Chapter 44
"Hey"
A soft voice from behind her caused Joey to jump slightly and turn around to see Ruby hovering nervously in the kitchen doorway.
"Hey Rubz" she relaxed slightly and offered the teenager a small smile "How are you doing? I mean...Are you okay?"
Ruby shrugged and moved slowly over to sit down at the kitchen table "Not really...Where's Charlie?"
"Um...She headed out" Joey glanced forlornly at the doorway through which Charlie had left "She said she needed some time to think about everything that's happened. I'm sure she'll be back soon"
"Oh" Ruby nodded and bit her lip as she looked up at Joey "I guess that's understandable. She did just lose her Dad after all..."
"Hey" Joey stepped forward and placed her hand on the teen's shoulder "He was your Dad too. You have every right to be hurting right now Rubz"
"I don't know" Ruby sighed sadly "Maybe"
"I'm right here if you ever need to talk, Okay?" Joey dropped onto the seat next to Ruby and gazed intently into her eyes "About anything at all. Anything you're thinking or...feeling. It'll be strictly in confidence. I promise"
"Thanks Jo" Ruby blinked rapidly to dispel oncoming tears from her eyes as she turned her gaze to her lap "I don't think I'm ready to talk about it though"
"I'll wait until you're ready" Joey reassured her with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder "There's no hurry at all. Just...Let me know if I can do anything to help, okay?"
Ruby nodded and looked back up at the older girl "Coffee would be a great start...Do we have any?"
"Already made!" Joey smiled as she stood up and moved over to the coffee maker though she was still deeply worried about the teen. After a moment she turned back around with a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and handed it to Ruby.
"Thanks" Ruby said gratefully as she placed it in front of her.
"No problem" Joey sighed softly as she dropped back into her own seat and they allowed a comfortable silence to fall between them.
After a couple of minutes Joey looked up to see the teen's attention focused on the door "Do you need Charlie Rubz? Because I can call her if you do..."
"Huh?" Ruby's attention snapped back to Joey "Oh...No, I don't need her. Well...I do need her but it's not an emergency and she's busy anyway. I don't want to bother her"
"You know she's never too busy for you" Joey countered quietly "If you need her she'll come back right away"
"I know" Ruby nodded slowly "But like I said I don't want to bother her. I can wait until she comes back"
"Okay" Joey frowned as she leaned back in her sea and gazed intently at Ruby.
"What?" Ruby shifted uncomfortably under Joey's gaze.
"Nothing...I'm just worried about you. That's all" Joey said as she looked away quickly.
"You don't have to be" Ruby mumbled as she crossed her arms in front of her chest "I'm fine"
"You're obviously not fine" Joey argued as she looked up at the younger girl sceptically "And that's completely understandable Rubz...I just wish you would talk to me. You can't keep pushing everyone away"
"Why?" Ruby stood up, tears burning brightly in her eyes and her voice coming out choked "Charlie's doing it"
"Ruby..."Joey too stood up but sighed heavily when Ruby merely shook her head and rushed from the room. She dropped dejectedly back into the chair behind her "Damn it..." the sound of Ruby's door slamming quickly followed.
---
Charlie closed her eyes against the soft breeze which flowed past her and allowed tears to flow freely from her eyes "What am I supposed to do now?" she pulled her knees securely to her chest and sobbed openly into them.
"Charlie?" a male voice sounded unsurely.
Charlie looked up tearfully "Aden..."
"Yeah" Aden sat down on the sand next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly "I heard what happened"
"Oh..." Charlie nodded slowly and leaned into him "I figured you would have...It's a small town after all, isn't it? And...It's been like a week"
"Yeah" Aden sighed "I guess it is. How have you been?"
Charlie shrugged "Not very good...I'm a bit of a mess right now"
"That's understandable" Aden replied as he looked down at her "What about Ruby?"
"I don't know" Charlie sniffled tearfully "She's definitely not doing well but...I haven't been much use to her lately"
"You're hurting" Aden said quietly "That's understandable"
"I'm useless to her!" Charlie wiped her tears away angrily but they just kept flowing "I can't stop fucking Crying Aden!"
"It's okay" Aden turned slightly and engulfed the girl in a full embrace "If you need to cry go ahead and cry Charlie"
"I don't want to!" Charlie sobbed into his chest "It just hurts so much"
"I know" Aden whispered as he tightened his embrace "I know Charlie..."
"I have to go" Charlie pulled back suddenly and stood up, wiping her tears quickly away "I have to go home to Ruby"
"Okay" Aden stood up quickly and took her hand "I'll drive you there. I'm not leaving you alone like this"
"Thanks Aden" Charlie smiled weakly.
"Anytime" Aden shrugged before they began to walk towards his car.
---
"Hey" Charlie said softly as she entered the kitchen to see Joey sitting at the table "Sorry I took off so quickly this morning" she sat next to Joey and gazed at her guiltily.
"Don't worry about it" Joey gazed at the older girl in unadulterated concern and reached to touch her tear stained cheek "Have you been crying?"
"A little bit" Charlie answered honestly as she leaned into Joey's tender touch "I don't really want to talk about it right now though..."
"Oh" Joey frowned and dropped her hand back to her lap "That's what Ruby said"
"Ruby?" Charlie asked as worry clouded in her blue eyes "What happened? Is she okay?"
"She was upset" Joey sighed sadly "I tried to get her to talk about it and stop pushing everyone away but..."
"But what?" Charlie prompted quietly.
"She said that you're doing it" Joey gazed at Charlie intently aware that the statement would sting.
"Oh..." Charlie winced slightly "She's right...I haven't been here for her. She's hurting and I can't even help her"
"I think you just being around helps her" Joey said soothingly as she placed a hand atop Charlie's on the table "You just have to let her in Charlie. You have to stop closing yourself off to everybody"
"I know" Charlie nodded slowly "I just don't know how I can help her when I can't even help myself"
"Just...Be there" Joey wrapped an arm gently around Charlie's shoulders "That's all you can do" they sat in silence before a soft shuffle from the doorway drew their attention towards it.
"Oh..." Joey stood up when she saw Ruby hovering nervously in the doorway tear marks clear on her cheeks "I'll give you two sometime alone" she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head "Remember what I said" she walked out of the room shooting a guilty looking Ruby a reassuring look on the way past,
"Charlie..." Ruby whispered as tears formed once again in her eyes.
"Come here Rubz" Charlie tearfully opened her arms to her daughter causing her to finally move into the room. When she was within touching distance Charlie took her hand and pulled her onto her lap and into a tight embrace.
"Charlie" Ruby whimpered into the older girl's shoulder.
"I know" Charlie whispered through her tears "I know Rubz"
---
"Are you okay?" Joey asked in a soft voice as she turned over in bed and wrapped her arms around Charlie.
"No" Charlie answered quietly "I'm sorry Jo...I know I've been pushing you and Ruby away. I honestly don't mean to" she turned onto her side to look at Joey.
"I know" Joey whispered "It's okay. I'm here for you whenever you need me. You know that" she placed tender kisses on Charlie's forehead, nose, cheeks and finally her lips "I can wait"
"I..." Charlie trailed off as her voice broke and tears formed in her eyes at the tenderness displayed "I don't know what to do Joey...I'm so lost!"
"Shhh...." Joey pulled Charlie into a tight embrace allowing her to sob freely into her chest "I know...its okay"
"It's not okay" Charlie sobbed "Everything's falling apart in front of me and there's nothing I can do about it...I'm a mess, Ruby's heartbroken and...DAD'S DEAD. How am I supposed to deal with this?!"
"It'll be Okay eventually" Joey soothed sadly "I'll help you. I swear"
"There were so many things I had to say" Charlie said tearfully "So many things I needed the answer to and now...He's gone!"
"I know" Joey placed a gentle kiss on Charlie's head and tightened her hold on the sobbing girl "I know Charlie" after a while Charlie's sobbing slowed down and she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
"It'll be okay" Joey repeated as she kissed a falling tear away. She lay in silence watching Charlie sleep before a tentative knock sounded at the door causing her to look up. The door creaked open after a moment and a tentative Ruby stepped into the room.
"Joey?" Ruby whispered as she squinted against the dark "Are you awake?"
"Yeah, I'm awake Rubz" Joey answered as she sat up "What's up?"
"I can't sleep" Ruby whispered wearily "I was wondering if maybe I could..."
"Jump in" Joey said instantly as she shuffled away from Charlie to make room between them. Ruby hesitated for a moment before she clambered into the bed trying not to wake Charlie as she did so.
"Is Charlie asleep?" she whispered.
"Yeah" Joey nodded slowly "She was pretty upset before"
"Oh..." Ruby sighed quietly "I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier today. I know you're only trying to help"
"Its okay" Joey reassured her in a soft voice "You're in pain...I get that. You know that I'm here for you though, right?"
"Right" Ruby sniffled tearfully "It just really hurts Joey..."
"I know" Joey wrapped an arm comfortingly around the teenager and pulled her close. After a moment Ruby's tears stopped and she fell asleep soon followed by Joey. Charlie turned over in her sleep and subconsciously wrapped her arms around her daughter.
TBC
