Chapter Twenty Five

Charlie was sat on her bed, half packed and half not. She felt like she was in purgatory, not quite sure where she was supposed to be or what she was supposed to be doing. Was she fired? Could she stay? Had she screwed up? Had she done the right thing? Had spending the night with Joey been an honourable way of protecting her and keeping her safe after her ordeal? Or did her feelings for her charge make that automatically unprofessional? Did her feelings mean that she should be fired regardless of her actions? Should she have resigned months ago? Her head hurt from all the questions.

She looked up when there was a quiet knock on her door.

"Come in?" she called hesitantly, although it sounded like more of a question.

Joey opened the door and entered the room. She closed the door behind her and came to sit beside Charlie on the bed. Then she took her hand.

"I spoke to my parents and explained what really happened," she said.

"And?"

"And I think they understand now," Joey told her. "Mum certainly does. She was really upset about what that guy did and really understood why I needed you last night. And Dad asked for time to think about it all before he makes any decisions. But hopefully he's retracted firing you. I really did my best to explain everything."

Charlie managed a smile.

"Thank you," she said.

"The same can't be said for Angelo though," Joey added.

"Good," Charlie said bitterly. "Bastard."

Joey couldn't help but grin. Charlie had spent months standing up for him but now she had nothing good to say.

"He's calling the police to make statements and he's keen to throw the book at him and Brax if he can," Joey admitted. "I had to reveal their parts in everything."

She sighed, unhappy about all that had gone on.

"Good," Charlie said. "And I'll be honest about my part too."

"Charlie, you didn't do anything wrong," Joey insisted.

"I did," Charlie told her. "I did plenty wrong. I let you down. And even if I hadn't overstepped the mark by getting into your bed last night…"

"Platonically," Joey interjected.

"Platonically or otherwise," Charlie continued. "I let you get hurt last night. I wasn't watching the door and a potential rapist broke in and pinned you down. He hurt you and it was my fault. I'm a bodyguard, a former cop, and I couldn't even shake off a pathetic chauffeur."

She pulled a face, disgusted with herself. Joey shifted and put her arm around her.

"You talk like this happened over hours," she said. "It happened over a matter of seconds."

"Seconds is all it takes," Charlie said. "What if he'd hurt you worse? What if he'd raped you or killed you or…?"

She burst into tears. Joey hugged her. Charlie permitted it for just a couple of moments before breaking away and standing up. Joey looked upset.

"All we need is for your parents to come in and the whole thing will blow up again," she reminded her.

Joey sighed heavily but nodded, accepting that she was right.

"What happens now?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," Charlie admitted. "But I think everything's different, Joey. Everything's changed."

"We can get through this, Charlie," Joey said, holding onto hope.

The bodyguard came to sit down beside her again.

"Joey, until you're 'free', for want of a better word, I don't even know if we'll be allowed to see each other again," she said sadly. "I'm so sorry. I think I just screwed everything up."

It had been a long day. Charlie, Joey and Angelo had all been interview by the police up at the house and the family had received word that Brax had been arrested on grounds of arranging an attack on Joey, as had Heath. The man, Robert Cruze, had been arrested for assault and attempted rape and had also been denied bail. Mr Collins would be acting as Joey's lawyer, doing exactly what he did best in order to get the guy sent down for as long as possible.

"Charlie?"

The bodyguard looked up to find Irene poking her head around the ajar door to her room, where she had been hiding for much of the day.

"Mr Collins asked me to come and fetch you," the housekeeper said. "He wants your version of events in your own words."

Charlie nodded and sighed heavily, having known all day that the moment would come. Bracing herself, she stood up and headed out of her room. Following Irene along the corridor, she bumped into Angelo, carrying what looked like everything he owned in bags and boxes.

"I'm sure you'll be pleased to know I've been fired with the most shit references possible," he snapped. "But in more disappointing news, there'll be no charges brought against me for having a conversation with someone."

Charlie just shrugged and carried on walking. She had more important things going on. She didn't much care what happened to him at this point.

"I didn't know what those guys were planning, Charlie," he called after her.

She turned around.

"Then you're an idiot," she snapped. "When someone asks you to distract someone's bodyguard, what the hell do you think is going to happen?"

She turned back around and continued to follow Irene, hating every step that brought her closer to her doom… and further away from Joey, the love of her life.

Next time… Charlie explains herself to Mr Collins…