This is the last update of the day. I hope you enjoy Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Nicole and Leah's girl talk session! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty Six

Having thoroughly enjoyed their weekend away, Charlie and Joey had stopped off at the Diner on their way home in a bid to have a late dinner with Ruby, Nicole and Leah. They were well aware that Ruby's best friend was likely to want as many details on Aden as they could provide. They hadn't exactly decided what to say or how but they knew they had to be as honest as kindness would allow.

Sitting round the table with their daughter and their friends, Charlie and Joey were eager to hear all about Ruby's exciting music plan. Liam had come to find her earlier in the day to propose that while they were cutting their demo together, they should take things further and produce a whole album instead of just one track.

"I mean, how exciting is this?" Ruby squeaked for the millionth time. "I could be on a record! I could be a pop star! And with Liam Murphy of all people!"

She was giddy with excitement, much to the amusement of those around her.

"Honestly, I'm so flattered that someone as talented as Liam would even consider doing this with me," she rambled. "He's got such an incredible voice. I mean, he really was a rock star. And he's so nice and so humble as well. Sometimes I think he doesn't even know how talented he is. Do you think he knows how talented he is?"

Charlie and Joey exchanged a look, silently communicating. They wondered why it had taken them this long to realise that Ruby had such a big crush on her teacher. It was worrying to say the least.

"You'd be surprised," Nicole grinned. "He can be pretty arrogant when he wants to be."

She kept her tone light but she too was concerned about Ruby's obviously growing feelings for Liam. She wondered if he was even aware of the affect he was having on her.

"No way," Ruby insisted. "He's too cool to be arrogant. I'm so excited about this."

"We can tell," Charlie giggled.

Ruby blushed and apologised.

"No need to be sorry, Rubes," her mother assured her. "This is great news. We're all really proud of you, aren't we?"

"Absolutely," Joey agreed, raising her glass to propose a toast. "Here's to our Ruby's musical career!"

They all clinked their glasses together and Ruby couldn't stop smiling.

"Anyway," she said, changing the subject. "I've been hogging the limelight all night. How was your weekend?"

"Yeah," Nicole added. "How was um… everything?"

Charlie let Joey take the lead. She was the more diplomatic of the two of them.

"It was really good," Joey said happily. "We had good food and went to a fun party."

She blushed a little as she remembered their private after party back at the hotel. It had been a particularly amazing night.

"How's Aden?" Nicole asked, deciding to get right to the point.

She couldn't stand the suspense.

"He's doing really well," Joey said. "He's working for a tour guide company and he's living in a nice house with some friends. He seems pretty happy."

Nicole nodded, not entirely sure how she felt. Of course, the good part of her wanted Aden to be doing well. But a more selfish part of her wanted him to be missing her and ready to come home.

"Is he um… you know, like, um… is he seeing anyone?" she managed.

Joey hesitated.

"Nothing serious," she said, feeling more than a little awkward.

Nicole nodded quietly.

"Sorry," Joey said. "Should I have lied?"

"No," Nicole said resolutely. "No, it's good that I know he's forgotten me."

"He hasn't forgotten you," Joey said quickly. "He asked after you loads, Nic. You still mean a lot to him."

"Just not enough," Nicole sighed.

Ruby reached out and held her friend's hand.

"I know we weren't meant to be together," Nicole said reasonably. "And I know it was right that we split up. But I guess I can't help but wish it was different."

"You can't help who you fall for," Ruby said, far more thoughtfully than her parents were comfortable with.

"Yeah," Nicole said. "But I've made a decision."

Everyone offered her their full attention.

"I'm moving on," she said. "I can't waste my life thinking about what could have been. And I have to stop hiding away from the world. I haven't gone near a boy since Romeo…"

"Romeo?" Ruby squeaked loudly.

"It was just a kiss," Nicole said quickly. "It didn't mean anything."

But all four diners were eager to hear details. She explained quickly that she and Romeo, heartbroken over Aden and Annie respectively, had kissed once but that was all.

"The point is," she said, breezing away from it as quickly as possible, "that while I'm not going to rush out and hook up with the first boy to come along, maybe I can stop hiding. Maybe I can be open to romance, should it come my way."

"That sounds like a very good plan," Leah said, having been very quiet all evening.

"How are you doing, Leah?" Joey asked kindly. "You've been a bit quiet."

Leah sighed. She'd half wanted them to notice so she could pour her heart out and half wanted them not to notice so she could keep all her pain inside.

"It's just… Elijah," she sighed.

Everyone knew she had broken up with him the previous week and she'd been miserable ever since.

"Have you seen much of him?" Charlie asked.

"I've seen him around but he's mostly been avoiding me," Leah admitted. "Every time I see him he looks about as miserable as I feel."

"Then why did you break up with him?" Ruby asked bluntly.

Leah shrugged. At the time, she'd been so sure she was making the right decision. Now, she wasn't quite so sure.

"To be honest," she said glumly. "I don't even know."


Next time… Ruby falls out with Nicole, Elijah and Leah get engaged after all and Joey begins Charlie's lesbian sex education…