Chapter Thirty-Seven

Charlie couldn't stop pacing. It was making Joey dizzy. They had certainly come back to Summer Bay with a bump. Charlie felt like all her worst fears were coming true. If Ruby couldn't deal with them being a couple then nobody would. All Charlie wanted was to be accepted but it wasn't possible while she was with Joey. She stopped pacing and looked at Joey who was gazing up at her from the couch. Staring into each other's eyes, Charlie knew that they had come too far. It would be easier to wait for Ruby to come around than for Charlie to leave Joey. She loved her too much. She was part of her heart now. There was no turning back. Coming to sit beside her partner, Charlie wrapped her arms around her. Joey couldn't tear her eyes away from Charlie's face. She was so beautiful, so perfect and she was terrified of losing her. Joey couldn't help but feel guilty. If she hadn't shown up and demanded Charlie's attention then they would never have got together and now Charlie and Ruby wouldn't be so fraught. Charlie leant closer and captured Joey's lips with her own. They kissed tenderly and passionate, clinging to each other. Drawing away reluctantly, Joey dared to ask her question.

"Do you... I mean, if Ruby doesn't come round will you want to...?"

"Stay with you for the rest of my life and hope she can deal?" Charlie asked. "That's precisely what I want to do."

Relief flooded Joey's soul.

"We've come too far to turn back now," Charlie continued. "It won't be easy. But as long as we're together we can deal."

Joey nodded and kissed her again.

"I didn't mean to cause you so much stress," she apologised.

"It's not your fault, Joey. I'd rather go through this and be with you than have to live without you. I know it hasn't been easy and I know it won't get easier for a while but I want to do this. I want to be with you. I'm sorry I tried to lie to her. I was just freaked out. I wasn't expecting an interrogation the moment we got home. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. It hurt but I do understand. And I'm thrilled that you changed your mind."

"I'm not saying I want to come out to everybody yet but I do want this to be the start of the process. I do want to move on with us."

"Well, we can do it at your pace. We haven't rushed anything so far so there's no need to now," Joey assured her.

They sat back on the sofa together in each other's arms.

***

Ruby hovered in the doorway between the kitchen and the lounge observing her sister and her sister's girlfriend. She felt her heart melt a little. Going for a walk had wound her up more than mellowed her out but coming home to find Charlie and Joey pledging their commitment to each other had calmed her a little. However, she could have done without all the kissing. Male or female, watching your sister make out with someone was just wrong. But they loved each other; that much was obvious. She was annoyed that Charlie had kept this big secret from her and she couldn't quite get her head around the idea of her sister liking girls. She had always had boyfriends. For as long as Ruby could remember she'd gone in and out of relationships. But then perhaps that was part of it making sense. Charlie had never been committed to any man. Ruby had certainly never seen her display the kind of affection she was showing Joey now to any guy. And she'd noticed herself how happy Charlie was these days. She laughed and smiled more; she had more energy and wasn't so engrossed in work that Ruby never saw her. Joey had lightened Charlie up, that was for sure. She was bringing out the best in her. Maybe I should just be happy for them, she thought to herself. But no, it was too confusing. Charlie had never ever liked girls before. It just wasn't her. What was so special about Joey that Charlie was prepared to turn her whole life upside down? Well, there's only one way to find out, she decided. She cleared her throat to get their attention and then moved further into the room.

***

Ruby, Charlie and Joey all sat together in the lounge.

"So, this is really real?" Ruby asked.

"It's really real," Charlie confirmed.

Ruby watched the women clasping each other's hands.

"So, how long is a few weeks? When did you get together?"

Charlie decided to be completely honest.

"The first time we kissed was when we went out on the boat for the day," she said. "I panicked and we decided to just be friends because I couldn't cope with how I was feeling. And that's how we stayed for a little while but it was this all-consuming friendship. I even asked Joey not to date anyone because I couldn't bear to see it even though technically she and I weren't together."

Ruby looked incredulous.

"And you agreed to that?" she asked, turning to Joey.

"Yeah, of course I did," Joey said. "I loved her even then and besides, I didn't want to be with anyone else. I was happy being as close to Charlie as she'd let me."

Charlie was touched. Ruby couldn't help but find her adorable.

"And then when Joey got her job... that's when we got together. We kissed again and finally I accepted that I needed to be with her."

Ruby nodded, grateful for the honesty.

"And this is a long term thing?"

"Yes," Charlie said.

She squeezed Joey's hand gently.

"I've finally fallen in love."

Joey blushed and smiled.

"Well, okay, it feels strange to me," Ruby admitted. "But I am happy for you. If you two are happy and you love each other then I'm not going to try and get in the way of that."

Charlie smiled gratefully and reached out to hug her little sister. When they parted, Ruby came over to hug Joey. She wanted her to know that she was accepted into their family. Joey accepted her embrace gratefully.

"I still can't believe this though," Ruby said with a grin. "I mean, Charlie actually being in love with someone!"

"Hey!" Charlie protested, although it was true.

Charlie had never been open to feelings. She'd convinced herself once upon a time that she'd loved Roman but she hadn't really. She'd wanted to. She had cared for him a great deal but it was more about what he represented than who he was. And she had cared a great deal for Angelo, like she had with other boyfriends but it had never been real, arrow through the heart love. Nobody had ever meant what Joey meant to her. She honestly couldn't picture her life without her now. And having Ruby onside just completed the package.

"Who's Charlie in love with?"

All three turned to find Leah standing in the doorway, eyeing them curiously. Charlie blanched. Looks like I have to come out again, she thought to herself.

"Maybe you should sit down," she suggested to Leah.