Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. I haven't been in a very good way so my friend came over for a couple of days to rescue me! But I will do extra updates to make up for it, although I do worry sometimes that I am bombarding you all with chapters. I hope you enjoy this one. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Thirteen

Friday evening was approaching and with it, would come Charlie's dreaded date with Angelo. She had never looked forward to a night out less before. All she wanted to do was get through it and then focus on her future with Joey.

"What do you think?" Charlie asked, giving a twirl.

She and Joey were in her bedroom as she attempted to get ready for her date.

"You look gorgeous," Joey said. "Wear something else!"

Charlie laughed and sank down onto the bed.

"This was your idea, remember," she pointed out.

Joey grumbled that she must have having a moment of madness. Reaching out, she pulled Charlie on top of her, kissing her passionately. Charlie squeaked about her trousers getting crumbled but Joey ignored her. Charlie didn't protest too much as she lost herself in Joey's kisses and they made the moment last as long as possible.

"Oh crap, I'm late!" Charlie realised, sometime later when she heard a knock on the front door.

She forced herself out of Joey's arms and attempted to smooth down her trousers and the pretty blue top she wore. She fiddled about with her hair and checked her lipstick wasn't smudged. Then she turned back to Joey and kissed her goodbye. Joey watched her go and sighed heavily as she sank back on the mattress. Sending the woman she loved on a date with someone else was horrific but she trusted that she would come back and they could leave Angelo behind and carry on with their own happiness.

"Where are we going?" Charlie wondered from the front passenger seat of Angelo's car.

"It's a surprise," he replied, smiling and then returning his eyes to the road.

He had arrived at her house with flowers and was dressed up smartly in a suit. With Charlie not wanting to have made too much of an effort and then getting side-tracked with Joey, they looked a little mismatched in the smart stakes.

Charlie had invited Joey to stay at the house that evening so that she could be waiting for her when she got back from her date with Angelo. Home alone on the couch, she recalled the last time she had spent so much time there. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had lived in Summer Bay. She felt like a different person now. But it was a person Charlie loved and was proud to be seen with, so that could only be a good thing. She sat up suddenly when she heard someone burst clumsily through the kitchen door.

"Angelo…" Charlie said when she stepped out of the car.

Reminiscent of their very first date, back when she had been dating neglectful Roman, Angelo had set up a picnic on the beach. This time, he had laid a wooden path along the sand, leading them to the spot where Indi and Romeo were stood, dressed up as waiting staff, ready to serve them.

"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully.

"It's lovely," Charlie said, although she knew in her heart that it would never be enough.

Her heart lay with Joey and it always would. She reluctantly allowed him to take her hand and lead them to their candlelit table. Romeo pulled her chair out and settled her down opposite Angelo. He and Indi then presented them with their starters and poured out two glasses of wine.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Joey asked worriedly, watching the teenager stumble about.

"I'm drunk!" Ruby whispered.

She promptly fell to the floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the lounge. Joey knelt beside her and held her hands.

"Since when you do get like this?" she wondered.

"Since I discovered unrequited love!" Ruby told her.

"Unreq… Who?"

"Liam Murphy!" Ruby declared. "I'm in love with him but he doesn't love me back."

Then she threw up.

Charlie and Angelo were halfway through their main course when, as had been arranged by Angelo, Liam showed up with his guitar. Setting up nearby, he played a selection of love songs.

"Are you impressed?" Angelo asked hopefully.

She was, aside from the smug expression on his face. She couldn't help but wonder if all of this was really about her. Maybe he just didn't want Joey to 'win' for want of a better word. He had been threatened by her even since he'd known she existed.

"You've gone to a lot of trouble," she replied.

"I've spent a fortune on tonight," he told her. "You're so important to me, Charlie. I couldn't live without you. I'm so happy you're giving me this chance."

Charlie nodded a little stiffly and sipped her wine. She wondered how long it would be until she could go home to Joey.

"I knew if I could just get you out here, you'd remember how amazing we are together."

He reached out to take her hand. She withdrew.

"Angelo, I know you've gone to a lot of effort but I…"

"Don't make a decision now," he interrupted. "Let's just have a wonderful night together."

She nodded uncertainly.

Ruby retched into the toilet while Joey held her hair and rubbed her back, assuring the tearful teenager that everything was going to be okay.

"Please don't tell Charlie," Ruby begged, wiping her mouth and sitting up, leaning her head against the bath.

She accepted the water Joey offered and gargled it.

"I can't keep a secret like that from her," Joey explained apologetically. "You've obviously got yourself into a state."

"I just… hate my life," Ruby admitted.

Joey held her as she cried.

"And now for the next part of our date," Angelo said.

They had finished eating and drinking.

"There's a next part?" Charlie asked as he gestured for her to stand up.

"Over there," Angelo said.

Charlie gasped quietly as she saw and heard a horse drawn carriage appear on the roadside.

"A moonlit carriage ride around the Bay," Angelo declared proudly. "And I can tell you, I almost went over budget on all of this."

Charlie swallowed, wishing that she hadn't kept her horse phobia quiet. The last thing she wanted to do was go near one of those scary creatures. But she forced a smile and nodded, allowing Angelo to take her back up the beach towards them.

"Everybody has someone but me," Ruby complained. "I lost Xavier and then Geoff and then Xavier again. And he's hooked up with April and Liam won't notice me because he says I'm too young and he likes that horrible Bianca woman…"

She was leaning on Joey's shoulder, allowing herself to be held.

"Indi's only been here five minutes and she's already dating Romeo and… and first Charlie was pretending to be happy with Angelo and now she's actually happy with you. And Leah's engaged to Elijah and…"

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes on her own tears.

"How long have you been feeling like this, Ruby?" Joey wondered.

"Months," Ruby said. "But it feels like years."

Joey nodded in understanding and kissed the top of her head.

"And how long have you been drinking so heavily?" she asked.

"A few weeks," Ruby admitted. "That's why Charlie made me move back in. She thinks I stopped but I just… hid it better. Until now."

She shifted to look into Joey's face.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted.

In the carriage, which was surprisingly pleasant so long as Charlie forgot they were being led around by horses, Angelo had plied her with champagne and a particularly expensive box of chocolates. She tensed when he put his arm around her.

"Has this been the perfect date or what?" he asked confidently.

"It's been nice," Charlie agreed.

"So, how do you feel about flouting the rules?" he suggested, raising his eyebrows.

"Sorry?"

"My apartment isn't far away," he coaxed. "We could redirect the horses, get dropped off, make a night of if…"

"I'm not sleeping with you, Angelo," she stated flatly.

"Why not?" he asked. "You know we're amazing together between the sheets."

She grimaced. She had never really been into the sex part of their relationship. Back before Jack had died and life had been simpler, she had enjoyed herself with Angelo. But then she'd met Joey who had showed her what real romance was. And now that she had experienced that, Angelo had never been capable of measuring up.

"Angelo, I know you have your heart set on me changing my mind but it's not going to happen," she told him as gently as possible. "My heart belongs to Joey and I can't go back on that."

"What about me?" Angelo demanded.

"We haven't been working for a long time," Charlie pointed out. "We were together for what, a year? And there's been so much drama and so much pain. I've lost count of how many times we split up. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you but I also can't string you along."

"You were never going to give me a chance, were you?" he snapped bitterly. "This whole thing was just a game, wasn't it?"

"No," Charlie said. "You forced me into this. I told you I didn't want to come but you insisted. And I thought it was the only way I could let you down gently."

"Well then let me let you down roughly," he said darkly. "Get out."

"Sorry?"

"Get out."

"We're in the middle of nowhere!" Charlie protested.

"Not my problem," he said, opening the door.

She had no choice but to climb out and watched the carriage be led away.

Next time… Joey rescues Charlie and has a confrontation with Angelo…