Chapter Fifteen

Several days had passed and Joey was starting to settle into a routine. The sense of loss over Brett not giving her the time of day anymore was slowly beginning to dissipate. She tried hard to be helpful during her days and appeared to have taken on the role of housewife. When VJ and Ruby had bolted to school and Leah and Charlie had charged to work, she took care of the dishes and cleaned the house. It made her feel useful while she wasn't working or contributing financially. She knew there would come a time, probably fairly soon when she would have to face the world again, get back on her feet and figure out what she was going to do with her life but she was too fragile just now. She wasn't ready yet. Charlie kept her busy during her time off and the time they spent together made Joey happier than she ever thought it was possible to be after everything that had happened. They watched movies, went for drives, walks, workouts and meals. And as embarrassing as it was, Charlie had spent almost every night holding her. One night, she had endured terrible nightmares but fortunately hadn't screamed. Charlie had beamed at her the next morning, thinking Joey had gone the whole night safely. Joey had tried to lie and let her continue believing it but her far too honest face had given it away. Crestfallen that Joey had suffered alone, Charlie had apologised sincerely for not being there. Now, Joey was sure that Charlie listened for her. Either that or she really did cry out that loudly. Maybe it was both. Either way, Charlie had become her security blanket. And she was the nicest security blanket she had ever had. It felt strange to be around someone who constantly made her feel good about herself. Even before everything with Robbo, she hadn't really felt like that. It was like Charlie brought out the personality that Joey had been hiding away for so long. She constantly had to remind herself not to get too attached. This was only temporary. Soon she would have to stand on her own two feet. Charlie wasn't going to want to hang out with her forever.

***

At work, Charlie stared at her laptop. The words on the screen were making a blurry kind of sense that wasn't particularly helpful. She reached for her coffee. Caffeine always made the world a better place. Returning to the case in hand she continued to struggle to concentrate. She wondered what Joey was doing. She was probably cleaning. Every time Charlie got home from work, the house was spick and span. She swore it had never been so immaculate before, not that anyone was choosing to complain. During their time together, Charlie and Joey had discussed at length the fact that Joey felt inadequate about not being able to contribute much to bills and other things that required finances. She had a few savings from her brief stint on the trawler and she had a little bit on her credit card, both of which she'd been using for daily essentials for herself and for the house but Leah had decided that sharing a room with Charlie hadn't qualified for paying rent and that she should just give what she could. Joey had offered contributions to bills and decided that most of what she could give was time and energy and mostly that came in the form of keeping everything shiny. Shiny was a word that Charlie thought suited Joey quite perfectly. Even after everything she had been through, she always seemed so bouncy and happy, ready and willing to laugh and have fun. Aside from the nightmares, you'd never know what had happened to her. And it was almost startling how close they had become. The only reason it didn't really feel startling was because it felt so natural. Charlie admitted, only to herself that she had never been the type of person to have a best friend before. She had always held herself slightly apart from other people, kept her secrets close to her chest, kept her heart guarded. With Joey, she had the overwhelming desire to let her in and what was most surprising about it, was that it didn't frighten her. She'd never been so relaxed around another person. Aside from her own sister, Charlie didn't think she'd never cared for another person as much as she cared for Joey.

***

Joey ventured into Surf Club, looking for Aden. He'd finished his working day and called her, wanting to catch up. They hadn't really seen each other since she'd finally pressed charges and moved in with Charlie and they missed each other. She spotted him on the couches. He smiled and waved. She smiled back and headed over.

"Hey, Aden. How's it going?" she asked.

"Not so bad," he said, sounding a little tired.

"How was work?"

He shrugged. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to talk about her former work place. He hated the fact that he had to work with the guy who had raped her. Aden hadn't spoken a word to Robbo since he'd found out what he'd done. He'd nearly hit the guy several times and been goaded more often than not but he'd resisted. He was still on a good behaviour bond after what had happened with his father and he wasn't planning on breaking it, even if Robbo deserved any bad thing that might happen to him in his life. Joey smiled awkwardly.

"You don't need to feel bad," she said.

"I just…" Aden started. "I wish it wasn't you who'd had to leave."

"Well hopefully he'll be behind bars soon," Joey said. "And maybe one day I'll get a job back out on the water. I'm not ready yet but I hope that wasn't my last trawler job."

"Yeah. So, how are things going with you? Are you happy living at Charlie's?"

Joey beamed immediately.

"I'm really happy," she said. "She's really looking after me. They all are."

"That's really good to hear," Aden enthused.

He put his hand on Joey's in a gesture of friendship.

"I'm glad you've got someone who looks out for you so much."

"She really does," Joey said. "She's been amazing. I feel so protected when I'm around her, like nobody could ever hurt me again. I never thought I could ever feel happy again but when I'm around Charlie, I do. She's amazing."

Aden lifted his hand and studied her face. He wondered curiously if Joey had feelings for Charlie. She seemed to light up when she spoke about her and her smile reached her eyes. Making a mental note of his observations, he sipped his drink and smiled to himself.

"So, do you and Charlie maybe want to catch a movie with me and Belle this weekend?" he asked.

"Oh, well, I'd have to ask her but I'd definitely like to," Joey said. "I really want to try and keep getting out, you know? Do normal things."

"Well, I'll talk to Belle, you talk to Charlie and we can text each other later to arrange it."

"Sounds good to me," Joey grinned.

***

That evening, Charlie came into to Joey's room to get a new pair of pyjamas from her drawer and fresh underwear and socks for the morning. Joey was already in bed.

"Oh, Aden wondered if you and I would like to go to a movie with him and Belle at the weekend," Joey suddenly remembered.

Charlie turned round to face her.

"That sounds good to me," she agreed.

She turned back to the drawer, finally locating what she wanted, removing it, placing it on the end of the bed and coming to sit beside her friend.

"I'm heading out for a run in the morning," she said. "Do you want to come?"

Joey nodded.

"That sounds fun."

"I'll come and wake you bright and early at seven."

"Yeah, if I don't wake you first at some ridiculous hour," Joey sighed unhappily.

"Hey, you know I don't mind," Charlie said kindly, reaching for Joey's hand.

Joey tried to smile but she couldn't help but feel like a burden.

"You know you should probably just move back in here and sleep with me," Joey joked. "It'd save you a hell of a lot of hassle."

Charlie chuckled and then looked serious.

"I was joking!" Joey said quickly.

"Well…" Charlie pondered. "I do spend every night in here and all my stuff is in here… It would make sense really."

"You don't want to sleep with some lesbian," Joey said, sinking down onto the pillows.

"Joey, the only one of us who has a problem with your sexuality is you," Charlie pointed out.

Joey frowned. Was Charlie really willing to sleep in the same room, the same bed as her in an official capacity? She looked into Charlie's eyes.

"I mean, I don't have to," Charlie ventured. "It just seems to make sense at this point in time."

"I don't want to ask that much of you, Charlie."

"I wouldn't really be doing that much different."

"But it would be official."

"Okay, put it this way. Right now, I'm starting off upstairs and having to come downstairs in the middle of the night. This way, I'd start and finish in the same place so technically you'd be saving me some hassle."

She smiled, coaxing Joey round to the idea.

"All we'd need to do is be polite and avert our eyes when we're changing and stuff," Charlie said.

Joey nodded.

"Well, that's no problem," she said.

"So, what do you think?" Charlie asked.

"If it's easier for you, I'm game."

Charlie extended her hand. They shook on it, cementing the deal. Charlie stood and put her underwear back in the drawer.

"Well, start averting your eyes now because I'm getting undressed," she said.

From the bed, Joey squeezed her eyes shut until Charlie told her she could open up again. Once she was ready, she crawled into her side of the bed.

"Are you ready for sleep?" Joey asked.

"Uh huh," Charlie said.

Joey clicked the lamp off and the girls lay side by side in the dark.

"Goodnight, Charlie," Joey said softly.

"Goodnight, Joey."

***

Charlie had only just drifted off when she felt Joey thrashing about and whimpering. She blinked open her eyes and reached out an arm to try and settle her.

"Joey, sweetheart, it's Charlie," she whispered.

She pulled the younger woman into her embrace and held her until she became still and they slept that way in peace for the rest of the night.