Chapter Ninety-Six

When Charlie and Joey arrived back home, Charlie seated her girlfriend on the sofa and immediately began making a fuss and ensuring that Joey was comfortable.

"Charlie," Joey begged. "Just come here."

Charlie looked at her a little anxiously and then came to sit beside her.

"Relax," Joey said, taking hold of her hands.

Charlie nodded and accepted when Joey leant back and opened her arms to welcome her in. Snuggling into her, Charlie finally began to calm down and rest. Joey kissed the top of her head.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?" Charlie asked.

"Well..." Joey smirked.

Charlie sat up, grinned and then shook her head, causing Joey to pout.

"Rachel said you couldn't do anything strenuous," she reminded her.

"It doesn't have to be strenuous," Joey insisted. "I could just lie there!"

Charlie laughed.

"An orgasm could make your head swim," she said.

"But it would be so totally worth it," Joey declared.

She leant forward and kissed her. She ran her hands over Charlie's body and felt her melt against her. She smiled when Charlie eased her back against the sofa. She covered her body with her own and began to gently kiss her way down Joey's body. She fumbled with Joey's button and zip, easing her shorts down and then slipped her hand inside her shirt, caressing her breasts as she returned her lips to her neck.


One week later, Charlie was feeling a lot more settled. Grant had not been back, she'd managed a few nice conversations with Ruby, although the teenager was still somewhat guarded and things were going extremely well with Joey. Even Charlie's nightmares had lessened. She was still having them but not every night and she hadn't injured Joey again. She also felt very touched that Joey didn't seem to care about what had happened. It didn't mar her opinion of her and she didn't hold her responsible. She had been nothing but loving and kind towards her and it made Charlie feel special. She was also relieved that she could skip out on the counselling idea. If her bad dreams weren't hurting anyone but her then she didn't feel the need to go and see someone.


Grant kissed his wife and kids goodbye and climbed into his car on the pretence that he was going to work. Actually, he was heading back to Summer Bay. The thought of having a daughter out there that he didn't know and that thought he was a rapist was too hard to bear. He was determined to ensure that Charlie didn't spread anything malicious about him. What happened between them should only have ever stayed between them and it should have stayed in the past. He was determined to make Charlie pay.


"Seventh day without an accident," Aden commented as he, Joey and Geoff prepared to finish for the day. "I'm impressed."

Joey stuck her tongue out at her friend and told him to work harder in her strictest voice. He took hold of a necessary rope and then realised he'd left a box below deck and asked Joey to get it for him.

"I'm busy!" Joey protested before hollering for Geoff, who was on the other side of the boat and couldn't hear them.

"Joey!" Aden complained.

She glanced briefly at the entrance to where she needed to go. Bile rose in her throat. Plastering a smile on her face, she took the rope from him and sent him down there instead. A little worried, Aden hesitated. It seemed like such a strange thing to do.

"Go," Joey pestered.

Unhappily, Aden headed down below to get what he needed. Joey remained safely on deck.


Charlie had just arrived home from work when there was a knock on the door. She immediately hoped it might be Ruby. She'd said they might catch up later and she hoped later meant now. The more time she got to spend with her daughter, the happier Charlie was. Pulling open the door, she froze. Grant Bledcoe stood in front of her. She moved to shut the door but he wedged his foot in the way.

"We need to talk," he said.

"I have nothing to say to you," Charlie snapped, still pushing on the door.

She wondered where Joey and her well aimed knee was when she needed her.

"Do you realise that you've ruined my life?" he demanded.

"Do you realise that you ruined mine?" she replied.

"My wife thinks I'm a rapist," Grant said.

"You are!" she pointed out angrily, still fighting with the door. "And if you don't get the hell away from me, I'll call the police."

"Wasn't it good for you?"

The question caught her off guard. She stared at him while he smirked at her. He knew exactly what he had done to her and he was proud of it so long as he couldn't get into trouble.

"You're disgusting," she told him.

She banged the door hard enough against his foot that he yelped and drew away, although not completely. She still couldn't shut him out.

"I've been asking around after you," he said. "I hear you're running around with some man hating lesbian."

Ignoring him, Charlie bashed his foot with the door again. This time he yelped louder and pulled away. She slammed the door in his face. He moved around to shout obscenities through the window until she pulled her phone out and threatened to call the cops. He left and she stumbled into a chair, shaking and worried. She was certain that he would be back.


Joey arrived home and found Charlie curled up on the sofa looking like she'd seen a ghost. Dropping her bag, she hurried towards her, skidding a little on her knees.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Charlie gazed at her from her foetal position. Slowly, she reached out and touched the healing cut on Joey's forehead. It had almost completely gone but there was still evidence of the injury. She touched it with her fingertips.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked.

Joey assured her that it didn't. Charlie withdrew her hand and sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" Joey repeated.

"Grant came to see me," Charlie replied.

"What?" Joey said a little too shrilly. "Have you called the police? Are you okay? What...?"

Charlie reached out to her and smiled sadly.

"He said I'd ruined his life. Made a few comments. I shut the door on him and he left when I threatened to call the police."

Joey nodded, a little calmer. She stroked Charlie's face.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Charlie nodded and sat up. She pulled Joey into her arms and told her that she loved her.


In a bid to make an effort, Ruby had invited Xavier out to dinner. She almost felt sorry for him for the way he'd so eagerly accepted. It made her feel bad that she neglected him so much. It just felt so hard to maintain a relationship when her head was all over the place. She wondered how Charlie and Joey remained so strong. She supposed it helped that Joey was completely in tune to Charlie's feelings and that she somehow always managed to say and do the right thing. Xavier had tried but he hadn't quite managed it so far. For Ruby's part, she had spent a little time fixing things with Charlie and she and Joey had made their peace. For such a placid person, Ruby was surprised to realise just how fiercely protective Joey could be. It was a quality she admired and for all the problems she and Charlie had right now, she was so happy that she had found someone amazing. She had never had much luck with relationships. Men tended to use or cheat on her and Charlie had always struggled to give anyone her whole heart. Ruby had originally thought that Charlie was onto a winner when she'd met Roman but it hadn't taken long for Ruby to realise that he was just the same as everyone else. She hadn't thought he was good enough for Charlie and it had been devastating to watch her tear herself apart over the end of the relationship. Back then, when Charlie and Roman had been casual, Angelo had taken her out on a date and Ruby had very much wanted her to be with him. He'd been intent on treating Charlie well, just as she deserved. But when they had eventually tried to make a go of it, things had gone terribly wrong. Now Jack was dead and Angelo was trying hard to pick his life back up. It was obvious that he still held a torch for Charlie. He worshipped her to the point of obsession but Ruby doubted it would ever have really worked. How could it when Charlie had found her soul mate now? She was sure that nobody would be more suited to Charlie than Joey was.

"Are you listening?" Xavier asked.

Guiltily, Ruby broke away from her musing and looked at him.

"Of course I was," she lied, determined to give him her full attention from here on out.


That night, with their door locked, Joey began to strip off. She folded her jeans over the back of a chair and removed her top, putting it in the wash basket. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra and dumped that too before stepping forward to lift her pillow and find her pyjamas. Charlie turned around. She'd been in a strange mood for the last half an hour, although she managed to break out of it temporarily enough to look Joey up and down appreciatively.

"Perve," Joey smirked.

Charlie smiled and hauled herself off the bed in order to get ready herself. Joey slipped beneath the covers and unashamedly watched her get changed. Charlie tensed as she crept into bed. Joey leant forward and kissed her nose. Charlie couldn't help but laugh, pulling her in for a proper kiss.

"What's up?" Joey asked stroking a strand of Charlie's hair away from her face.

"Nothing," Charlie lied.

Joey raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Charlie..." she urged.

"I felt really shaken up when Grant was here," Charlie ventured.

"Well, that's understandable."

"And I think I might end up with bad dreams."

Joey looked puzzled.

"I'm afraid of hurting you," Charlie admitted.

Joey smiled affectionately at her. She reached out and pulled Charlie gently into her arms.

"We'll be fine," she said.

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you again," Charlie said.

"Well then, snuggle down with me," Joey said. "Get all relaxed and think of lovely things before you sleep. And know that you're nice and safe in my arms and that's where you'll always stay."

Charlie smiled into the darkness, feeling immediately comforted as she closed her eyes and prepared to get some rest.