Okay, today you get two updates because I know for sure, I won't be updating it tomorrow. It's Pride! Woo! Best day of the year! Anyway... here is today's update and I will be back with tomorrows. I hope you enjoy it. I'm afraid it's a bit more of Ruby being a brat but she will be on her way to redemption soonish! Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Morag's mouth formed a grim line as she stared between Ruby, Charlie and Joey. Charlie stared right back at her. Ruby looked between them, not entirely sure what she had been expecting or hoping for and Joey looked at the floor. On Ruby's insistence, they had told Morag everything that had happened with Grant and now they were waiting for some kind of response.
"How could you be so foolish?" Morag finally asked.
Charlie chewed her lip.
"I was desperate," she said.
"Desperate enough to break the law and land yourself in jail?"
"He won't tell anyone what happened," Joey said. "Then he'd have all three of us witnessing his confession."
Charlie glanced at her girlfriend. It was a sore subject and not one they had really talked about since that fateful night. The pain of the night they had almost spent apart was too much, at least for now.
"So, if he won't tell then we can press charges against him, right?" Ruby asked hopefully.
Charlie sighed and said it wasn't that simple.
"Morag?" Ruby said imploringly.
"Charlie's right," Morag said. "If she were to press charges now, she could very well end up in jail herself. She kidnapped a man. She tortured him. She made him think he was going to die."
Joey looked further down. Charlie dared to glance at her.
"Even if he was proved to be a rapist, Charlie would be in big trouble," Morag continued.
Ruby looked crestfallen.
"But he needs to pay for what he did," she insisted.
"And he could have," Morag said, fixing Charlie with a glare. "If Charlie hadn't acted so rashly, dangerously and illegally."
Charlie felt terrible, although she was relieved that at least Morag was on her side, in a roundabout kind of way. She was critical but she was backing Charlie up in terms of not going to the police. She couldn't look at Joey. They didn't need a reminder of what had happened and what Charlie had proved herself to be capable of.
The drive back home was quiet. Charlie flicked the radio on for some kind of distraction. Joey was looking out the window and in the back, Ruby didn't look like she was looking at anything. She looked miserable. Charlie swallowed and hoped that Ruby would accept the situation so they could all move on. She had hoped that bringing it all up again wouldn't push her and Joey away from each other. Joey continued staring out the window, watching the world pass by. They'd been all smiles for Ross but everything felt forced, false and awkward. She looked over at Charlie and saw the crease in her brow and worried expression on her face. She watched as she chewed her lip, her eyes flitting between the road, Joey and the mirror. Reaching out, Joey placed a gentle hand on Charlie's leg. Charlie looked at her in delighted surprise. Joey smiled softly at her. Charlie returned it and then focussed on driving again.
Grant attempted to check in at the caravan park but was disappointed when Miles turned him away.
"On what grounds?" Grant demanded angrily.
"On the ground of you raping a good friend of mine," Miles said.
Grant began to respond but Miles shut the door in his face. There was no way he was offering any kind of hospitality to a monster like that.
Ruby was watching television with a blank expression when Charlie approached her to say goodnight. Joey was already tucked up in bed and Charlie wanted to try and make sure everything with Ruby was alright. She sat down beside her and said she was going to bed.
"Okay," Ruby said, not looking at her.
"Ruby..." Charlie ventured.
"What?" Ruby snapped, whipping her around.
"Please, can we just try to move on from this now?"
"You knew Morag would back you up," Ruby accused. "You knew she'd tell you to stay quiet and you knew she'd say not to tell Ross."
"I..."
"You tricked me."
"I didn't mean to..."
Ruby stood up.
"You're a liar, Charlie."
Charlie shrank back.
"All you've ever done, for my whole life, is lie to me. I can't trust you. I can't be around you. I don't even want to live with you anymore. I wish you weren't my sister... or my mother... or whatever the hell you've been pretending to be all this time."
She stormed into her room and slammed the door. Charlie remained on the sofa until Joey approached, having heard the shouting. Gently, Joey put her arms around her and held her close. She kissed the top of her head as Charlie silently cried.
