Hi everyone. The next chapters will be longer but for now here's just a short piece as Joey comes running. Enjoy! IJKW xx

Chapter Six

"I'm here," Charlie replied quietly.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked.

She sounded like she was moving quickly.

"No," Charlie said. "No, I'm not."

"Where are you?" Joey asked.

She jumped into the back of the cab and told the driver to take her to Summer Bay. Then she turned her attention back to Charlie.

"Where are you, Charlie?" she asked again. "I couldn't see."

"I'm at our place," Charlie replied.

Her voice was shaking and she was gripping the phone so tightly that her hand was beginning to ache.

"I'm twenty minutes away," Joey said. "Please... please wait for me. Please don't do anything. Please?"

Her voice broke with emotion. On the other end of the line, Charlie clutched the phone tightly. To think that someone she'd hurt so badly, cared so much about her, made her think that perhaps there was something to live for after all. Perhaps.

"Charlie?"

"I'll wait," she said. "I'll wait."

"Are you safe?" Joey asked. "You haven't done anything? You're safe?"

"I'm safe," Charlie said. "The gun's on the floor."

Joey closed her eyes at the thought of Charlie preparing to shoot herself.

"Okay, I need you to put the safety on and take the bullets out," Joey said, forcing herself to remain calm and in control.

Charlie looked down at the weapon lying in the sand. She'd been so desperate to end it all today. She didn't know whether to be grateful or regretful that she'd left the message for Joey.

"Charlie, please can you do that for me?" Joey asked. "I need to know you're safe while I'm not with you."

"Okay," Charlie said quietly.

She reached out and flicked the safety back on. She anxiously pressed the release catch and watched as the magazine slid out. She dropped the gun back onto the sand.

"It's done," she said.

"Okay," Joey said. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes. I'm on my way. But I'll stay on the line the whole time. I won't leave you."

Charlie felt overwhelmed by the care and concern in Joey's voice. She'd only meant to say goodbye. She hadn't expected Joey to come running. She began to sob. In the taxi, Joey silently broke. She wiped her eyes and tried to steel herself for seeing Charlie and trying to save her.

"I'll be there soon," she said.

Charlie nodded and chewed her lip. Tears continued to sting her eyes.

"Talk to me," Joey said, sounding more cheerful than she felt.

"About what?" Charlie asked.

"Anything. Tell me anything. Happy, sad... whatever you like."

"Why?"

"It's been a year since I saw you," Joey said. "We've got a lot to catch up on."

"You don't want to know anything I've been doing," Charlie said sadly. "I'm an even worse person that I was when you left... when I lost you."

More tears spilled down her cheeks. She clutched the phone tighter.

"It's okay," Joey said gently. "Whatever's happened... it doesn't matter. We'll get through it. Everything will be okay."

"It won't," Charlie said certainly but sadly.

Her voice was hollow and her throat hurt from crying.

"It will. Everything will be fine."

Charlie nodded but she didn't believe her.

"Ten minutes," Joey told her.

"Thank you," Charlie said. "Thank you for wanting to save me."

"Of course I want to save you. I..."

She trailed off. Telling Charlie she loved her probably wasn't a good move right now. She didn't want to scare her or make things worse.

"I love you," Charlie said almost inaudibly.

Joey closed her eyes. She opened up and watched the world rush past her. Her heart hammered in her chest as every second brought her closer to Charlie.

"I love you too," she replied.

Ten minutes later, Joey's taxi pulled up by the dunes. Trembling, Joey dug around in her pocket, hoping she had enough cash.

"It's on the house," the cab driver said. "I hope your friend's okay."

Joey paused and smiled at him, touched that a stranger would care so much. Gripping the phone that connected her to Charlie, she thanked him and scrambled out of the cab. As soon as she'd closed the door, she headed towards where she hoped Charlie was. Then she collided with another person and tumbled to the ground. Her phone fell from her grip and she stumbled again as she tried to reach out for it.

"Here," said a voice.

Looking up, Joey saw the man she'd seen Charlie with all those months before. He held out the phone with one hand and offered his other to her.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I didn't see you."

Joey stood up with his assistance and reached for the phone, thanking him politely and moving away.

"Are you okay?" the man asked her. "You look pretty stressed."

"I'm fine," Joey said, trying to get away.

She lifted the phone to her ear but couldn't hear anything on the other end of the line.

"Are you still there?" she asked worriedly.

Silence. Joey chewed her lip. She didn't want to say Charlie's name. If her ex-girlfriend had called her instead of her boyfriend then perhaps she didn't want him to know she was in a mess.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the man asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Joey said. "Thank you. I really have to..."

She backed away from him again, desperate to get to Charlie.

"I'm a cop," the guy told her. "If you need help..."

"No, really, I'm fine," Joey insisted. "I just have somewhere to be."

With that, she hurried away from him.

"Charlie?" she said desperately.

There was no response.

"Charlie?"

Still on her spot on the sand, Charlie had dumped her phone tearfully. She shook as she put the gun back together again and lifted it to her mouth. Eyes squeezed tight, she took a deep breath and prepared for the end.