Hello everyone! Well this is my last update of A Different Way until after my hospital trip (all the others stories will be updated too before I go) so I thought I would thank you all for your readership and reviews. I can't even tell you how amazing you all are. And I thought I'd offer you some spoilers for the future...
Joey gets a new job
Grant will make an appearance
Joey will end up in hospital
For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Brendan is celebrating his birthday party...
Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Eighty-Nine
It was a couple of days later and despite her resolve to end things with Xavier, Ruby had made up with him. He'd been so sad and so hurt by what he thought was going on. And he was partly right. She did have feelings for Geoff, although they hadn't done anything about it and Ruby was determined not to. She'd loved Xavier for as long as she'd known him, they'd slept together and he meant so much to her. Perhaps they didn't communicate so well these days but then, in fairness, Ruby didn't feel like she communicated with anyone anymore. Except Geoff, she pointed out to herself. Shaking her head, she steeled herself to enjoy Brendan's birthday party. So far, everyone was enjoying themselves and she and Xavier were getting along. Charlie and Joey had accepted the invitation and while things still weren't always easy with them, all three were trying. And she suspected that half the reason Xavier had made a point of inviting them was because he wanted to help. Ruby thought that was a very sweet gesture. Across the room, Hugo approached Charlie and smiled pleasantly. She had stopped liking him as soon as he'd made a pass at her that night on the beach. The thought of being with anyone but Joey repulsed her. And besides, nobody stood her up and got away with it.
"Enjoying the party?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied as politely as possible. "It's nice to see Brendan happy."
"He's convinced that he's got a girlfriend called Ruby or something," he told her. "The mind boggles!"
She smiled, not really sure what to say. She had no idea why he was even talking to her. They hardly spoke these days and that was the way she preferred it.
"So, are you and Joey still...?"
"Still...?" she asked.
"You know, together?"
"Of course!" Charlie said. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"I was just wondering. I'm sorry but I can't help but think it might be a phase or something for you."
Joey approached them, having finished in the bathroom. She had caught Hugo's last words and didn't like them. She made a point of taking Charlie's hand.
"We're just fine, thank you," Charlie told Hugo.
She led Joey away from him in order to catch up with Martha.
***
Angelo left the station feeling utterly frustrated. He'd had yet another horrible meeting with his boss and both of them had concluded that he was getting nowhere with his case. They were starting to doubt that Angelo was after the right guy but Angelo was absolutely certain. The problem was that he was too clever and kept things too hidden. But Angelo was utterly determined to catch him out once and for all.
***
"So, um... would you maybe like to stay over tonight?" Xavier asked shyly.
Ruby looked at him and smiled. He was so pretty with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Geoff briefly flashed into her mind but she forced herself to focus on the boy she was dating. He was beautiful and loving and he adored her. That surely had to count for something.
"I'd love to," she said.
There was a knock on the door and Brendan rushed past Xavier on his way to open up.
"Ruby!" he bellowed.
"Hi, Brendan," the girl replied, offering up a neatly wrapped birthday present.
***
After the party, Charlie and Joey drove back towards home. It had been a nice day, aside from Hugo's questioning. Brendan had been overjoyed by his friend showing up. Apparently they had met at a day centre and he was obviously very taken with her. He also seemed particularly thrilled that he now had his own Ruby, just like his beloved brother, Xavier.
"Drink?" Charlie suggested as she drove past the Surf Club.
"Sounds good," Joey agreed.
Charlie pulled into a parking space and they headed inside together. Joey sat at a table while Charlie headed up to the bar to buy them a drink each. She made polite conversation with Alf until she noticed Angelo sitting quiet and moody at the bar. She moved over to him and asked if he was okay.
"Oh, I'm just fine," he drawled, a little tipsy.
She frowned.
"He's been in here for hours," Alf commented, serving Charlie with her order.
She handed over her cash.
"What's up?" she asked her colleague.
"I have no love life, no friends and I am getting absolutely nowhere with my mission."
"Your mission?" Charlie queried.
He blanched.
"Angelo?"
"Don't worry about it."
"What's going on?"
"What do you think of Hugo Austin?" Angelo asked.
She was puzzled. It was a seemingly unrelated question.
"I think he's a bit of a jerk but mostly harmless. Why?"
Angelo sighed.
"No reason."
"What's with you, Angelo?" Charlie asked.
"Nothing's with me, Charlie," he replied.
Sighing and deciding not to bother going any further with her line of questioning, Charlie accepted her change from Alf and took her drinks over to Joey.
"What was that about?" Joey asked curiously.
"He's drunk and rambling," Charlie said dismissively.
He didn't matter. Nothing mattered when she and Joey were together.
***
"Joey, sweetheart, are you okay?" Charlie asked when they arrived home a couple of hours later.
Joey nodded but Charlie remained unconvinced. She had been a little too quiet for Charlie's liking.
"What is it?" Charlie asked, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"Do you ever get the feeling that people don't take us seriously?" Joey wondered allowed.
Charlie was confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Like Hugo earlier..."
Charlie pulled a face.
"Why would we ever care about his opinion?" she asked.
Joey couldn't help but smile.
"We don't," she said.
"Exactly. We don't," Charlie confirmed.
She leant in and kissed Joey's neck, teasing her a little with the tip of her tongue. Joey giggled and wrapped her arms tighter around her.
"Although, if you're worried about the whole phase thing, I'm sure I could convince you otherwise..." Charlie ventured.
"Oh, I'm not worried..." Joey began.
Then she caught Charlie's look and grinned. They held hands and hurried to their bedroom.
