Hi everyone. I am back from my 'week off'. I hope you enjoy the chapter. This one is especially for Thane. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Five Hundred and Sixty Four

Romeo quickly covered his manhood and looked desperately for his clothes.

"What the hell is going on here?" Charlie yelled loudly enough for Joey to come hurrying into the room.

Joey's mouth hung open in shock. She quickly averted her eyes. Romeo finally located his boxer shorts and put them on, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What the hell are you two playing at?" Charlie demanded again. "Romeo! You have a girlfriend!"

"I know!" Romeo said, his head in his hands.

"They're breaking up," Ruby said defensively.

"And what? You thought you'd have a party?" Charlie snapped.

"Don't go all holier than thou, Charlie," Ruby said. "As if you've never been on shaky ground when it comes to sexual morals."

Charlie glared at her. Ruby felt guilty. She didn't even know why she'd said it. Since Charlie and Joey had got together, Charlie had been someone that Ruby had aspired to be. She wanted to have love like theirs in her life. And she wanted it to be with Romeo.

"I think we should all calm down and a couple of us should put some clothes on and then we should sit down and talk," Joey suggested, slipping her arm around Charlie's waist.

She guided her from the room and led her into the lounge.

"Why does she always go for me like that?" Charlie asked unhappily when they were alone.

"Because she loves you," Joey replied simply. "Some people attack the people they love most."

Charlie sighed.

"I'm honoured then," she said.

Ruby and Romeo appeared, looking anxious.

"Have you and Indi split up?" Joey asked, leading the discussion.

"Not exactly," Romeo said. "But I think she's going to break up with me."

"So you thought you'd sleep with our daughter rather than face up to the reality of your situation? Romeo, I thought so much better of you."

"Romeo and I really care about each other," Ruby protested. "This hasn't just happened, Joey. It's been building for weeks. Hasn't it, Romeo?"

She held his hand. He looked anxious but nodded.

"So, what? You're going to end things with Indi and take up with Ruby? Charlie asked. "Just like that?"

Romeo let out a long breath. He didn't know what he was going to do. It was too confusing a situation. And he felt under too much pressure to commit to anything.

"Yes," Ruby answered for him. "We're going to be together now."

"Why don't you let Romeo answer, Ruby?" Joey suggested.

All three women looked at him.

"I don't… I just… I really like you, Ruby," Romeo said. "I mean that."

"Well, I'd assume so," Ruby said with a nervous laugh. "We just slept together."

Charlie pulled a face.

"And it was special," Romeo agreed.

He kept to himself that it was his first time.

"But I need to take things slowly now," he said. "I need to talk to Indi first. I can't start a new relationship before I end another."

"But you will end it with Indi?"

"It's over with Indi," he said. "I know it is."

Charlie and Joey both silently noted that he avoided saying that he would end it. But Ruby didn't notice. She was too besotted with him. Charlie and Joey felt terrible that they hadn't put a stop to things sooner. They had noticed her crush. But they had trusted Romeo. It had never occurred to them that anything would ever happen between them. Why would it? He was a boy to be trusted. He was in a committed relationship. Joey had it on good authority that he was a virgin. And he would never cheat or take advantage of Ruby's feelings for him. Except now he and Ruby had slept together. He was clearly still in love with Indi and Ruby was clearly infatuated with him.

"Does Indi know that or have you just decided?" Joey asked.

She couldn't even express how angry she was with the young man she had always thought so highly of. Romeo knew it. He looked down, twisting his fingers in his lap. Charlie couldn't help but think that she knew where his hands had been. It broke her heart to think about the decisions her daughter was making. They echoed the decisions that she had once made in her own life, stupid decisions based on a desperate need to be loved. She was so disappointed in them both. They knew they would hurt Indi and yet they had gone ahead anyway.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Well, I'm not," Ruby said boldly, looking Charlie straight in the eye. "Look, I genuinely am sorry about Indi but Romeo and I really like each other. Don't we?"

She looked at Romeo for confirmation and he nodded anxiously. She held his hand.

"Sometimes it's not the best timing or the best circumstances but you just can't help how you feel," Ruby said. "You guys didn't mean to fall in love, did you? You tried to fight it. You nearly even got into trouble, Charlie."

"It's not exactly the same," Charlie said firmly. "Neither of us were in relationships. We weren't betraying anyone."

"I really am sorry," Romeo said, pulling away from Ruby and standing up. "I didn't mean to let you down."

He hurried out of the house.

"Look what you did!" Ruby accused.

"I don't think this was our fault, Ruby," Joey said firmly.

"You made him feel guilty!"

"He should feel guilty!" Joey snapped. "You should both feel guilty and I'm shocked that you don't, Ruby. Whatever your feelings for him may be, you should still have some kind of compassion for his girlfriend."

"I do have compassion for her," Ruby said. "I just… it just happened. I'm happy it's happened. I've wanted to be with him for so long. Can't I just enjoy it for a moment?"

"How long?" Charlie asked quietly.

"What?" Ruby asked, surprised by the question.

"How long have you been after him?"

"I don't know…"

"Yes, you do," Charlie said, a knot forming in her stomach.

It felt like Liam Murphy all over again. She was furious with herself for not seeing it, for not doing something about it.

"A few weeks," Ruby said. "When Dad got sick, I guess. Like, when he was living here and he got worse and he was dying. Romeo was so good to me. He helped look after me. And when he died, he listened to me. He helped me. Then we started studying together and Indi completely left him behind to go to Uni. We needed each other. We were both lonely."

Charlie nodded. She appreciated the comfort of Joey beside her, their thighs pressed together.

"I thought going back to therapy would have helped you," Charlie said.

"It did help," Ruby said. "But this isn't a problem, Charlie."

"You just slept with someone else's boyfriend, Ruby!" Charlie snapped at her. "Someone else's boyfriend that you've harboured a crush on for weeks! Come on, Ruby! How is this not a problem?"

"Well, it's obvious mutual," Ruby said sourly.

"I hate to break it to you but I think you were just there, Ruby," Charlie said.

She didn't want to be harsh but she did want to be honest. She hated the look of heartbreak and fury on her daughter's face.

"What are you talking about?" Ruby demanded.

"I think Romeo is upset over Indi and you showed him a bit of attention and he slept with you," Charlie said seriously. "He was flattered by you. And maybe he cares about you. Maybe he does. But he loves Indi. You know he does. If she wasn't ignoring him and making him feel insecure, he wouldn't look twice at you."

"Yes, he would!"

"No, he wouldn't," Joey agreed. "He's taken advantage of your feelings. Not on purpose. He's not a bad guy. You've taken advantage of his feelings too. And not on purpose either because you're not a bad person. You're just so hooked on how you feel about him that you can't see past it."

"We care about each other," Ruby insisted. "This is real. You just don't want me to be happy."

Charlie sighed heavily.

"Darling, all we ever want is for you to be happy," she said sincerely.

Romeo left the house feeling awkward and embarrassed. He knew sleeping with Ruby was a mistake. It was a mistake for so many reasons. He was furious with himself for having waited for so long to lose his virginity and then to just throw it away. He had always imagined it being so special. He had always imagined it being with someone he was in love with. He had always imagined it being with Indi.

He sighed heavily and pulled his phone out. He had seven missed calls and several text messages, all from Indi, wanting to know where he was and why he hadn't come round. He didn't know what to do. Should he continue to avoid her? Should he call her? Would she know from his face what he had done? But then, she was going to break up with him, he reminded himself. That was no excuse, he also reminded himself.

He took a deep breath and phoned his girlfriend.

"Hey," she replied, answering immediately.

"Hey," he replied.

"Where have you been?"

"Just… nowhere," he said.

She didn't need to know where he had been.

"I made dinner for us," she said. "I wanted to spend the evening with you."

Tears stung his eyes.

"You did?" he said.

"Yeah," she said. "I kicked everyone out. I wanted us to spend some time together. I wanted to… you know, reconnect."

She was never going to break up with me, he realised. He hated himself for the huge mistake he had made.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I uh… I misunderstood."

"What do you mean?" Indi asked.

His voice caught at the innocence in her voice. She had no idea that he had betrayed her.

"I thought you were going to break up with me," he said.

"Oh, Romeo…" she said.

He could imagine the sad smile on her face.

"You're so silly," she said. "As if. I love you."

"I love you too, Indi," he said. "I love you so much."

"Well… you could always come over now?" she suggested.

He still had Ruby all over him.

"Well, I don't think your Dad would probably be too keen on an extra house guest," he said. "Especially one that just stood his daughter up."

"Probably not," she admitted. "He was pretty mad at you when he got home. And drunk. Apparently he spent the night trying to help Liam write music. Poor Liam!"

Romeo managed a laugh but all he wanted to do was weep.

"Poor Liam," he agreed.

"But maybe we can rearrange?" she asked hopefully.

"Definitely," he said.

Breakfast the next morning was awkward to say the least. Ruby had hardly slept. She had sent Romeo a goodnight text the night before and he had barely replied. She was angry with her parents for walking in on them and making them feel bad for finally giving into their feelings.

"Have you had some time to think about last night?" Charlie grinned.

"Of course," Ruby said. "Romeo is all I've thought about."

Charlie sighed, glancing at Joey.

"You didn't think about what we said then?" she asked.

"I did and you're wrong," Ruby said firmly. "Romeo wouldn't do that to me. Come on, guys. You know him. Especially you, Joey. You work with him. You've spent so much time with him. You know he'd never use me like that. He'd never do that unless he meant it."

"I don't think he would intentionally," Joey agreed. "But I think he's all over the place right now. More than any of us have realised."

"So, what did you get up to last night?" Nicole asked.

Romeo blanched, guilty and ashamed of himself. He was exhausted and had hardly slept. He had no idea how he was going to face Indi. Nicole joined him at the table and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Uh… what do you mean?" he asked.

"Your night with Indi!" Nicole said. "She was so nervous about it!"

"Oh," he said. "It… it didn't happen."

"Oh," Nicole said, disappointed.

She knew her friends' relationship was hanging by a threat.

"How come?"

"Just… stuff got in the way," he said.

He really didn't want to talk about it. They both looked up as Colleen arrived downstairs. Both of them wondered how long she would be staying with them. Her van was fixed and live-in-able again but she had given no indication that she would be moving back home.

Charlie and Joey went out for a run on the promise from Joey that she would be careful with her wrist. But both of them felt the need to clear their heads.

"Hey!" Joey protested, skidding on the sand and coming to a stop.

Charlie stopped just ahead of her.

"I just don't think your heart is really into this," Joey accused gently.

"I'm just worried," Charlie admitted.

"Look, Ruby…"

"About you, silly!" Charlie laughed, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

She pulled her in closer for a kiss. Joey grinned.

"I'm worried about you hurting your wrist," Charlie said.

"I'm fine," Joey assured her. "Honestly. I am not going to set myself back. I want this damn cast off more than anything."

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay," she said. "Let's go."

Ruby sat in the Diner sipping coffee and fiddling with her phone. She wanted to talk to Romeo but she didn't know whether to call him. She had sent him a good morning text and he hadn't replied. She didn't want to become too needy. She didn't want to ruin their relationship before it had properly started. And she understood that he probably had a lot on his plate this morning with having to end things with Indi.

"Hey, you," said a voice.

For a moment, her heart lifted when she thought it was Romeo. But it wasn't. It was Casey. She found it hard to hide her disappointment.

"Oh, hey," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," he said. "Have you had time to think about last night?"

Images of Romeo flashed through her brain. She had almost forgotten Casey asking her out.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry, Casey. I've met someone."

"Since last night?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah," she said. "It's kind of been on the cards for a while but I didn't think it was going to happen. And it did. Last night. I'm sorry."

He nodded and turned to leave, accidentally bumping into Colleen on her way in for her shift. She immediately yelled at him, making him panic and run out the door. Ruby felt bad for him and was still watching the door when Nicole and Claire appeared. They spotted Ruby and came to join her.

"You look pensive," Nicole remarked.

Ruby shook her head. She was desperate to tell her friends everything but judging by her parents' reaction, they wouldn't understand.

"I'm okay," Ruby said.

She continued to fiddle with her phone.

Both girls looked suspicious but let it go.

"So, Romeo was in a weird mood this morning," Nicole gossiped.

Ruby sat up straighter.

"What do you mean, a weird mood?" she asked eagerly.

"Well, he was supposed to have a special night with Indi last night… if you know what I mean…"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"And he didn't show up!" Nicole exclaimed. "Apparently he thought she was going to dump him so he stood her up. Absolutely broke her heart. But he was so weird this morning."

"We slept together!" Ruby burst out.

Nicole and Claire stared at her in horror. Only Nicole stared at her in surprise.

"What?" Nicole managed.

"Romeo and I…" Ruby ventured. "We slept together. Last night."

"When he and Indi were supposed to be together… he was with you?" Nicole clarified.

Ruby nodded anxiously.

"I knew you liked him," Claire admitted softly.

"You did?" Ruby and Nicole said at the same time.

"I know you," Claire said. "You've been obsessing over him for weeks now. I knew it."

"How could you, Ruby?" Nicole demanded. "He and Indi are in love."

"They're not happy together," Ruby snapped back.

"But they are together!" Nicole argued. "If you and he were to be together then you both should have waited until he was single."

"We thought we had waited," Ruby said. "He thought she was ending it between them."

"Then he should have found out!"

She shook her head in disgust.

"I can't believe you've done this," she said. "I can't believe he's done this. Poor Indi."

"So, are you guys together now or is he still with Indi or what?" Claire wanted to know. "What's going on?"

"He's going to end things with Indi," Ruby said more confidently than she felt. "Romeo wants to be with me."

Joey was triumphant. She had won the race and now she and Charlie were sat on the sand together enjoying the sunshine. Both of their minds drifted to Ruby and Romeo.

"I just can't believe either of them would cheat like that," Joey sighed.

"I feel so guilty," Charlie admitted.

Joey looked up sharply.

"You didn't do it!" she said.

"No but I feel like I didn't see the signs of another one of Ruby's…"

"… obsessions," Joey concluded.

She sighed again and nodded.

"Me neither," she said. "I mean, I suspected that she might like him and I was trying to keep a bit of an eye on them but then I guess I got distracted with my own problems. You're right. I feel guilty too."

Charlie apologised and put her arm around her.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she said. "It's not your fault."

"But if I had been more normal then we would have been on the ball with Ruby," Joey said. "She wouldn't have done this."

"Who says?" Charlie argued. "When Ruby sets her mind to something… The only difference between Liam and Romeo is that Liam was honourable enough not to go for it with her. And let's face it, we didn't pay that much attention to her crush on Romeo because we thought Romeo was the same. We thought he was in a committed relationship with Indi. We thought he was a safe, reliable guy who would never do a bad thing. We forgot that he's still a randy teenage boy."

She sighed heavily and gazed out to sea.

"What are we going to do with her?" she continued. "Because I know I've made some questionable romantic decisions in the past but I have genuinely never cheated on anyone and I never would. But she's seen me get cheated on. She's seen me hurt by that. And I feel like, romantic disasters aside… I'm leading by good example now. You and I have been in a strong, stable relationship for coming up to two years. We're honest and kind with each other. We're everything I've ever wanted in a relationship. Why is she always acting out against that?"

"Well, firstly, I'm glad to hear you've never cheated," Joey said, kissing the tip of Charlie's nose.

Charlie grinned.

"Secondly, you do lead by example," Joey said. "In every way. You're right. We are strong. We do show Ruby a good, happy relationship. And maybe that's what she's searching for when she goes for people like Romeo and Alex and Liam. But you also show Ruby strength and courage as a police officer and just as a person, Charlie. I see you in Summer Bay, with your friends, your colleagues, the community and you're so kind. You always have time for people. They turn to you. They know they can trust you. We know we can trust you. That's a special thing."

Charlie rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. She thanked her quietly. Joey put her arm around her and continued gazing out at sea.

Romeo was nervous when Indi answered the door to him. He didn't even get a chance to speak when she gathered him into her arms and gave him a kiss that took his breath away. He wanted to cry with the guilt pressing down on him.

"I missed you so much last night," she said.

His mind flashed back to his night with Ruby. It had been amazing. He had been so nervous but she had been so loving. He hadn't felt truly adored in such a long time, not by Indi, not by anyone. He had felt so shut out in the cold.

"I missed you too," he said.

At least that wasn't a lie.

"So… um… I was thinking about trying to rearrange our night together?" Indi ventured.

Images of Ruby tortured him.

"That would be amazing," he decided.

Indi gazed at him for a moment. She was worried about the anxiety in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I just… I'm a terrible boyfriend," he said. "I don't deserve you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer for a kiss, telling him not to be silly.

"I am," he said. "I haven't been there for you. I haven't supported you. I've been jealous of your new life. And when I thought you were going to leave me, I didn't face up to things head on. I ran away. Indi, you have every right to walk away from me. You deserve better."

Indi shook her head firmly, kissing him again.

"There is nobody on earth I want to be with than you," she told him.

It was the afternoon and Charlie and Joey had gone out to the movies. It was their day off and neither of them wanted to think about Ruby and Romeo anymore so indulging in a film, some popcorn and some kissing in the dark felt like a very good plan. It felt like it had been too long since they'd spent a whole day just having fun together. Work and stress always seemed to get in the way at the moment but despite everything going on with Ruby, they had actually had a really nice day just spending time together.

Romeo had escaped to the beach to clear his head. He knew he had to make it work with Indi. She was the person he loved most in the whole world. And perhaps after this, they really would make time for each other and be able to focus on each other and not let their different worlds and priorities get in the way.

The only problem was, of course, Ruby. There was still a small part of him that had really, really enjoyed last night. Ruby showered him with attention and affection and not just last night. She did it all the time. And she was exciting. He was not the type of guy to just fall into bed with someone. He had held onto his virginity this long. But there was something intoxicating about Ruby, something different about her than Indi. It was love vs. lust, he supposed.

But he knew he had to be sensible. Lust wasn't something long lasting. Love survived. Love was what he had to choose. If Ruby would allow him to. He suspected that letting her down gently wasn't going to be easy.

He stacked his surfboard up and was just about to go and get showered when he bumped into Ruby herself. She pulled him back into the shed that held all the surfboard and beach equipment. She kissed him. He let her. His mind flashed to Indi and he pulled away.

"Ruby, I can't," he said.

Ruby looked hurt, although she had suspected it was coming. She hated it but her parents were usually right about these things.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I made a mistake last night."

"Romeo, how can you say that?" Ruby asked, heartbroken. "Last night was special. You said it was."

"It was special," he said. "But it still shouldn't have happened. I'm with Indi."

"You said you were over," Ruby accused.

"I thought we were," he explained. "But I was wrong. And I was wrong to get you involved. I've hurt you and I'm sorry, Ruby."

"Well, you'll be over when she knows you slept with me," Ruby pointed out.

He looked stricken.

"Ruby, please don't…"

She walked away.

Charlie and Joey returned home from the cinema, having not seen as much of the film as they should have but mostly, they had enjoyed it. They were still giggling to themselves when they walked through the front door but stopped abruptly at the sight of their daughter in floods of tears on the sofa. They hurried to join her on the couch and cuddled up to her. She sobbed in their arms.

Next time… Joey begins to heal, tensions flare between Ruby and Romeo and Claire proves her worth as a best friend…