Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Thank you to everyone who is still reading this. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Four Hundred and Eighty Four
Marilyn was still feeling fretful about her earlier encounter with Detective Robertson. This wasn't a game anymore. It was serious. She was terrified of making things worse for Alf. She slipped out of the house, eager to avoid him before he came home.
"So, are you getting excited for the wedding, Bianca?" Nicole asked. "Have you got everything organise yet?"
"Oh, yeah, we're getting there," Bianca said vaguely. "I mean, we sort of know what we're doing. There are still a few more things left to do on the list."
"You don't sound that excited," Ruby pointed out. "If I was marrying a handsome prince, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops!"
"Me too!" Nicole agreed.
"No, I am," Bianca said, not daring to look at Charlie or Joey. "I am. I'm totally excited about marrying Liam."
Everyone stared at her.
"Vittorio! I mean Vittorio. I'm excited about marrying Vittorio."
Nobody was buying it.
Dex was a bag of nerves as he sat at a table at the restaurant with Romeo and Indi, waiting for Detective Graves to arrive for their date.
"When is she going to get here?" Dex asked, looking at his watch.
"Dude, relax, she'll be here," Romeo said, patting him on the shoulder. "We're ten minutes early. Calm down."
Dex took a couple of breaths and then looked at his watch again.
"Okay, seriously, you need to chill," Romeo said. "This girl is older, more mature. She doesn't want to date a sweaty, anxious teenager. She wants to date someone cool and calm. So chill out, okay?"
"Okay," Dex tried. "I just… I'm nervous."
"We know," Indi said unhelpfully.
Romeo glared at her.
"Just breathe," he said to Dex. "Sit back. Sip your drink. Relax. Chat. Wait for her. When she comes, stand up, pull out her chair, say hello. And we'll all take it from there, okay?"
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Indi smiled. She really loved her boyfriend.
"So…" Nicole said awkwardly.
"I meant Vittorio," Bianca insisted.
"But you said Liam," Ruby reminded her.
The teacher felt extremely awkward. Not only was she sat here with two of her students. One of them had ended up in a clinic due to her obsession with Liam, who Bianca had been dating at the time.
"It was an accident," she said.
"One of those Freudian slip thingies," Joey said helpfully.
Bianca glared at her. Joey smiled sweetly back.
"Bianca, do you still have feelings for Liam?" Nicole asked seriously.
"No!"
Everyone just looked at her.
"Maybe… I don't know."
She sighed heavily.
"If you… if you have doubts… you shouldn't be marrying Vittorio," Claire said.
Everyone was surprised at her voicing such an opinion, including herself. It seemed like she was really gaining confidence these days.
"Marriage should be a lifetime commitment," she continued. "If you have doubts, you owe it to yourself to be sure."
Bianca held her head in her hands.
"I just don't know what to do," she said. "Every time I think I've made a decision, it turns out that I haven't."
Graves had arrived for the date she hadn't wanted to go on. She was only here because Robertson, who was sat quietly at a table in the corner of the restaurant, had told her that it would help their investigation, to do so.
They had been sat at the table for about fifteen minutes. Dex had pulled her chair out when she'd arrived, which was sweet. He was clearly very nervous but he seemed pleasant enough.
She was armed with questions for Romeo, the real reason she was on this date. He lived with Alf Stewart and was very close to him. She needed to get as much of a lowdown on him as possible. And to do that, she needed to ask questions about Romeo and his life in Summer Bay, what his current home life was like.
Unfortunately, it appeared that her attention to Romeo was starting to piss his girlfriend off. Oh well, there were often casualties in the pursuit of the law.
Sid was pleased when he opened the door to Marilyn. He hadn't expected to see her this evening.
"Do you mind if I stay over again tonight?" she asked.
"Of course," he said, welcoming her inside. "You're turning into a bit of a burden!"
She froze, glaring at him. He froze, realising that he had said the wrong thing. And he had only been trying to crack a joke.
"Well, if that's how you feel about me, I won't bother," she snapped, turning on her heel and walking back out.
"Marilyn!" he called. "Marilyn, wait! I was joking!"
It was too late. She was already in her car and driving off. He cursed himself for failing to see that she was in a fragile mood. Heading back into the house, he slammed the door. Sinking onto the sofa, he rested his face into his hands, wondering what to do. He hadn't meant to upset her. It had just been a joke. She wasn't a burden. He adored her and he loved spending time with her. But how could he tell her that if she wouldn't speak to him?
Bianca had left Charlie and Joey's house apologetically and gone over to Vittorio's hotel. This time, she knew what to do. She knocked on his door.
"Bianca!" he greeted warmly.
He wasn't wearing a top.
"I wasn't expecting you."
For a moment, she wanted to look for a girl in the room with him. What did he get up to when she wasn't there? But then she realised that he was really pleased to see her. He had nothing to hide.
"I've been online looking for houses for us," he said, welcoming her into the room. "For after the wedding. Places for us to buy. Come and look."
Her break up speech crumbled away in her head as she came to look at the houses he'd bookmarked, the future he had been busy planning for them.
"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Nicole asked worriedly.
She and Claire were still visiting their friends.
"I think she's pretty greedy if you ask me," Ruby said rather sourly. "There's me, not able to find one guy to be with and she can't decide between two!"
"Have a little empathy, Rubes," Charlie said.
"Why?" Ruby said bitterly. "She dumped Liam for Vittorio and now she doesn't even want Vittorio. And she's just stringing him along."
"That's not exactly fair, Ruby," Joey said.
"Shall we talk about something more positive?" Claire suggested.
"Yes!" Nicole said desperately.
"Like, what are you going to do with your new lease of life?" Charlie asked Nicole. "Your news must make you feel so relieved!"
"It does," Nicole said. "It really does. I know it was sort of confirmed before that I'd be okay but getting it absolutely confirmed is a real relief. I feel like I can hopefully draw a line under it all now and move on. Well, I will be able to when Robertson pushes off and leaves us all alone."
"Right, I think that's us off," Indi said decisively, standing up and indicating Romeo should do the same.
He obeyed.
"Wait, why?" Dex asked, panicked.
"Because your date is more interested in my boyfriend than she is in you so if you want to keep your dignity, Dex, I'd suggest you leave as well," Indi told him flatly.
He was crushed. He knew it was true though. Detective Graves had been asking Romeo questions all night. She'd wanted to know all about his life, his family, his home, his personal relationships. She'd barely been interested in him at all. It hadn't exactly been the best date in the world.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Indigo," Detective Graves said.
"It's Indi. And I'm sure you're not really that sorry."
She dumped some cash on the table, took Romeo's hand and left the venue, leaving Graves and Dex alone together. Robertson watched it all.
Sid finally managed to get hold of Marilyn on the phone and apologised to her. She informed him that she was on the beach and he told her he would come and find her. He hadn't wanted to upset her and he really wanted to make things right.
"So, depending on my exam results, my plan is to start Uni," Nicole told them. "I've applied anyway and I hope I get in. I want to start working towards qualifications in design. I know it's something I've dabbled with in the past but it really is something I would like to pursue properly now."
"That sounds really positive," Joey enthused.
"It really does," Claire agreed.
She wondered if she would ever be able to step forward in her own life or if in twenty years, she would still be a waitress. She looked around her at the successful people she knew. Charlie the police officer, who was clearly being noticed by her superiors. Joey, who started from nowhere, got her qualifications and now owned her own restaurant. Nicole, who was about to study fashion and design at University. And goodness knows what Ruby would achieve in her life. She was the most amazing person Claire had ever met. She just hoped she would be able to keep up with these people.
"And you, Charlie," Nicole said. "It sounds like you're going to be running the entire police force soon!"
Charlie blushed and laughed.
"Well, I doubt that but I have to admit, it's kind of nice to get a bit of recognition," she said.
Sid sat beside Marilyn on the sand.
"Why did you just run off?" he asked.
"You called me a burden," she reminded him.
"I was only joking," he said.
"It wasn't very funny."
She refused to look at him and just gazed out at the sea ahead of them.
He sighed and apologised.
"I didn't realise you were already upset," he said. "I am sorry."
"I think I'm just a bit oversensitive right now," she said. "I came over because I'm avoiding Alf. When you said that, I was upset. I felt like I had nowhere to go."
"Why are you avoiding Alf?" Sid asked.
"I think I said the wrong thing when I spoke to Robertson today," she said. "I think I've made things worse."
Sid sighed again.
"Tell me all about it…"
Dex had expected Graves to just leave after Romeo and Indi's departure but actually, their date had improved. She seemed to relax and be interested in talking to him.
"I've just realised I don't actually know your first name," he said.
"Graves is fine," she told him awkwardly. "Everyone calls me Graves."
He shrugged.
"Graves it is then," he said.
They smiled at each other.
"Would you… would you consider going out with me again?" he asked hopefully.
Graves looked at him. Then she looked over at Robertson, still at his table in the corner.
"I'm sorry," she said. "But no."
Dex was heartbroken. Why did every girl say no?
"I actually did enjoy spending time with you," Graves said. "You're a nice guy. But this whole thing… it was a lie. I only accepted so that I could get information from Romeo in regards to our investigation."
Dex's devastation increased. He was only good for information.
"I'm sorry. I had fun. You really are nice but I don't think we should repeat this."
She stood up and shook his hand. Then she left. Robertson followed her.
Bianca headed back to Charlie and Joey's house. On the way, she listened to Liam's voice mail on repeat. She knew it was too late. He'd given her a deadline, which she had missed. And she still hadn't made any kind of decision. As far as Vittorio was concerned, they were still getting married and they were going to buy a house together. As far as Liam was concerned, she had let him go. As far as she was concerned, she had no idea what she was doing.
She knocked on Charlie and Joey's door, hoping it wasn't too late to come back.
"Hey," Joey greeted, welcoming her in.
Claire and Nicole had gone home and Ruby had gone to bed.
"How did it go?" she asked, as they and Charlie sat in the lounge together.
"He was looking for houses for us to buy when I got there. And he was topless," she said.
"Oh!" Joey grinned. "I mean, I can see how that would distract you. I mean, it wouldn't affect me personally but I can apply the logic!"
Bianca laughed.
"I mean, what am I meant to do with that?" she called, throwing herself into an armchair. "All gorgeous and planning a life together? Isn't that what every girl wants?"
"Not if it doesn't feel right," Charlie said, coming to join them.
"So what do I do?"
"Tell him how you're feeling?" Joey suggested.
"How? How do I tell him I'm not ready for all of this?" Bianca asked. "How do I tell him that without him walking away?"
"I don't know," Joey said honestly.
"But maybe if he does walk away, he's not the right guy," Charlie said.
"But if he's not the right guy and I've already walked away from Liam, what then?" Bianca asked. "I'm alone then. I'm lost. I don't want to be alone."
Charlie reached out and squeezed her hand.
"It's okay to be on your own, Bianca," she said. "It doesn't mean you have to be lonely. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. It could be a way of finding yourself, of standing on your own two feet and working out who you are."
"Maybe," Bianca said, sighing heavily. "Or maybe I'm just an indecisive cow who's afraid of commitment."
Joey snorted.
"I mean, how did you guys know that you wanted to be together and live together and stay together for the rest of your lives?" Bianca asked. "How did you know this was the forever deal?"
Sid put his arm around Marilyn, trying his best to reassure her that she had said and done nothing wrong when she had spoken to Robertson.
"But what if I have?" she asked fearfully.
"You haven't," Sid said. "Robertson is playing games with all of us. He's not a conventional police officer. He's trying to scare people. Don't let him win, okay? Don't let him damage your relationship with one of your dearest friends."
"Okay," she agreed softly.
"As for you and me," Sid said. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's never a burden to have you at my place. I love having you there. I love spending time with you. I adore you. In fact, I'd love to have you there all the time."
Marilyn looked confused. He waited for his words to make more sense but they didn't seem to.
"I'm asking you to move in with me, Marilyn," he explained.
"Move in with you?"
"Yes."
She continued to look confused for a moment and then she looked delighted. She kissed him.
"Is that a yes?" he asked.
"Of course it's a yes!"
They kissed again.
"Now, we need to go and speak to Alf," he said.
"I don't think I need his permission," she said.
"You know why we need to see him," Sid said. "To sort out what's going on in your head."
"Well, it was a little bit different for us in a way," Charlie explained. "We didn't exactly make the decision to live together. Joey was in a very difficult situation and she moved into Leah's house with us because she didn't have anywhere to go. And that's how we fell in love."
"So, you kind of did it backwards," Bianca remarked.
Charlie chuckled.
"I guess," she said. "But renting our last place was a pretty easy decision."
"And buying this place too," Joey added. "Where we're really locked into a financial commitment."
"I guess what we're saying is that if it's that scary a prospect, it might not be such a great idea," Charlie told Bianca.
"Ugh!" Bianca said, sinking back against the couch, her face in her hands. "Why can't I just be decisive?"
Indi and Romeo were glad to have escaped their double date early, although Romeo felt bad for Dex. Graves obviously wasn't interested in him. It was yet another dating disaster to add to his list. He hoped that one day, he would find someone to love.
But selfishly, it was nice to have the rest of the evening to themselves. Right now, it felt like things were going better for the couple than they had for ages. Since they had said 'I love you', they had been closer than ever. Things felt very special for them at the moment.
Alf was surprised when Sid and Marilyn showed up at the house. Usually, they stayed at the farm when they were together.
"I just need to tell you that I said some inappropriate things to Detective Robertson today," Marilyn blurted out anxiously. "He tricked me. I didn't mean to. It was an accident. Sid assures me that what I said isn't really damaging but I was scared and upset that I had done something wrong. So I've been avoiding you and I'm sorry."
Alf smiled affectionately and hugged her.
"You never have to say sorry to me, Marilyn," he said.
That night in bed, Charlie and Joey were snuggled up to one another.
"You are happy with how things have turned out, aren't you?" Joey asked in the dark.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"I mean, I was just kind of thrust upon you, wasn't I?" Joey said. "You took me in when I was in trouble and now here we are. You don't regret anything?"
Charlie turned and kissed her passionately.
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," she said. "And don't you ever forget that."
In bed beside Sid, Marilyn tossed and turned, still in turmoil over everything that had happened. She was still scared that she had made an already dire situation for Alf even worse. Once she finally fell asleep, she dreamt that something was on its way to Summer Bay. And she couldn't work out what it was.
Next time… A familiar face returns to Summer Bay, Ruby gets some welcome news and Angelo has a new crush…
