Okay, just re: the last paragraph... I *had* to! It was too good to resist!
Chapter Seven
Aden was certain he had worked out what had happened between Joey and Robbo and it made him feel sick. The fear in Joey's eyes was all too familiar to him and he hated that there was nothing he could do about it. He also felt terribly guilty because if he traced it back, the day it had all changed, was the day that she had asked him to wait for her and he'd got so caught up with Belle that he hadn't. Robbo had told him that Joey had already left but what if she hadn't? What if she had still been on the boat? What if Robbo had done what Aden feared he had? Taking a breath and finding every ounce of resolve he had, Aden charged round to Joey's house, determined to have it out with her once and for all. He found her hanging out the washing in the back garden.
"Did you have a good day with Charlie yesterday?" he asked once he'd announced his presence.
"Yeah, she invited me round for dinner," Joey said, stopping what she was doing.
"She's pretty cool, isn't she?" Aden said. "Supportive and understanding and everything."
"Yeah, she's nice."
"Is she trying to get you to press charges against Robbo?"
Joey looked up sharply.
"Excuse me?" she said, sounding fragile.
"He assaulted you, didn't he?"
"He didn't do anything," Joey lied.
Panic rose within her like bile and she headed into the house, trying to get away from him. He followed.
"I was abused by my grandfather when I was a kid!" Aden blurted out, surprising both of them.
Joey turned and stared at him.
"So I know how it feels," he added quietly.
"Aden…" Joey said quietly.
"If you've been through what I think you've been through… I understand more than you think, Joey," Aden said softly.
Joey burst into tears. Aden furiously wiped his own away and they fell against each other, standing together in the middle of her kitchen.
Charlie shook hands with Tanya and saw her out of the station. After a lot of support and understanding, the woman had finally made a statement about what her ex-boyfriend had put her through, which had been a full year of abuse, both physical and emotional, finally resulting in a violent rape. Charlie had been forced to be extremely creative in persuading her to come forward. She wasn't allowed to mention Joey but she had hinted that she suspected that Robbo hadn't learnt from his mistakes.
"I could never get justice for what happened to me, Joey," Aden explained, nursing the beer Joey had provided him with, as the two of them sat on the couch in her living room.
Joey sipped her own very slowly.
"But you have the chance to get justice for what Robbo did to you," he urged.
Joey shook her head.
"I don't know," she said. "I don't think I can do this."
"Charlie will help you," Aden said. "You trust her, don't you?"
"Of course I do. She's been great."
"And I'll be here to support you now too. If you want me to be."
"Thank you."
"So, do you think you can make a statement?" Aden asked.
Joey sipped some more of her beer.
"I don't think I'm strong enough."
It had been a frustrating afternoon. Charlie was biding her time and resisting brining Robbo in for questioning. She could easily bring him in on Tanya's statement alone but she wanted Joey's statement to be part of her arrest. The problem was that she didn't have it yet. Her phone rang, making her jump.
"Joey?" she said urgently.
"Charlie, I'm ready," came the timid voice on the other end of the line.
"I'll come and pick you up."
Technically, Charlie's shift had finished forty-five minutes ago but she had no intention of going home. She was happy to let Joey take her time going through her statement. It was hard for her to go through what had happened to her, she knew and she didn't want to rush her. Charlie was proud of Joey for coming forward and she wondered what had happened to trigger this turnaround. But whatever it was, providing it hadn't involved Joey getting hurt, she was glad. Aden had been at the house when she'd arrived so she presumed he'd managed to talk some sense into her.
"Okay, Joey, your sexuality could really have some bearing on your case," Charlie ventured.
"Why?" Joey asked anxiously.
"Because it would prove that it couldn't have been consensual."
"I… I don't want my sexuality mentioned," Joey said.
Charlie sighed.
"It really would help."
"It wouldn't help me."
"Why not?"
"Nobody knows, Charlie. My brother would disown me if he found out."
"I know it feels that way but people don't do that anymore, Joey," Charlie insisted. "I mean, it's the twenty-first Century. Someone disowning someone for being gay is like… I don't know, getting bent out of shape over a gay kiss on TV or something. It doesn't happen anymore. The world has moved on from homophobia."
"My brother hasn't. I can assure you."
"Really?" Charlie asked incredulously.
"Really."
Charlie pondered the situation for a few minutes and decided that it was a battle that couldn't be won.
"Okay," she said, feeling resigned. "But if you change your mind, your statement can be changed at any time."
Joey nodded.
"Thank you."
