Chapter Thirty Three

Ruby tried not to cry when Charlie and Joey said goodbye in order to return to University. All she could do was hope that one day soon, her mother would come back for her and they could live together like they were always supposed to. They had stayed one night at the house in order to settle her back in but now they reluctantly had to leave.

In the car, Charlie burst into tears. From the driver's seat, Joey reached for her hand, giving it a gentle, encouraging squeeze.

"What if she thinks I don't want her?" she asked.

"You told her how you felt," Joey pointed out. "You explained it. And hopefully you're going to be able to do something about it soon."

Charlie sighed heavily and strapped herself in. Joey followed suit and then pulled away from the curb, ready to head back to University. Brax was going to kill her for how long she'd kept his car. He'd sent lots of text messages, nagging her to come back but, still feeling a little resentful about the bet, Joey had done well to ignore him.

"I don't even know if I can fix it," Charlie said sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"Joey, how on earth am I meant to be a full time mother and a full time student?" Charlie asked. "I want to. But... Mum and Dad have always helped me. I had her when I was so young and they've always been there. I'm not sure I can do this by myself."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

"Please."

"I think you're perfectly capable," Joey said. "You're already an amazing Mum and if you take the safety net of your parents away, I'm absolutely convinced that you'll get even better."

"I can't do it," Charlie said. "I wanted to at first but Mum and Dad convince me to leave her with them. They'll be furious if I suddenly change my mind."

"So?" Joey said, focussing on the road ahead of her. "Ruby's your daughter, Charlie. You're entitled to have her with you if that's what you want."

"But she's so settled there," Charlie said. "She has all the space she needs. She's at a fantastic school..."

"And she wants to give it all up to be with you," Joey pointed out. "Doesn't that tell you something?"

"I couldn't have her in my room though," Charlie said unhappily. "And I'm locked into a tenancy agreement until December. It's only June."

"Okay, I can't answer that one but there must be a way," Joey said.

"I don't know how I'd cope on my own," Charlie sighed. "I'd love to be Super Woman but I have lectures when she would have finished school already. What am I meant to do then?"

"Well, those are the times when you rely on your best friend in the entire universe!"

She turned and raised her eyebrows, grinning and making Charlie laugh. It had been a strange week to say the last. Before Joey had saved the day and helped Charlie get to Ruby, they hadn't been speaking. Charlie had said repeatedly that she hated Joey and that she would never forgive her. But for three nights out of the seven they had spent together, they had shared a bed. Charlie and Joey both told themselves that it was for practicality's sake. But both of them had also realised that the connection they shared was still there.

"No offence, Joey," Charlie said, sounding colder than she meant to. "But you're not exactly Ms. Reliable."

"I just spent an entire week looking after you and your daughter," Joey said, sounding hurt.

"Sorry," Charlie said quickly. "You know I'm grateful for everything you've done for us. What I mean is that you have your own life. Back in the real world, you're not going to want to babysit and help me like that."

"Yes, I will," Joey insisted.

"You spend your life getting drunk and getting laid," Charlie pointed out.

"I drink less than I used to," Joey replied evenly. "And I haven't got laid since before you and I started dating."

Charlie looked sceptical.

"We share a wall, remember? You know I haven't been with anyone."

"I'm away at weekends," Charlie said.

"Well, I can promise you now that the handful of times someone's approached me, they've left pretty quickly because all I've been able to talk about is you."

Silence fell between them. Charlie was torn between wanting to believe her and not wanting to care. She wondered if she would ever get over her first love. She very much doubted that she would ever be able to move on.

"Charlie, I know I've made mistakes and I know you're never going to forgive me for them but I absolutely swear my commitment to you. And to Ruby. You're the most important people in my life and you always will be. If your concern about having her at Uni is because you're afraid you won't have support then don't let it be an issue. I will support you, I will help you with anything you need. I promise."

That evening, having given Brax his car keys back and being told that she was never allowed to borrow the car again, Joey had hidden away in her room, researching options for Charlie and Ruby. With the printouts in her hand, she knocked tentatively on her ex-girlfriend's door. Charlie opened up, looking particularly tired.

"I've just been talking to Ruby," she explained, sighing and letting her in.

"How was it?" Joey asked, perching on Charlie's desk chair.

"Heartbreaking," Charlie admitted. "She really wants to live here."

"Well, I did some research for you," Joey said, gesturing to the paper she was holding.

"Did you?"

"Yes and it's completely possible for you to bring her over before next year," Joey said.

Charlie gestured for her to perch on the bed, which she did with some anxiety.

"They have special apartments on campus," Joey explained. "They're little two bed places with a kitchen and a living room combined that are specially reserved for students with kids. Because the Uni would still be your landlord, you can transfer at any time – providing they have spaces."

"So, I need to call and find out?" Charlie asked.

"I already called," Joey said, hoping she hadn't overstepped the mark. "They have two vacant spaces so all you need to do is talk to them and get the ball rolling."

"Are you serious?" Charlie asked.

Joey nodded.

"And like I said before, I'll help you in any way you need me to," she said. "I can help you move. I'll babysit. I'll do whatever it takes."

Charlie gazed into Joey's eyes.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked. "Because I need to be able to rely on you. It's more than me now. It's Ruby. I can't change her life and bring her here if it's not going to last."

"Charlie, I'm so serious about this that I'd move in and kip on the couch if that's what you wanted," Joey told her.

Charlie looked startled and then interested.

"Are there rules about that?" she asked.

Joey rummaged through her papers.

"I didn't read anything," she said, hardly daring to hope that Charlie would let her be that close.

"Ruby could sleep in my room and you could have the other room," Charlie said. "And then... then we could really try and make this work. As friends. You know, just as friends."

Joey nodded eagerly.

"All we have to do is ask," she said. "We could head down to the accommodation office first thing in the morning if you like."

Charlie smiled.

"I'd like," she said sincerely.

Next time… Charlie's parents and Brax react to Charlie and Joey's decision to move with Ruby…