Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. Here is your chapter and I'll be back with Beyond Reason shortly. A special thanks to sweetandlovely for reviewing my novel in so much detail! I really appreciate that. And to drowningnotwaving for being so wonderful. Love, IJKS xx
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
Aden and Geoff weren't talking. Aden blamed Geoff for his accident and Geoff thought Aden had had it coming. Joey had attempted to be mediator but the working day had definitely ended on a sour note. Heading off the trawler, Geoff stropped off back home, suddenly missing Ruby more than ever.
"I think we deserve a drink," Joey declared, linking arms with Aden and leading them in the direction of the Surf Club.
"I think we do," Aden agreed.
"And then you need to go and make friends with Geoff."
Aden halted and shook his head.
"No way," he said.
"Aden, stop being a baby," Joey said.
They entered the Surf Club and approached Alf at the bar.
"Hello love," the older man said to Joey. "What can I get you?"
"Two nice, cold beers please, Alf," Joey said. "And for you to tell Aden that he's being a baby."
"I'm not being a baby!" Aden protested.
"What's he being a baby about?" Alf asked.
"He and Geoff are squabbling like an old married couple," Joey explained. "And it nearly got Aden killed."
"Killed?" Alf asked, alarmed.
Aden shook his head and told the bar owner that it was a long story. He produced their beers and Joey handed over some cash before heading over to a table.
"Listen, in all seriousness," she said. "I'm sorry about my part in it. I should have been nicer to you before. I know you were only trying to help."
"Will you talk to me about it now?" he asked.
Joey sighed and twirled her beer bottle around before beginning to pick at the label. Several moments of silence ensured. Aden smirked.
"You know, peeling bottle labels is a sign of sexual frustration!" he remarked.
Joey laughed.
"If you knew what I'd got up to this lunch time, you wouldn't even think about making that kind of comment!" she said.
Aden's eyebrows shot up.
"You went at it on your lunch break?" he asked.
"Regularly," Joey grinned, hoping Charlie wouldn't mind her sharing this kind of thing with her best friend.
Aden offered a smile that looked a little like a leer.
"Have I mentioned how hot the idea of lesbian sex is?" Aden asked.
"Bet it's not as hot as it is in reality!"
"Seriously, Jo, you're killing me!" Aden laughed. "And doing a damn good job of distracting me from my question."
"Question?" Joey asked innocently.
He looked at her seriously.
"You can't go below deck, can you?"
"I think I just said I could!" Joey said, smiling cheekily.
Their eyes met and she sighed heavily. She began attacking her bottle again.
"I just... it's where it happened and I just... I just can't," she admitted. "I know I'm a coward and it's stupid but..."
"It's not stupid," Aden said. "You were right before. I've never been able to handle going back to where... Honestly, Joey, if you'd known me before, if you'd have known the person I was when I was dealing with all that stuff. I mean, you know what I did to my Dad, don't you?"
Joey nodded and reached out to hold his hand.
"What I mean is, I understand how hard it is to deal with certain things," he said, appreciating her comfort. "And I'm not trying to criticise you. I just want to help."
"Thank you," Joey said honestly.
She looked up as Charlie approached them. Charlie observed their joined hands.
"Not turning, are you?" she quipped.
Joey giggled and dropped Aden's hand in order to hug her girlfriend.
"I've only got eyes for you," she said sweetly.
"Seriously, am I interrupting?" Charlie asked when they parted. "I can leave you to it."
"No, no, we're good," Aden said. "Pull up a chair."
Charlie did so and then noticed Joey's beer bottle wrappings. She raised her eyebrows.
"Dissatisfied?" she asked, trying to hide a smirk.
Joey laughed and kissed her.
"I don't think that's possible," she said.
Suddenly Aden's face looked like thunder. Charlie and Joey turned around to see Liam Murphy entering the bar.
"What the hell is he doing back here?" Aden wondered through clenched teeth.
They watched him approach Alf and order a juice. Aden's hand gripped his bottle a little too tightly. Joey touched his arm and told him to calm down. Liam had slept with Belle, he'd got drunk at her funeral and then he'd had a one night stand with Nicole. He was definitely not Aden's favourite person.
"I'm going home," Aden said, standing up.
"Aden, you don't have to..." Joey tried.
But he was already gone. Joey and Charlie exchanged unhappy looks.
"Do you need to go after him?" Charlie asked.
"No," Joey said, shaking her head. "I'll let him cool off."
Charlie nodded.
"So, what did I walk in on?" she asked. "It looked pretty serious."
Joey shrugged and began playing with her bottle again. Charlie moved it out of her reach. Joey made a grab for Aden's instead but always one step ahead, Charlie confiscated and forced Joey to look at her. Sighing heavily, Joey relented.
"I'm having some problems at work," she admitted. "It's... well, you know it's the same trawler that..."
She looked down. Charlie nodded and reached for her hands.
"And I can't seem to venture down... to where it happened. And Aden's noticed and been worrying."
Charlie squeezed Joey's hands gently, wondering why she didn't say anything before.
"I thought if I ignored it then it would just go away but..."
She shrugged.
"I think tomorrow I'm just going to do it," she said. "I have to get over it."
Charlie's heart flooded with compassion. She was grateful that the location of her own assault had been Grant's bedroom, a place she'd never had to venture near again. Having other places that reminded her of him had been bad enough.
"You do know how amazing you're doing, don't you?" she asked.
Joey looked bewildered for a moment.
"The way you've picked your life back up," Charlie said. "The way you cope, the way you've fought for justice..."
Joey shrugged anxiously.
"I'm proud of you, Joey," Charlie said softly.
They kept hold of each other and smiled lovingly.
"Well, I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you," Joey replied. "I would have given up a long time ago. You're the reason I stayed strong."
Charlie blushed. She thought Joey was giving her far too much credit. She'd only ever done what she thought was the right thing. And it wasn't as if she hadn't gained from it. If she hadn't noticed Joey that day and taken it upon herself to support her, she would have missed out on the best relationship she could ever have had.
"I don't know how much I did really," she said. "But I'm very glad you're here now. With me."
They met in a gentle kiss.
"Speaking of, it's our six month anniversary at the end of the week," she said.
Joey looked surprised and admitted that she hadn't thought Charlie was an anniversary kind of girl. The police officer tried to look offended but it was true. Until Joey, she'd never got to six months before. Relationships tended to end before that, even if only by a few days.
"Well, I never was but then, I've never been in love before so I guess it's made me kind of sappy."
Joey giggled.
"Sappy works for me," she said.
Charlie kissed her and then announced that she needed to use the bathroom. Joey picked up her beer and sat back in her chair, unable to keep from checking Charlie out as she walked away. I really do have the hottest girlfriend ever, she thought to herself. She looked up to see a handsome blonde boy in front of her. He smiled.
"Hi," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Romeo."
At the bar, Liam shifted to watch them with interest. Joey laughed.
"Seriously?" she asked. "I just finished playing Juliet in the play."
Romeo looked confused for a moment but sat down in Charlie's seat.
"What's your real name, Juliet?" he asked.
"Joey," she replied. "Are you new in town?"
"Yep," he said. "I just arrived today and I'm absolutely overwhelmed by just how many beautiful women there are in this town. Especially you."
"There's definitely women hotter than me around here," Joey said, thinking of Charlie. "One in particular."
"I doubt it," Romeo said. "You're definitely the most beautiful..."
"No, seriously," Joey said, completely oblivious to the fact that she was being chatted up. "Charlie is the most beautiful woman on the planet, let alone in Summer Bay, I mean..."
Liam chuckled to himself, wondering who was more clueless, the guy or the girl.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"She has a girlfriend," said a female voice behind him.
Romeo leapt up like he'd been shot. Liam laughed loudly as Charlie took her seat back and took a possessive hold of Joey's hand. Romeo's eyes widened and he eyed the two of them.
"That is so awesome!" he said.
Joey tried not to laugh. Charlie glared at him.
"You can go now," she said.
Romeo backed off and spotted Liam, the guy who had given him a lift into town at the bar. He headed over and took a stool.
"How hot are those two?" he exclaimed.
Charlie continued to pout as she turned back to Joey.
"Who knew you could get so butch?" Joey teased.
Charlie continued to sulk. Joey began to play with Charlie's fingers. It sent a rush of pleasure through Charlie.
"I don't like it when other people hit on you," she said.
"I think he was just being friendly," Joey said, peering at the stranger.
"You are so innocent," Charlie chuckled.
"What?"
Charlie lifted their hands and kissed Joey's fingertips.
"He was hitting on you," she said. "I am one thousand per cent sure."
"But..."
"No buts."
Joey sighed, wishing she could be good at signals. It just never occurred to her that anyone could find her attractive. It had been a huge shock the day she and Charlie had first kissed. She'd certainly never thought someone as amazing as Charlie could feel that way about her. Charlie leant in and kissed her lips.
"I feel the need to go home and corrupt you," she said.
Joey grinned and hauled Charlie to her feet.
"Now I know what that means!" she declared, almost dragging her out of the Surf Club.
