Chapter Thirteen

"So, they've really split up?" Leah asked, surprised.

"Who has?" Alex asked, snapping back into the conversation.

Joey burst out laughing as her other three companions all looked as confused as each other.

"Are you paying any attention to us at all?" Leah asked the Doctor.

"Sorry," Alex said, shaking her head and forcing herself to focus.

Across the room, Willow was laughing with her friends, not paying any attention to her.

"Yes, I am," Alex said. "Who split up?"

"Charlie and Brax," Aden said.

Joey continued to smile to herself, half because of Alex and half because Charlie and Brax had broken up. She didn't even know the guy and she knew he was no good for Charlie. Not that she was biased in any way.

"Yes," Alex said. "Today."

She glanced up as Brax strode into the room and straight behind the bar, pouring himself a drink. That definitely put a dampener on the evening.

"I gather it was pretty stressful," she added.

"Is Charlie really okay?" Leah asked.

"I really do think she is," Alex said. "I think it was her decision. She seems at peace with it. To a degree. She feels like it's the right thing."

She looked at Joey, who she knew had been in touch with afterwards.

"She sounded like she was okay," she said. "I mean… a whole lot has happened to her in the past few days. It's all going to be a lot to process. I'm going to visit her first thing tomorrow."

"I think it means a lot to have you here, Joey," Leah said honestly.

Aden smiled at his housemate. He knew exactly what it had taken to return to Summer Bay and he was glad they had taken the plunge.

At her table, Willow was trying to concentrate on the jokes zinging between Jasmine, Ziggy, Dean, Bianca and Liam but all she could think about was that Alex was sat only a few feet away, chatting to Leah and a couple of other people she didn't know like she didn't have a care in the world.

"Hey, what's up with you?" Dean asked, waving his hand in front of her face. "You're all over the place tonight. And earlier today."

"Sorry," Willow said, plastering a smile across her face. "Just distracted."

"Who is he?" Dean demanded.

Willow blushed and shook her head.

"There is no 'he'," she said honestly, thinking yet again about her kiss with Alex.

She looked over at her again. She was laughing with the pretty dark haired girl. Willow found herself wondering who she was, although she thought she might be the girl she had met on the beach a couple of days ago. Yes, she definitely was. She recognised the guy too. But as for the girl who was chatting merrily away with Alex… she realised that she felt jealous.

"Is it your friend being back in the Bay?" Ziggy asked.

Willow was confused for a moment. Then she remembered Colby. Yes, that was most definitely confusing. She hadn't seen him since she was a teenager and the three of them had caused a lot of trouble together.

"Dean told me about him," Ziggy clarified.

"Who's this?" Bianca asked.

Dean frowned at his girlfriend, who apologised. Colby was the last person he wanted to think about tonight. Willow opted to distract herself from Alex by explaining.

"Well, I'd better head home," Leah decided. "Ruby is on mandatory rest and she agreed to look after VJ while I popped out for a bit. But I don't want her to have to do too much. I'll see you guys soon. Alex, I'm bound to see you at the hospital tomorrow, I'm sure!"

She waved and headed out the door, resisting stopping at the bar to give Brax a piece of her mind. She couldn't believe that in Charlie's time of need, her boyfriend had abandoned her, especially when he was the reason she had been shot in the first place.

Jasmine stood up and headed over to the bar, ordering a drink from a scowling Brax. She stopped and waved when she spotted Alex sat in a booth, chatting to Joey and Aden, inviting them over to join their table. Alex froze. Joey tried not to enjoy watching how things were going to play out. Aden stood up, oblivious and eager to introduce himself to more people. Joey suddenly realised just how much her friend missed Summer Bay.

"You don't want to join them?" Joey asked curiously.

"Oh, maybe in a minute…" Alex said hesitantly, looking at Willow who was looking directly at her.

"Avoiding the girl who hasn't stopped looking at you all night?"

Alex choked on her drink, making Joey laugh. Willow watched them like a hawk.

"Is it that obvious?" Alex asked.

"Her or you?"

"Me," Alex sighed. "I didn't even know she was looking at me."

"Oh, she's been looking at you," Joey said. "It's been like my own private soap opera!"

Alex laughed.

"I'm glad to be of service," she said.

"So… what's the deal?" Joey asked, unashamed to be nosy.

Alex sighed.

"There isn't one really," she said. "I like her. She doesn't like me."

"Oh, no way," Joey insisted. "There is way more to it than that."

"Okay, I might have tried to kiss her," Alex said, her face in her hands. "Big mistake."

"Well, it looks to me like it might not be as cut and dried as all that," Joey said. "Because she hasn't been able to take her eyes off you all night."

"It's probably like a phobia," Alex remarked. "Like when you don't want a spider to come near you, you keep your eye on it in case it pounces!"

Joey laughed.

"She isn't looking at you like a spider," she assured her. "I mean…"

She glanced in Willow's direction.

"She doesn't look too happy with me right now," she said. "Maybe she thinks I'm going to pounce on you!"

Alex laughed.

"But we all know you only have eyes for a certain patient of mine," she said. "So, now you've analysed my love life, what about yours?"

Joey chuckled.

"Fair play," she said. "Charlie is…"

"Complicated?" Alex asked.

"Definitely complicated," Joey confirmed. "She is brilliant and caring, compassionate and wonderful… but possibly the most confusing woman you'll ever meet in your life. She saved my life and she broke my heart all in one fell swoop."

"So… what are you doing here?" Alex asked seriously. "If she hurt you so badly? Why do you still care?"

Joey sipped her drink, considering her answer.

"Once you're in love with her… you don't stop."

"So, you lived in the Bay for years?" Jasmine asked Aden.

"Yeah, I lived with Irene Roberts," Aden explained.

"Oh!" Willow exclaimed. "Aden! It was you who called the other day about Charlie?"

Aden smiled and nodded, confirming that she was correct.

"So… who's your friend?" Dean asked.

Ziggy eyed her boyfriend suspiciously, demanding to know why he wanted to know.

"I'm just interested!" Dean insisted, holding his hands up in self-defence. "It's probably his girlfriend!"

Aden laughed and shook his head.

"My housemate," he said. "She's as gay as Ellen."

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Never mind," Aden said.

Willow shifted uncomfortably. Ziggy attempted to explain gay pop culture to her boyfriend.

"So… um… did she live in Summer Bay too?" Willow asked, still looking over at Joey and Alex, who hadn't stopped talking since Aden had left them.

"Yeah, we met here and we've been living together for a year or so," Aden said, also looking over. "She's great."

"Yeah," Willow said flatly. "Um… is she single? Just… um… Alex, the woman she's talking to is gay and um…"

Aden laughed.

"Joey won't be into Alex," he assured her.

"Why not?" Willow demanded defensively. "What's wrong with Alex?"

"Oh! Nothing! She's hot! Like, really hot! But Joey's in love with someone else," Aden said. "She has been for years."

Bianca suddenly knew exactly who he was talking about. As soon as she had heard Joey's name, she knew. Charlie had confided in her long ago about Joey Collins and how much she had loved her. She found it interesting that in this time of crisis, Joey had come home and Charlie and Brax had broken up. She longed to go and visit her friend. But she was terrified of rejection.

Willow allowed herself to relax a little.

"Jo!" Aden yelled across the room. "Stop being anti-social!"

Joey looked up and offered him a withering look.

"It's now or never," she teased Alex who reluctantly followed her over to Aden's new table.

Alex glared at Joey when she deliberately took the seat not next to Willow, ensuring that Alex had to sit next to her.

"Thank you," Alex hissed. "Not."

"You're welcome," Joey said sweetly.

"Everyone, this is my housemate, Joey," Aden introduced.

Joey was particularly pleased to meet Willow, who Alex felt was uncharacteristically unfriendly towards. She was also awkward with Alex. It was the first time they hadn't felt connected when they spent time together. It felt wrong and uncomfortable and it made them both feel sad.

"Well, I think I'm going to head off," Alex said.

She had enjoyed socialising with Aden and the others and particularly with Joey. But feeling like Willow was so close and yet so far was hurting her. They had promised to stay friends but this really didn't feel like it. She said goodbye to everyone, dared to glance at Brax who was looking rather worse for wear behind the bar and disappeared out the door.

She was barely outside when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned around and saw Willow standing behind her, looking anxious.

"Do you like that Joey girl?" Willow asked.

"Huh?"

It wasn't a clever response but it was so out of the blue that it was all Alex could manage.

"Do you like that Joey girl?" Willow repeated.

"No!" Alex almost laughed. "Joey's my friend. It's nothing like that."

"Okay."

The two women continued staring at each other.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"I just… You just confused me, that's all," Willow said.

"Because I was talking to someone else?"

"Because you kissed me and then you ignored me all night!" Willow half shouted.

"You were ignoring me!" Alex argued.

Willow shook her head. She was feeling confused and a little dizzy.

"I wasn't ignoring you," she protested. "All I wanted you to do was talk to me."

"But you didn't talk to me," Alex said. "It was up to you to make the effort, Willow. After I embarrassed myself like that. You were there with your mates. I'm the guest here. I'm the one who made the wrong move. I'm the one who's in a new town. I'm the one who screwed up."

"But you didn't!" Willow said.

The words were out of her mouth before she had even processed them herself. Alex was more confused than ever.

"All I've wanted to do ever since you kissed me was to do it again," Willow admitted.

She realised only then that it was the truth.

"But… You… I don't…"

Willow stepped forward, closing what had already become a rather small gap. She ran her hands through Alex's hair, pulling her closer and finding her lips. Alex closed her eyes, melting into Willow's kiss. It was better than the first time, not hurried or stolen. It was everything Alex had dreamed it would be. She wrapped her arms around Willow, holding her close and not wanting to let her go. Willow felt like she was going to burst. All her anxiety abandoned her, feeling like she and Alex just fit perfectly together.

Alex opened her eyes, suddenly coming to her senses. She let go of Willow and pulled away. The world came rushing back to Willow and she didn't like it. She reached out, desperate to pull Alex close again. In Alex's arms, she felt safer and happier than she ever had before.

"Don't…" Alex said quietly.

Willow was crestfallen.

"Alex, I want…"

"Tonight you do," the Doctor said, sounding stronger than she felt. "When you've had a drink and we're alone and you're pissed off because you think I've been looking at someone else."

"No…"

"Yes," Alex said firmly. "But tomorrow, in the harsh light of day, it'll be a mistake for you. And I just… I don't want this…"

She placed one hand over her heart and one hand over Willow's.

"I don't want this to be a mistake."

She reluctantly walked away.

Next time… Willow confides in Charlie…