For Eatmywords, as you asked so nicely. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Five
The walk down to the wharf had been a silent one. Charlie's heart had hammered in her chest in desperate hope that this might be her opportunity to win Joey round and at least start a dialogue that might lead to forgiveness.
"Ta da," she said nervously when the approached the Blaxland.
Charlie had hired Alf's boat and spent the morning putting together a homemade spread of all of Joey's favourite food. She'd set up a stereo and cushions and candles in much the same way Joey had, back before they'd got together. She just hoped that it would encourage her to stay and talk things through. Charlie's heart sank when she saw Joey's expression.
"What?" the former deckhand asked. "Am I supposed to be impressed or something?"
"I made all your favourite things," Charlie said.
She reached out to take Joey's hand, wanting to lead her onto the boat and encourage her to stay. Joey snatched her hand away.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to touch me?" Joey snapped, shoving both her hands in her pockets. "I know where you've been."
Charlie swallowed the lump in her throat but ploughed on.
"I just thought that we could sit down together and talk," she said, her voice a little hollow.
"What is there to talk about?" Joey asked. "You messed me around. You decided to be with me. And after about thirty seconds you had sex with a guy behind my back. I don't think there's much more to say."
"I'm so sorry for what happened," Charlie said. "If I could just explain..."
"I've wasted enough time longing for you to love me, Charlie," Joey told her. "I'm not wasting any more listening to your stupid excuses for what you did. Nothing you can say or do, not even these dumb little gestures you keep making are ever going to make up for what you did to me."
"But..."
"But what?" Joey challenged. "What possible excuse is there?"
"Well if we could just talk it through then I could..."
"You can't do anything," Joey said. "So why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"
She turned and marched away. With a lump aching in her throat, Charlie watched her go for a few moments. Taking a deep breath, she stepped on board the boat and looked down at all the effort she'd made that would now go to waste. Sinking into a chair, she blew the candles out and began to sob, burying her head in her hands.
Hating the tears in her eyes, Joey wiped them away furiously. Pausing in her retreat for a moment, she turned back. Her heart broke a little more as she saw Charlie weeping at the laid table. She felt guilty and wondered if she had been too harsh. Desperately, she clung onto the memory of how she had felt when she'd returned Hugo's mobile and worked out exactly what had happened between him and her girlfriend. No. There was no way she could take her back. She'd be a fool to take on any more of the pain Charlie seemed capable of dishing out. Steeling herself, she turned back round and continued walking away but while she did so, she called Ruby and informed her that her sister needed help.
"Sorry it didn't go well," Ruby said gently when she found Charlie on the boat.
She hopped on board and sat beside her, putting her arm around her shoulders.
"How did you know to come here?" Charlie asked sadly.
"Joey called me," Ruby admitted.
Charlie's eyes lit up immediately.
"She did?"
"She sounded pretty worried," Ruby said, hoping that she wasn't giving her false optimism. "So that's got to mean that she still loves you, right?"
"She's just a nice person," Charlie sighed, resting her head on her arms. "It doesn't mean anything. I wish it did."
"Would it really be that bad if you just had a conversation?" Aden asked.
He and Joey were in the Surf Club, sticking firmly to soft drinks.
"Yes, it would," Joey stated firmly.
"Can I ask why?"
"Because I don't want to waste my time talking to a woman like that."
"What about a woman like that?" Aden asked with a smirk and nod in the direction of the bar.
Joey turned and chuckled as the barmaid quickly looked away and blushed.
"Looks like you've got someone's attention," she said.
"Yeah, she was looking at you," Aden informed her.
Joey swigged her lemonade.
"Doubtful," she said. "Nobody looks at me."
Aden turned back to the bar. The pretty, blonde girl was still gazing at Joey longingly.
"Anyway," he said. "Regardless of who she's looking at – do you really think this is it for you and Charlie?"
"Yep," Joey said firmly. "Me and Charlie have died a death. It's over. For good. And talking about it isn't going to help."
"Excuse me if I don't believe you," Aden said.
Joey looked set to start yelling so he made his point quickly.
"I might not have been your friend for very long, Jo, but I do know you pretty well. And I'm absolutely convinced that the only reason you won't so much as breathe the same air as Charlie is because you know how easily she can win you back. And you know why? Because you're still as in love with her as you always were."
Joey shook her head adamantly.
"No way," she lied. "To be honest, I'm starting to wonder what I even saw in her in the first place."
She downed her drink and returned it a little too hard to the table.
At home, Leah and Ruby had decided to make the best of a bad situation by laying all the hamper food out as a picnic on the living room floor for the household to enjoy. Charlie had reluctantly agreed to join them and was doing her best to have a nice time. But she missed Joey with every second that passed and her hope was fading fast that she would ever be forgiven for her infidelity.
"Joey loves you," VJ suddenly said, jolting Charlie back into the conversation. "She'll come back. I know she will."
Leah stared at her son, surprised that he could be so astute. He'd only known about Charlie and Joey's relationship for a few days before they'd broken up but it seemed that he had wrapped his head around it far quicker than anyone else.
"Do you really think so?" Charlie asked him.
He nodded.
"She's always loved you. Of course she'll come back. This is her home."
The pretty barmaid appeared a little anxiously beside Joey.
"Can I get you another drink?" she offered.
"Um..." Joey managed, knowing full well that the Surf Club didn't offer table service.
Aden merely smirked at her.
"Sure," Joey said. "Thanks."
"I'm Crystal, by the way," the girl said, extending her hand.
Joey smiled politely and shook her head. Then Crystal hurried away to make more drinks.
"I told you she was looking at you," Aden teased.
The following afternoon, Charlie and Watson were out on patrol in Yabbie Creek when Charlie noticed a banner outside a book shop. She smiled when she read that a novelist Eve Haywood was doing a signing.
"What?" Watson asked.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Charlie promised, climbing out of the car and walking towards the bookshop.
Joey had opted to spend her lunch hour in the Surf Club. She'd overslept the night before and hadn't had the time to pack her lunch for today so she'd gone to the bar for a light snack.
"Hello again," Crystal said, smiling when she spotted her favourite customer pull up a stool.
"Hey," Joey greeted warmly.
They'd got talking the night before and both she and Aden had found her charming.
"How are you?" Crystal asked.
"Pretty good," Joey said. "Just on my lunch break."
"What do you do?"
"I work in a boating store down at the docks," Joey explained. "Selling equipment and the like."
"Sounds interesting," Crystal said.
"It pays the rent," Joey said.
Once upon a time she had loved her job but now it seemed like she'd lost all her enjoyment for everything. It made her sad to think that without Charlie, all the life had drained from her.
"Can I ask you a personal question, Joey?" Crystal asked, leaning on the bar.
"Sure," Joey replied.
"Would you like to go on a date sometime?"
Joey stared at her for a few moments, taken aback. It certainly hadn't been this easy to date Charlie.
"I would but..."
"No buts!" Crystal grinned. "Let's just leave it as 'you would'."
Joey laughed.
"I've literally just broken up with someone," she explained.
"All the better to distract you with," Crystal said.
Joey laughed again and shook her head.
"It wouldn't be fair on you," she said.
"I don't mind," Crystal insisted. "You can totally use me to get over your ex!"
Joey reached out and took her new friend's hand.
"Nobody should be with anyone for any reason other than because they care about them," she said seriously. "Because they love them. I've been the person that got treated like crap, that got lied to, that got hurt. And I hope I'd never do that to another person. Especially nobody as nice as you."
"Honestly, I don't mind," Crystal persisted. "If I know what the deal is going in..."
Joey shook her head again, keeping hold of her hand.
"I'd like to be your friend if that's any good," she offered.
Crystal leant in a little closer and smiled.
"That's good," she said. "I can do friends. Probably."
Joey giggled, not noticing that Charlie had walked in and then swiftly out of the building.
Next time... Charlie and Joey argue, Joey's softer side comes out and Aden finds himself in trouble...