There are three chapters left after this one so I hope you're still enjoying it. And don't forget, you can still buy my book on Amazon: "Shards of Glass" by Tessa Jane Lee. I'd sold fourteen the last time I checked so thank you to everyone who's bought one already. It means the world. I started writing my novel was I was seventeen. I'm twenty seven now so it's been a long time coming! Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Thirty

Joey hesitated, afraid of taking yet another risk only to get her heart broken. She was momentarily saved when the slow song ended, a fast one began and couples began to leave the dance floor. Charlie visibly deflated, upset to have missed her chance but Aden hurried past both of them and told the DJ to keep the slow songs going until it looked like Charlie and Joey had sorted things out. As the groom hurried back to the dance floor and into Belle's waiting arms, Charlie smiled at him. Turning her attention back to Joey as the next ballad began to play, she reached her hands out to Joey.

"Please?" she asked.

Sarah McLachlan began to sing through the speakers.

When somebody loved me

Everything was beautiful.

Every hour we spent together

Lives within my heart.

Nervously, Joey took Charlie's hand and allowed herself to be led back to the dance floor.

And when she was sad

I was there to dry her tears.

And when she was happy so was I.

When she loved me.

Joey allowed Charlie to hold her close, placing her hands tenderly on her shoulders. For her part, Joey placed her arms around Charlie's waist. She studied the necklace around her ex-girlfriend's neck, a necklace that Joey had bought her several months ago to thank her for all her help.

Through the summer and the fall

We had each other, that was all;

Just she and I together

Like it was meant to be.

And when she was lonely,

I was there to comfort her.

And I knew that she loved me.

Joey gazed into Charlie's eyes for several long moments, unsure of what to say.

"Why did you cancel on me?" Charlie finally asked.

Joey closed her eyes and sighed. She'd known Charlie would want to talk to her about it but had hoped she might avoid the issue for a little longer.

"Did I do something wrong?" Charlie asked anxiously. "I thought... I thought we were making progress. I thought we had a good time at lunch and..."

"We did," Joey agreed.

"So, what happened?"

"I realised that I'm not over what happened."

This time it was Charlie who closed her eyes. Opening back up, Joey saw that there were tears in her eyes.

"Is this it?" she asked. "You'll never forgive me?"

"I do forgive you," Joey insisted.

"But you... Okay, I'm confused."

Joey pulled her a little closer so that there was little air between them. Wanting to hold on a little longer and gather her thoughts, she rested her cheek against Charlie's bare shoulder. Uncertain, Charlie didn't let her go. She leant her own head against Joey's, taking in the smell of her shampoo and the way her hair tickled her face. She wanted to stay in the moment forever.

So the years went by,

I stayed the same

But she began to drift away;

I was left alone.

Still I waited for the day

When she would say

I will always love you.

"I saw you with Hugo," Joey reluctantly explained.

Charlie looked confused, trying to remember when she'd talked to him.

"In the Diner?" she asked, recollecting a thirty second discussion about Angelo. "That was just work, Joey."

"I know," Joey said. "I mean, I figured. But I just..."

She sighed, struggling over her words.

"Joey, I will never talk to Hugo again if you don't want me to," Charlie said earnestly. "I didn't even want to talk to him yesterday but he cornered me. He thinks Angelo has a vendetta against him..."

"And that's the other thing," Joey interrupted.

Charlie looked even more confused.

"Did you hit on Angelo?" Joey asked.

"I..."

She sighed.

"It wasn't how it sounds," she finally said.

"Then how was it?"

"It was when you went on a date with Crystal," Charlie explained.

Joey waited for more.

"After you stormed out, I followed you. I saw you hugging on the beach and I thought..."

"You thought I was going to sleep with her?" Joey asked.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," Charlie said. "I watched you sitting there on the sand with her and I felt like my life was over. I thought all my longing and waiting and hoping had been utterly pointless. I thought I was going to see you and Crystal wandering around town all sappy and in love..."

"Nothing happened," Joey told her. "She knew I was still in love with you."

Charlie tried not to hope too hard.

Lonely and forgotten,

I never thought she'd look my way.

She smiled at me and held me

Just like she used to do,

Like she loved me

When she loved me.

"Are you still still in love with me?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

"I'll always be still in love with you," Joey confirmed. "I just don't know what to do about it."

"I love you too," Charlie said. "If... if I haven't said it enough already."

They both laughed a little self-consciously.

"So, you saw me with Crystal and...?" Joey nudged.

"And I went back to the Surf Club. I offered myself to Angelo but he was still spinning out over me being in love with you so he turned me down. Thank goodness."

"Do you like him?" Joey asked.

"No," Charlie promised. "Joey, you're the only one for me. You're the only person I want to be with."

"But you slept with Hugo," Joey said. "And you threw yourself at Angelo."

"And they were two huge mistakes," Charlie said. "I'm just relieved that Angelo said no. And if you heard us talking about it yesterday then you must also have heard me making it very clear that nothing would ever happen between us, that you're the person I love."

"I did," Joey admitted. "But..."

"But...?"

"But what if we got back together and things got tough again?" Joey asked. "Would you...?"

Charlie stopped slow dancing abruptly. She lifted her hands to cup Joey's face.

"I swear to you that I will never ever break your heart again," she said. "If you were to give me just one more chance, I promise you won't regret it. I'll spend every single second doing whatever it takes to make you happy. I'll be out and proud. I'll make everything up to you. I'll give you no reason to doubt me. I'll make you trust me and love me again. I'd do anything, Joey. I'll never speak to Hugo again, not even for work. I'll... I don't know what you'd want me to do but whatever it is, I'd do it. I love you so much. You mean everything to me. Please... Please give me a chance to prove myself."

Joey gazed into Charlie's eyes. She seemed so earnest, so ready to give her heart.

"I don't think I'll recover if you hurt me again, Charlie," Joey admitted.

"I'd rather die than hurt you again," Charlie said. "You know about every mistake I've ever made. I've told you everything about me. But the biggest mistake I made, and I do mean the biggest, was being stupid enough to lose you. Do you... do you think there's anything I could do to win you back? Anything?"

Joey sighed and shook her head. Charlie's tears began to fall. Closing the gap between them, Charlie clung onto her for all she was worth. With her own tears threatening, Joey reached out and stroked Charlie's hair.

When somebody loved me,

Everything was beautiful.

Every hour we spent together

Lives within my heart.

When she loved me.

"You've already done all that you can do," Joey said gently. "The only thing left is for me to take a leap of faith and trust you, to take a risk and try to make this work."

Charlie lifted her head, gazing into Joey's face and wondering if she had heard correctly.

"Do you mean...?"

Joey kissed her. As their lips met, the world fell away. Nothing mattered but each other.

Next time... Charlie and Joey arrange their first official date but things don't go quite to plan...