Happy Easter everyone! Like a good Christian I was up before dawn and having a nice church service on the beach watching the sun rise. The plan was to come back and start updating but alas, I fell asleep! I am not a morning person! But anyway, I hope you're all having a lovely Easter. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Fourteen
It had been a few weeks and Charlie had been doing her best to stay out of Joey's way, even though it broke her heart to see her around town and not be allowed to speak to her. It was also hard to see her so happy when all Charlie felt was misery. She had continued to work herself into the ground and Ruby had begun to complain rather loudly about her absence from home. She had tried to be understanding about the pain her sister was in but she was worried and wanted to spend time with her. But Charlie was either working or asleep or, occasionally, getting wasted in the Surf Club. The incident on the Blaxland had not scared her off drowning her sorrows, although Alf had point blank refused to ever let her rent his boat again.
On a rare afternoon off, Charlie headed to the gym in a bid to keep fit and take her mind off her troubles. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Joey working on strengthening her arms. Making a beeline for the machine beside her, Charlie sat down.
"Do you have to?" Joey asked.
"I'm entitled to work out if I want to," Charlie said. "I didn't break the gym's heart."
"No," Joey agreed. "Just mine."
She moved off her machine and headed over to the cross trainer, wanting to keep a distance between them.
"How have you been?" Charlie ventured.
"Do I look like I want to talk to you?" Joey asked.
"Well, no, but I thought I'd ask anyway."
"Well, don't," Joey replied. "Just leave me in peace, okay?"
"Well, I'm glad one of us finds this whole thing so easy," Charlie remarked.
Joey paused and glared at her.
"What did you just say?"
From his desk, Tony tensed, worried about what kind of argument might erupt this afternoon. Post break up, Charlie and Joey had proved that they were not above all out rows in public.
"I said I'm glad that one of us finds this whole thing so easy," Charlie said, wondering where the words were coming from.
She remained seated.
"You actually think this is easy for me?" Joey demanded bitterly.
"From where I'm sitting, it seems like you've got a damn nice life these days," Charlie said, standing up. "You've got your nice little job, you live with your best mate, you flirt with your pretty little barmaid... For all the fuss you've made about being heartbroken, you really don't seem to care that you've lost me."
"I don't get a choice about trying to make the best of things!" Joey yelled.
Charlie swallowed as she watched Joey clench her fists in anxiety.
"You destroyed me, Charlie! You gave me everything I ever wanted and then you took it all away!"
"And you know how sorry I am!" Charlie snapped back. "If you cared that much then you'd want to make things work! Personally, I think you're trying to keep everyone on your side while you swan off into your happy little life!"
"How dare you!" Joey demanded, stepping forward, her blood boiling.
"I'm just saying what I see!"
"Well you're lucky I don't say what I see! You're the bitch who destroyed everything, Charlie!"
"And you're the bitch who won't let me put things back together!" Charlie snapped back.
"Why the hell should I?"
Joey's voice increased in pitch and volume.
"Why the hell should I?" she repeated. "And maybe you're right. The best thing that ever happened to me was you screwing Hugo behind my back. I thought you were the most amazing woman in the world when all along you were just a fucking tramp!"
Tony moved to intervene but Joey left the gym abruptly and slammed the door behind her. Embarrassed and unhappy, Charlie headed back to her machine to try and calm down. She wondered if the day would ever come where she and Joey could be in the same room together without the world exploding.
"Why is it that every time I see you out of uniform, you're getting wasted?" Angelo asked.
Charlie looked up from her seat in the Surf Club and studied his face and he looked hopeful about sitting down.
"Because I'm a fucking tramp," Charlie replied bitterly.
Without invitation, Angelo sat down anyway, looking and feeling concerned.
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"
Charlie cast a glance at Joey who was sitting at a table with Aden and Belle. Joey gazed right back at her for a moment before turning back to her friends. Charlie returned her eyes to Angelo.
"It depends who you're asking, I guess," she said sadly.
Puzzled, Angelo studied Charlie and then Joey.
"Seriously," he said. "What happened between the two of you? I've never known you to have a fight like this with anyone. Not even Roman and he treated you like a piece of shit."
Charlie merely shrugged. She finished her drink and then sent Angelo up to the bar was cash enough for both of them.
"Joey, why don't you just go over and talk to her?" Belle suggested.
The couple had found Joey at home in a state of distress after an argument with Charlie that had gone too far.
"I've got nothing to say," Joey lied.
"Well, sorry might be a good start," Aden dared.
Joey closed her eyes and sighed heavily, wondering when she had turned into such a cow. When Charlie broke me into pieces, she remembered. She shook her head and offered to get the next round.
Crystal finished serving Angelo and turned her attention to Joey who had stepped up beside him. Joey ordered two glasses of white wine and a beer. Crystal smiled and obeyed orders. Angelo hesitated.
"Hey," he finally said to Joey.
"Hey," she replied, not looking at him.
"Look, why don't you join us?"
Joey turned to face him looking appalled. She glanced at Charlie. So did Angelo. Joey caught the expression of love in his eyes. Directed at Charlie, it was a look Joey recognised. It was a look she had worn herself. Wondering if the two police officers might be on the verge of getting together, Joey felt suddenly sick.
"I'd rather die," she said.
Handing her cash over to Crystal, Joey hurried back to her seat with the drinks.
"What the hell was that?" Aden demanded.
More confused than ever, Angelo returned to sit with Charlie.
"What on earth happened between you two?" he wondered.
Charlie took her drink and gulped some of it down.
"Nothing important," she lied. "Let's talk about something else."
Angelo nodded and fiddled with the label on his beer bottle.
"Why are you here, anyway?" Charlie suddenly asked. "Aren't you and May joined at the hip these days?"
Angelo blushed a little self-consciously.
"I'm trying to keep it casual," he said. "It's not proving easy, to be honest."
Charlie raised an eyebrow, wondering what the problem was.
"She seems pretty into me and I like her but... it's not... well, it's not like it was between us."
Charlie sat up straighter in alarm.
"I'm not hitting on you," Angelo added quickly. "I'm just... comparing. I had proper feelings for you. I don't really for May. But... but I hope that I will. She's nice."
Charlie nodded, settling down in her chair again.
"Well, I hope it works out," she said.
She cast a look back at Joey who was staring right back at her, looking as lost as Charlie felt.
Next time... Joey makes friends with May, Angelo and May break up and Joey walks in on the wrong moment for poor Charlie...