Dani cautiously entered the room that she shared with Brodie. She was sitting
on her bed, listening to music and sulking.
"Hey, Brodes."
Brodie took out her earphones and smiled at Dani.
"Hi."
"You're not still in a mood are you?"
"Who said I was in a mood?"
"It's obvous, well to me it is!"
"Ok, fine."
"Well..."
"I'm not wanted here, Dan."
"Yes you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"What makes you think that you're not wanted?"
"Everything."
"And by that I take it you mean Kirsty?"
"Yes."
"I was just speaking to her and she wants to apologise."
"She does? I mean, em, oh right."
"Give her a chance, Brodie. She's feeling really guilty. She was totally out
of it when she spoke to you the way she did. She couldn't even remember it."
"Ok, ok."
"So, you guys are ok then?"
"When I speak to her, yeah."
"No time like the present!"
"I don't think so. I'll leave it a while, I want to hear about you and Josh."
"No, you don't."
"Is it that bad?"
"No. It's, I don't know, It's nothing."
"What do you mean?"
"He's like almost not reacted to what I told him at all. I mean on the night
I told him, he was fabulous. He was really supportive but since then, he's
had time to think and he just isn't the same with me anymore."
"Can't you talk to him?"
"I'm on my way to do that now."
"Great, don't let me hold you up, I've someone to see aswell!"
"Ok, see you then."
"See you."
Dani left the room and as she walked down the stairs, she thought about how
she was going to approach Josh. She knew he would be in his caravan but could
she just go there and talk to him? Yes, she had to. There was no other way.
Dani took her time on the way to the caravan and quietly knocked on the door,
part of her hoping that Josh wouldn't be home.
"Who is it?"
"It's Dani."
"Come in."
Dani timidly entered the caravan and took a seat at the small table. She
didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell Josh wat the problem was because she
didn't know herself. She just wanted everything to be ok again, to be normal
again.
"What's up?"
"We need to talk."
"We do?"
"You know we do."
"Ok."
"Do you have a problem with what I told you last week?"
"No."
"Well, something is wrong, Josh."
"I've just not quite got my head around it yet."
"I don't get you."
"It could do so much to us. As you're saying, it is doing so much to us. I
just didn't realise how big it was."
"Look, if you're giving up on the relationship then say it straight, don't
beat around the bush, don't make it harder."
"No, no, I'm not. I love you, Dani...I wouldn't break up with you over
something that some thug had done to you. I just don't want it to push us
backwards...I want to go forwards."
"By that I take it you mean that you want us to sleep together."
"It's not just that, but yes, it's a part of it."
"I've got to go away and think about this, Josh."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Dan, please."
"I'll see you."
At that, Dani left the tiny caravan and retreated to her room where she
thought over and over about what Josh had said to her. She was desperate to get
things back to the way they had been with Josh. She loved him, she was attracted
to him...would it really be so bad? Maybe she was ready to sleep with Josh.
What harm could it do? It would give Josh what he wanted and Dani would
hopefully get what she wanted. It would also be a huge milestone for Dani to overcome.
The only man she'd ever slept with before was Will and then of course there
was Kane but that wasn't the same. Perhaps if she did it with Josh, it would be
closure for the whole Kane situation. That's it. She'd decided. She would
sleep with Josh. She picked up the phone and dialled his number.
"Babe?"
"Hey, I didn't think you'd be in touch so soon."
"What would you do if I said I was ready?"
"You what? Em, I'd say anytime, as long as you're sure."
Dani hesitated...
"I am. Cook a meal or something in your caravan tonight, I'll come over."
"Ok, will I see you at about eight?"
"Yeah, see you then, love you."
"Back at ya!"
Josh was clearly happy but was Dani? It was 4.30pm...three and a half hours
to get ready and prepare herself. Was she really going to do this? She tried to
think of the more trivial things, what to wear? How to do her hair? After
about an hour of sifting through her clothes, Dani decided on a long black dress
and left her hair hanging around her shoulders. 7.55pm...she should go. She
descended the stairs and was greeted by her mum and dad.
"Dani, where are you going dressed like that?" asked her protective father.
"Out with Josh."
"Whereabouts?" asked her mother, in a more caring tone.
"Just to his caravan...he's made a meal and stuff. I really have to go, I'm
going to be late."
"Ok, honey, don't be too late."
"I won't be."
A few seconds after Dani left the house, Rhys' questions started.
"Just to his caravan? I don't think so."
"You have to let her do this on her own, Rhys."
"If he touches her, if he hurts her, I'll put him in hospital, I swear it!"
"Rhys...you can't protect her forever. If she thinks she is ready then there
is nothing we can do about it. She's a big girl."
"I'm not going to bed until she is home."
"Fine...I'll stay up with you."
As Rhys and Shelly worried at home, Dani worried in Josh's caravan. They'd
had the meal and dessert wasn't good. Josh had been amazing all night. He was
kind and considerate, gentle and loving. He didn't want Dani to feel
uncomfortable or obliged at all. Dani leaned closer to Josh and kissed him. She wanted
to do this. She really did but could she? The couple moved to the bed and Josh
stopped.
"Are you sure because if you're not then it's ok."
"Let's do this."
They began to kiss again. It was becoming heavier and stronger...thoughts
were rising in Dani's head. Josh was oblivious to what she was seeing...it
wasn't him. She was going through it all in her head again...she was becoming more
and more distressed...
"NO! Josh, please, I'm sorry, I can't do this."
Josh immediately got up off the bed to give Dani some air. She moved to the
table and began to cry.
"Dani..."
"I'm so sorry, I can't, I just can't."
"It's ok, Dani."
"It's not, I've ruined your night, you went to so much trouble...I just saw
him, all the stuff with Kane, it just came back again. Why won't he go away,
Josh, why?"
"I don't know, Dan, but it's ok."
"No, I've ruined it, I've ruined it all."
"Dani..."
"I have to go, I can't be here just now, I need to be at home."
Without saying goodbye, Dani ran from the caravan in floods of tears. She ran
to her home and without even thinking, she ran through the living room and
straight to her room.
"Dani!" her dad shouted after her. "What has he done to her?!"
"Let me handle this, Rhys."
Shelly knocked on Dani's door.
"Can I come in?"
"I want to be alone. He didn't do anything, mum, it was me, just me."
"Ok, sweetie, I'm here when you're ready."
"Thanks."
on her bed, listening to music and sulking.
"Hey, Brodes."
Brodie took out her earphones and smiled at Dani.
"Hi."
"You're not still in a mood are you?"
"Who said I was in a mood?"
"It's obvous, well to me it is!"
"Ok, fine."
"Well..."
"I'm not wanted here, Dan."
"Yes you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"What makes you think that you're not wanted?"
"Everything."
"And by that I take it you mean Kirsty?"
"Yes."
"I was just speaking to her and she wants to apologise."
"She does? I mean, em, oh right."
"Give her a chance, Brodie. She's feeling really guilty. She was totally out
of it when she spoke to you the way she did. She couldn't even remember it."
"Ok, ok."
"So, you guys are ok then?"
"When I speak to her, yeah."
"No time like the present!"
"I don't think so. I'll leave it a while, I want to hear about you and Josh."
"No, you don't."
"Is it that bad?"
"No. It's, I don't know, It's nothing."
"What do you mean?"
"He's like almost not reacted to what I told him at all. I mean on the night
I told him, he was fabulous. He was really supportive but since then, he's
had time to think and he just isn't the same with me anymore."
"Can't you talk to him?"
"I'm on my way to do that now."
"Great, don't let me hold you up, I've someone to see aswell!"
"Ok, see you then."
"See you."
Dani left the room and as she walked down the stairs, she thought about how
she was going to approach Josh. She knew he would be in his caravan but could
she just go there and talk to him? Yes, she had to. There was no other way.
Dani took her time on the way to the caravan and quietly knocked on the door,
part of her hoping that Josh wouldn't be home.
"Who is it?"
"It's Dani."
"Come in."
Dani timidly entered the caravan and took a seat at the small table. She
didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell Josh wat the problem was because she
didn't know herself. She just wanted everything to be ok again, to be normal
again.
"What's up?"
"We need to talk."
"We do?"
"You know we do."
"Ok."
"Do you have a problem with what I told you last week?"
"No."
"Well, something is wrong, Josh."
"I've just not quite got my head around it yet."
"I don't get you."
"It could do so much to us. As you're saying, it is doing so much to us. I
just didn't realise how big it was."
"Look, if you're giving up on the relationship then say it straight, don't
beat around the bush, don't make it harder."
"No, no, I'm not. I love you, Dani...I wouldn't break up with you over
something that some thug had done to you. I just don't want it to push us
backwards...I want to go forwards."
"By that I take it you mean that you want us to sleep together."
"It's not just that, but yes, it's a part of it."
"I've got to go away and think about this, Josh."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Dan, please."
"I'll see you."
At that, Dani left the tiny caravan and retreated to her room where she
thought over and over about what Josh had said to her. She was desperate to get
things back to the way they had been with Josh. She loved him, she was attracted
to him...would it really be so bad? Maybe she was ready to sleep with Josh.
What harm could it do? It would give Josh what he wanted and Dani would
hopefully get what she wanted. It would also be a huge milestone for Dani to overcome.
The only man she'd ever slept with before was Will and then of course there
was Kane but that wasn't the same. Perhaps if she did it with Josh, it would be
closure for the whole Kane situation. That's it. She'd decided. She would
sleep with Josh. She picked up the phone and dialled his number.
"Babe?"
"Hey, I didn't think you'd be in touch so soon."
"What would you do if I said I was ready?"
"You what? Em, I'd say anytime, as long as you're sure."
Dani hesitated...
"I am. Cook a meal or something in your caravan tonight, I'll come over."
"Ok, will I see you at about eight?"
"Yeah, see you then, love you."
"Back at ya!"
Josh was clearly happy but was Dani? It was 4.30pm...three and a half hours
to get ready and prepare herself. Was she really going to do this? She tried to
think of the more trivial things, what to wear? How to do her hair? After
about an hour of sifting through her clothes, Dani decided on a long black dress
and left her hair hanging around her shoulders. 7.55pm...she should go. She
descended the stairs and was greeted by her mum and dad.
"Dani, where are you going dressed like that?" asked her protective father.
"Out with Josh."
"Whereabouts?" asked her mother, in a more caring tone.
"Just to his caravan...he's made a meal and stuff. I really have to go, I'm
going to be late."
"Ok, honey, don't be too late."
"I won't be."
A few seconds after Dani left the house, Rhys' questions started.
"Just to his caravan? I don't think so."
"You have to let her do this on her own, Rhys."
"If he touches her, if he hurts her, I'll put him in hospital, I swear it!"
"Rhys...you can't protect her forever. If she thinks she is ready then there
is nothing we can do about it. She's a big girl."
"I'm not going to bed until she is home."
"Fine...I'll stay up with you."
As Rhys and Shelly worried at home, Dani worried in Josh's caravan. They'd
had the meal and dessert wasn't good. Josh had been amazing all night. He was
kind and considerate, gentle and loving. He didn't want Dani to feel
uncomfortable or obliged at all. Dani leaned closer to Josh and kissed him. She wanted
to do this. She really did but could she? The couple moved to the bed and Josh
stopped.
"Are you sure because if you're not then it's ok."
"Let's do this."
They began to kiss again. It was becoming heavier and stronger...thoughts
were rising in Dani's head. Josh was oblivious to what she was seeing...it
wasn't him. She was going through it all in her head again...she was becoming more
and more distressed...
"NO! Josh, please, I'm sorry, I can't do this."
Josh immediately got up off the bed to give Dani some air. She moved to the
table and began to cry.
"Dani..."
"I'm so sorry, I can't, I just can't."
"It's ok, Dani."
"It's not, I've ruined your night, you went to so much trouble...I just saw
him, all the stuff with Kane, it just came back again. Why won't he go away,
Josh, why?"
"I don't know, Dan, but it's ok."
"No, I've ruined it, I've ruined it all."
"Dani..."
"I have to go, I can't be here just now, I need to be at home."
Without saying goodbye, Dani ran from the caravan in floods of tears. She ran
to her home and without even thinking, she ran through the living room and
straight to her room.
"Dani!" her dad shouted after her. "What has he done to her?!"
"Let me handle this, Rhys."
Shelly knocked on Dani's door.
"Can I come in?"
"I want to be alone. He didn't do anything, mum, it was me, just me."
"Ok, sweetie, I'm here when you're ready."
"Thanks."