tell you something you won't actually believe, would you try and believe it?" she asked.

Martha looked puzzled but nodded.

"I saw Jack," Charlie revealed.

Martha's puzzlement turned to shock.

"Excuse me?" she said. "Did you just say what I think you just said?"

"I didn't believe it either," Charlie told her. "You know me, Martha. I don't go in for all that kind of thing, do I? But I saw him. I talked to him."

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

"What happened?"

"He… helped me find my way back to Joey," Charlie explained.

"But why would he visit you and not me?"

"Because I needed him," Charlie said. "Like you needed him on the night he died. When you were caught up in the fire at the formal."

Martha nodded but looked unsure. She had been caught between her previously firm belief that she had seen Jack that night and the fact that it had been Angelo, his killer, who had taken her out of the burning building.

"But he… he was worried about you," Charlie said. "He was worried about you falling for Hugo."

Martha looked stricken.

"Is he angry with me?" she asked.

"No, no, of course not," Charlie said, touching her hand. "He's glad that you're healing and that you're able to live without him, even though you must miss him every day."

"Every moment," Martha agreed unhappily.

"But he said that Hugo wasn't the person he used to know, the person that he presents himself to be," Charlie said awkwardly. "He said he isn't to be trusted, that he's a bad man."

Martha shook her head and dropped Charlie's hand.

"He's a good man, Charlie," she insisted. "I know he caused problems with you and Joey but that was your fault too and…"

"I know," Charlie interjected. "I know. And it's not about that. I swear to you."

"Then what is it about?"

"It's about what Jack said," Charlie reminded her.

"Jack's dead," Martha snapped.

She stood rather abruptly.

"I don't know what your game is, Charlie, but I'm not interested in another word you've got to say," she said.

With that, she stormed out of the Surf Club in tears.

Next time… Martha considers hearing Charlie out…