Well, my bad Saturday turned into a worse Sunday and I spent five and a half hours in A&E with a stomach bug I must have picked up in Florida or on the plane or something. It has been vastly unpleasant! But receiving reviews in my 'side room', which unmistakably resembled a cupboard, really helped so, thank you! I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty One

It was the last night of the holidays and Charlie and Joey had spent every one so far in each other's arms. It was a comfortable luxury that they didn't have in halls of residence with their very narrow single beds that seemed to encourage celibacy. Charlie was relieved that Joey hadn't tried anything with her. She didn't want to be awkward and say no and ruin things between them. And scarier than that, Charlie wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to say no anymore. She'd fallen in love with Joey and the more time they spent together, especially playing happy families with Ruby, the stronger Charlie's feelings were.

"I can't believe we have to go back to Uni tomorrow," Joey commented, turning away politely from Charlie in order to get changed. "The holidays have gone so quickly."

Charlie slipped beneath the blankets and smiled.

"Have you had a good time?" she asked.

In her pyjamas, Joey turned and slid into the bed, meeting Charlie in the middle.

"I've had the time of my life," she said honestly. "I've loved being with you and with Ruby."

Charlie smiled again. She reached out and ran a gentle hand through Joey's hair and kissed her lips.

"I'm so glad you decided to come here for the holidays," she said quietly. "I would have missed you like crazy. And I'm so happy that you and Ruby get along so well."

"She's impossible not to get along with," Joey pointed out. "She's officially the cutest kid in the world."

They kissed again.

"Joey, I was thinking..." Charlie ventured.

Her girlfriend offered her rapt attention.

"Okay, the thing is that... well, I know I said I wasn't comfortable with stuff..."

Joey nodded, her heart pounding a little too hard.

"Well, I thought... well, I think I could be ready to..."

She faltered and looked down, chewing her lip. Joey hugged her.

"Charlie, there isn't a hurry," she said. "You don't have to do anything you're not sure about."

"I know," Charlie replied. "I know you're being really patient. And I'm so grateful for that. But I think... I think I'd like to be ready soon. I mean, I'm committed to you and I trust you. I think you're wonderful. And I think... soon..."

She sighed, feeling nervous. Joey studied her face, trying to read her expression. Half of her was thrilled at the prospect of perhaps soon being intimate with her girlfriend. Charlie was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she was quickly falling in love with her. But she had a month to go on her bet with Brax. And she was utterly determined to lose it. She couldn't go anywhere near Charlie until she had that situation under control. The bet was something she never ever wanted Charlie to find out about. She knew she would lose her because of it. And she could not bear for that to happen.

"Let's wait until you're really sure," she suggested. "I want our first time together to be perfect, you know? I don't want you to ever have ay regrets."

Charlie smiled, a little relieved.

"I don't think I could ever regret being with you," she said.

The next morning, Joey arrived downstairs with her bags to find Ruby throwing a full scale tantrum. Ross and Patricia had left Charlie to try and calm the situation down but it looked like she was struggling.

"I don't want you to go!" Ruby bellowed, stamping her foot and clenching both her tiny fists. "I want you to stay here! I don't like you living away from me!"

"I know, baby," Charlie said, on her knees in front of her daughter and struggling with her own tears. "I don't like living away from you either but..."

"Then stay here!" Ruby demanded. "Stay with me! Don't you love me?"

Charlie voice caught and she wiped her eyes.

"Of course I love you," she insisted. "I love you more than anything else in the world."

"But you keep leaving me!" Ruby complained. "I don't like it 'cause... I just don't like it!"

Folding her arms, she stormed away, pausing when she bumped right into Joey at the bottom of the vast staircase.

"And I don't like you either," she complained.

Charlie mouthed and apology and moved to sit on the floor, holding her head in her hands as Ruby cried. Feeling more than a little awkward, Joey sat down on the bottom step and reached out to hug Ruby, who surprisingly accepted her.

"I don't want Mum to go," the child said more quietly. "I don't want you to go either."

"I know," Joey said sadly, glancing at Charlie who was turned away from them both and rubbing her eyes. "But the thing is, your Mum's not going away because she wants to. She's working really hard – too hard sometimes and we have to tell her off for not resting. But she's doing it so that she can get a really great job and then you and her can live together really happily. She's doing it because she wants to give you the best life she can."

"But I want her here," Ruby said sadly. "I don't care what job she does."

"I understand that," Joey said gently. "But she's really just trying to do her best for you. And we've got to leave in a few minutes so you don't want her to go like this, do you? You want to give her a big hug and a big kiss and say goodbye properly."

She looked hopeful. Ruby glanced between her and Charlie before sighing dramatically and climbing into her mother's lap. She kissed her nose.

"I love you," she said earnestly.

Charlie wrapped her arms around her, hugging her close.

"I love you too," she said. "And I'll be home again on Friday. It won't be long, okay?"

"Okay," Ruby said reluctantly.

"And I'll call every day like I normally do," Charlie added.

Ruby nodded again and kissed her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just miss you so much."

"I know, baby," Charlie said softly. "I miss you too."

Over Ruby's shoulder, Charlie mouthed 'thank you' to Joey who smiled bashfully and waited for the tender scene to come to a close.

Next time… Joey tries again to get out of the bet and she and Charlie confess their true feelings for each other…