CHAPTER 21
Previously...
After her day of work, Joey goes for a walk on the beach. Everything is confused in her head but not in her heart. And that's the matter. She didn't call back Charlie and feel guilty about this but she just couldn't. She finally sits on the sand and watches the waves, her mind at thousand miles from here.
She turns when she feels someone is walking towards her.
Now...
He walks until to be near her. Joey gets up when she recognises him.
- "Don't dare approach her again !"
- "You don't have to tell me what I have to do or not."
- " Charlie is my girlfriend and we don't need bitches like you. So stay away. Okay ?"
Joey smiles.
- "I don't think."
- "Don't play with me."
- "Or what ?"
She just has time to end her sentence before to receive a punch on her face, and another one. He doesn't give her time to hit back. She feels her lips bleeding and her eyes not in good state. As he is going to hit her again, someone punches him on his face.
- "Don't dare touch her again !"
- "Aden stop it !"
- "You should listen to your friend"
- "Please Aden"
As he hears her friends and knowing she needs help, Aden decides to let him go. He looks at him in the eyes, his saying everything.
- "Don't approach her again"
Angelo walks away, letting them on the sand.
Aden walks to Joey.
- "Hey Jo. Are you okay ?"
- "Can't you see that everything is good ?"
She gets up and starts to walk away. Aden follows her, not knowing who was this guy and what did he wanted.
- "Joey ! Jo ! Wait please !"
She stops and turns to him.
- "Who is he ?"
- "Charlie's boyfriend"
- "Okay. Don't tell me you slept with her because..."
- "Aden ! I didn't do anything !"
- "Okay okay I'm sorry !"
They begins to walk when Joey says :
- "Last night, she kissed me"
- "What happened ?"
- "Nothing more ! She made a mistake and freaked out about it after but that's all"
- "How does he know ?"
- "I don't know. She may told him"
Aden looks at her and can see tears in her eyes. He puts his arms around her shoulders.
- "C'mon, I have to clean your face"
Charlie climbs off of her car. Her heart is racing as she ups stages and walks towards the door. She knocks and waits for an answer until she hears someone walking behind her. She turns and sees Aden and Joey with her face full of blood and her black eyes.
- "Joey ! What happened to you ?"
- "Just ask your boyfriend"
With that, Joey walks and enters her apartment, closing the door behind her. Charlie is shocked by what happened and the arrogance in the tone of her voice. She looks at Aden.
- "I'm sorry Charlie. I'm sure she didn't mean to be so hard."
- "Aden, tell me what happened ?"
- "I found her on the beach fighting with a guy you obviously know."
Charlie is more and more shocked.
- "I need to talk to her Aden."
- "Yeah I think too. C'mon"
He opens the door and lets Charlie go inside.
- "She should be on the bathroom. First door on your left."
- "Thanks Aden"
Charlie approaches the door and slowly opens it. She sees Joey's reflection on the mirror. She is trying to clean her lips. Joey looks at her through the mirror before to break contact.
- "I'm sorry Joey"
Joey doesn't answer and still cleaning her face. Charlie walks towards her and takes her arms in order to force her to look at her.
- "Please Joey. Look at me."
Joey eyes her.
- "What do you want Charlie ?"
- "He didn't have the right to do this."
- "Did you tell him about the kiss ?"
- "No ! Of course no Joey ! Plus, we're not together anymore !"
- "That's not what he said."
- "I don't care about what he says. I didn't want to be with him and now that he did it to you I can't believe I was with him !"
As Joey remains silent, Charlie removes the cotton from her hands and takes her chin to make eyes contact. She begins to slowly put it on her lips in order to clean them. She puts a piece of hair behind her hair to look at Joey black eyes.
Joey feels tingles through her body.
- "Why were you in front of my door ?"
- "I wanted to talk to you. And I feel that you are avoiding me."
- "I'm not"
- "Why didn't you call back ?"
- "Maybe...it's just because I'm afraid."
- "Of what ?"
- "Afraid to hear what you have to say."
- "Joey, about this kiss..."
- "It's okay. I told you it yesterday"
- "No, no, Joey please let me finish."
- "Okay"
- "I'm sorry but not because of the kiss. I shouldn't have let you like this."
- "What do you mean ?"
- "Joey, I'm confused. When i'm around you I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know what the kiss meant but only because it's too early for me."
- "Charlie, don't tell me things like that. Don't make me hope. I'm not strong enough"
- "Why do you talk about hope ?"
Joey breaks the contact.
- "I'm weak. And especially around you Charlie."
They are interrupted by Charlie's phone ringing.
- "Charlie, where are you ? I'm waiting for you !"
- "I'm coming Rubes."
- "Well okay. I'm cooking your favorite plate !"
- "Okay. Bye Rubes"
- "Bye"
- "I'm sorry Joey. I have to go. Ruby is waiting."
- "That's okay."
They eye each other for a while.
- "I call you tomorrow to know about your eyes."
- " I'm fine. You don't have to."
- "Maybe but I want to."
- "Okay. Bye."
- "Bye Joey"