I am really not quite sure how this story got to six hundred chapters! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with it. I appreciate you all so much. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Six Hundred
Leah reluctantly allowed Elijah to go for a walk. She was deeply concerned about his injuries and the effect they were having on his mental health, not to mention the fact that the man who had assaulted him was free to wander round town wherever he liked.
"Right, well, I'd better go too," Miles said, the second they were alone.
"Wait, hang on," Leah said. "I haven't even finished my coffee yet!"
"Well, you know where everything is," Miles said, moving from foot to foot with nervous energy. "I've got to get to work."
She looked at her watch, pointing out that he didn't have to be at work for at least half an hour.
"So, you have no need to leave me in your house alone to finish my drink," she concluded. "Have some manners."
"Okay," he said, reluctantly sitting down.
"What is with you at the moment?" she asked.
"Nothing is with me!" he denied.
"It's like every time I come into the room, you want to leave. Have I done something to upset you?"
"Of course not," he said. "I promise."
"I don't get it," she said. "Are you jealous of how much I've been looking after Elijah?"
"No!" he said, seeming offended by the suggestion.
"I was only asking," she said, holding her hands up in defence. "It's the only possible thing I can think of that could be wrong with you. I can't think of anything I've done wrong…"
"I swear there is nothing wrong," Miles reassured her. "I'm sorry."
Joey smiled cheerfully when she saw Sandy arrive and take the same seat she had taken the day before. Smiling back, Sandy offered a wave and picked up the menu. Joey approached her.
"Back again?"
"I like the view," Sandy said, deliberately holding eye contact.
Joey flushed and shifted from one foot to the other.
"So, can I get you coffee or…?"
Sandy chuckled a little.
"I would love a coffee," she said.
Liam was growing increasingly frustrated. He was stuck in a guitar lesson with Summer who had no aptitude at all for music. He had left the pills Heath had given him at home on purpose. He knew he couldn't have another day like yesterday. But he also knew he couldn't cope with the tedium that had become his life. Everything felt empty now he had lost his record contract. He didn't want to be a teacher. He didn't want to teach talentless kids how to strum a guitar for no pointless reason. He didn't want to hold bland conversations. He didn't want any of it.
"So, you're still kind of shy," Sandy remarked. "And yet weirdly confident. I like that about you."
Joey laughed and shook her head. She still hadn't told Charlie about her vague history with Sandy and it was making her feel a little guilty. Now it was starting to turn it into a bigger deal than it was.
"I don't think I count as shy anymore," she disagreed. "Definitely not compared to when I was a kid."
"You still don't know how to take a compliment though," Sandy said.
"Maybe not," Joey said. "Learning to undo the past… it's not easy."
"I don't think my brother made anything all that easy for you," Sandy recalled. "He was a bully. He bullied me too."
Joey sat down for a moment.
"Is that why you left?" she asked.
"Partly," Sandy admitted. "I mean, not him directly but… my whole family, really. None of them… got me. Or would have got me."
"Because you're gay?" Joey asked.
Sandy nodded.
"There was just this one day," she explained. "I had this huge fight with my Mum. She threw me out. Told me never to come back. So I didn't. Until now."
"What about Brax?" Joey wondered. "I mean, he's always struck me as… well, a complete bastard, actually. But loyal to his family. Wouldn't he have fought for you?"
"Maybe. But I didn't wait to find out," Sandy said. "I don't know if I'd call him a bastard exactly but he's probably the most hetero bloke I've ever met. Him, Heath, my Mum…. Being gay just isn't normal to them."
"Tell me about it!" Joey remarked.
Sandy looked at her quizzically.
"I've spent the past few months watching your brother try and do everything he can to steal my fiancée," Joey explained. "Hence the bastard comment."
Sandy nodded in understanding.
"I don't even think he wants her," Joey continued. "I think he wants to sleep with a cop. And I think he wants to break up a lesbian relationship. I think it's on his sex bingo card or something."
Sandy snorted.
"Sex bingo? Really?"
Joey shrugged.
"Maybe you're not as cool as I thought you were!"
"Do you want another coffee or not?" Joey complained.
"You're the coolest person I've ever met," Sandy told her.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Liam interrupted, waving his arms in the air.
Summer stopped, clutching the expensive guitar her parents had indulged her in for Christmas.
"Was that not right?" she asked.
"No!" he told her. "No, none of it was right. None of it since you asked me for these stupid, pointless lessons. You're a musical moron. You're devoid of talent. There's more skill in this pencil than there is in you. All you are, is an annoying, whiny, spoilt piece of…"
"Liam!"
He turned away from Summer's crumpled, distraught face to see April in the doorway, looking furious and protective.
Joey left the restaurant to pop over to the Diner to pinch some change. No doubt later or tomorrow, Leah or Irene would be asking the same favour of her. She stopped short when she spotted Elijah talking to a younger, dishevelled looking man at the end of the pier, the man looking increasingly erratic. Worried, after what had recently happened to Elijah at the shelter, she jogged over, wanting to make sure her friend was alright. Just before she reached them, the man pulled out a knife, shouting at Elijah to leave him alone.
Everything happened too quickly. With her heart pounding, Joey responded before she thought about what she was doing. Elijah backed up quickly, holding up his hands in defence but the man lurched forward aggressively. Behind him, Joey surprised him grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back, forcing him to drop the knife.
Elijah rushed forward, kicking the knife out of the way while Joey kept the man pinned down to the ground.
"Billy," Elijah said. "Billy, it's okay."
Joey wasn't surprised to realise that this man was the man who had attacked Elijah in the first place. She was just sad that even having been given another chance, he had done this.
"Let him go," Elijah requested.
"You sure?" Joey checked.
He nodded. Joey released him and then called Charlie. Billy sat up, hugging his knees to his chest.
"Billy, it's okay," Elijah said. "Nobody's here to hurt you."
"She hurt me," Billy accused.
Joey ignored him, waiting for Charlie to pick up.
"You had a knife, Billy," Elijah pointed out. "You were threatening me. She had to stop you. She didn't intend to hurt you. She's a good person. And I know you are too."
"And so is he," Joey added, referring to Elijah, who smiled gratefully at her.
She stepped away when Charlie answered.
"Charlie, I'm on the pier with Elijah and Billy," she explained. "He had a knife. Elijah's talking to him now but I think you need to get here."
"Is everyone safe?" Charlie asked worriedly.
"Yes," Joey said, letting out a long breath of relief.
Charlie promised she would be there immediately but subtly. Joey returned to Elijah and Billy.
April pushed Liam into an empty classroom, whirling on him angrily.
"What the hell are you doing, Liam? Talking to Summer like that? Not least because you're a teacher but just as a human being?"
Liam shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, unrepentant.
"As her teacher, I think she needs to know she's got no future as a musician," he said.
"Even if you did think that, there's a way to talk to people," she said. "And you've always had that way. It was one of things I've always loved most about you. The person I saw in there was someone I didn't recognise."
"I'm sorry, did it mess with your mind? Did it upset your OCD?" Liam mocked. "Hey, does calling it OCD upset you? Shouldn't it be called CDO to keep it alphabetical?"
She stared at him full of hurt and disbelief.
"I can't believe that you would say that to me," she managed.
"And I can't believe it either," Bianca said, having heard everything from the doorway.
"Great!" he said, clapping his hands together. "Two Scotts! What a lucky guy I am!"
Joey felt tearful as she sat with Elijah and Billy. He was so broken. He had never had a chance in life. She could imagine only too well what could have happened to her after Robbo had attacked her, if she had not met Charlie. She wouldn't have had access to the right support, both professional or personal. She wouldn't have stood a chance of moving on or of making a success of herself like she had. She hoped she would never have become violent but a traumatised person was only a few steps away from becoming Billy.
"I'm so sorry for everything you've been through," she said sincerely. "And I mean that as someone who has been through something similar. Not the same but similar."
"What happened to you?" he asked uncertainly.
"I was raped by a colleague," she said. "And for a long time, I had no idea how I was going to rebuild my life."
"But you have?" he asked.
"I have."
"You don't forget?"
"No," she said. "I think that kind of trauma becomes part of the fabric of a person. But it doesn't define you. And it doesn't break you. It's just a little part. You can get better from this, stronger. You just have to be ready to let people help."
"Who's going to help me?" Billy asked.
"Well, you've already let Elijah and I help today," Joey said. "And in a few minutes, my fiancée, Charlie… she's going to come and see you. She's a police officer."
He looked panicked.
"She's not going to arrest you," Joey reassured him, glancing at Elijah, who nodded. "She wants to get you the help you need. If you'll let her."
He promised he would.
Bianca had sent April away. Even through the closed classroom door, students wandering past could hear the two teachers shouting at each other and see them gesticulating through the window.
"You make me absolutely sick," Bianca said. "After everything you've seen my sister go through, these past few months, how dare you turn around and speak to her like that? How fucking dare you?"
"Maybe if she got a little honesty a bit more often, she wouldn't be in such a mess now," Liam snapped back.
Bianca stared at him for a moment, mouth agape.
"What the hell has happened to you?"
"I got sick of this life and everything in it," he said. "It's so fucking boring! You, April, this school, these talentless kids."
"And you are a spoilt brat," Bianca said. "You lose your record deal and now everybody suffers."
"My record contract was important to me!"
"Maybe you should have worked harder to keep it then!"
He glared at her, biting back all manner of cruel things he wanted to say.
"Or maybe you just aren't destined to have it because quite frankly, Liam, being a rockstar doesn't suit you," Bianca continued. "Ever since you got this deal and started drinking and taking 'sleeping pills' and all that shit, you've turned into an arsehole. You're not someone I want to be around."
"Good!" he yelled at the loudly closing door.
Watson settled Billy into the back of the police car, ready to take him to hospital for a psychiatric assessment. Charlie stopped to double check that Elijah definitely didn't want to press charges and to make sure that he and Joey were both okay.
"We're fine," Elijah said. "Aren't we, Joey?"
"Absolutely," Joey said.
Charlie nodded and headed for the car, promising to call later. Elijah turned to Joey, thanking her for her help.
"Of course," Joey said. "And I was really touched by your compassion for him. Not many people would be attacked by the same guy twice and not press charges."
"And not many people would sit down with that man and empathise with him and share their own story so compassionately in order to encourage him to access help," Elijah pointed out. "So, thank you."
"Would you like to come up to the restaurant for some breakfast? On the house?"
"You know? I would love that."
They began walking towards the restaurant.
"Hey, where did you learn that move?" Elijah wondered.
"I did a self defence class a few years ago," Joey explained. "It was Charlie's idea. To try and get my confidence back up."
Miles left school at lunch time. Bianca and Liam's argument and Liam's outburst was the talk of the school. Liam had been hauled in front of Gina for the second time in as many days for the way he had spoken to Summer and April and Miles wondered how long his friend was going to keep his job for. His behaviour was becoming increasingly erratic. Everyone was starting to worry.
But Miles had other things on his mind. His conversation with Leah was really bothering him. He had been trying to keep his feelings for her under wraps for a while now. He wasn't even sure what they were. It was strange to him that one day, you could see someone purely platonically, as a best friend and the next, they were the most beautiful person you had ever seen. He felt desperately guilty. He knew Elijah still loved her. He doubted that Leah would ever return his feelings. He was sure she still loved Elijah. But she knew there was an issue between them and he couldn't bear it to drive them apart. He had always believed that honesty was the best policy so perhaps the way to get over her was to tell her how he felt.
Charlie arrived at the restaurant to find Joey at a table with Elijah and Sandy, the sister of the Braxton's. She hesitated, wondering when they had all become friends. Striding forward, she approached her fiancée, who greeted her with a kiss, pulling out a chair for her to sit down.
"How's Billy?" Elijah asked.
"He's doing well," Charlie said. "I waited with him until he was admitted."
Elijah thanked her sincerely.
"So, this is the infamous Charlie Buckton?" Sandy said by way of greeting.
"Hi," Charlie said. "And you are…?"
She pretended she didn't know.
"This is Sandy Braxton," Joey said. "I told you."
"Oh, right," Charlie said, feigning recognition. "A Braxton I've yet to meet."
"One of the few without a criminal record," Sandy confirmed. "Maybe my little brother?"
"Just," Charlie replied.
Sandy nodded and sipped her coffee.
"So, what do you do, Sandy?" Charlie asked.
Joey watched the pair of them, feeling a little uncomfortable. A knot of anxiety began to twist in her tummy. She should have just brought up her childhood history with Sandy last night instead of waiting for it to occur naturally.
"Well, I've been travelling the past few years," Sandy said. "Temping. Doing different things."
"What things?"
"Do you want my employment history?"
Charlie shrugged.
"Well, I've worked in bars, in clubs, in hotels…. I've done office work. I'm a qualified lifeguard. I've done care work…"
"You've been busy!" Joey remarked, desperate to break the ice.
"Well, I've had to rely on myself since I left this place," Sandy said.
She turned to Charlie.
"What about you, Charlie Buckton?" she asked. "Did you have to fight for everything you have or did your parents give you a bunk up?"
"A little of both, I guess," Charlie replied honestly.
"Lucky you," Sandy told her.
Leah reluctantly allowed Miles to take her outside, despite how busy the Diner was. She was worried that things were off between them and if now was the time he wanted to talk then she wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
"So…" Miles started, looking anxious. "Okay, so you were right. Things have been weird between us and that's my fault. I'm sorry."
She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"Look, the thing is, I have feelings for you."
His heart sank at how startled she looked, although she didn't look completely horrified, which was encouraging. He found her hard to read.
"I don't know where they came from," he explained. "I don't even know when they arrived. But they're here. I don't expect you to feel the same, although if you did or if you could even for a moment imagine that you might, that would… that would be everything. So… so, I'll just let you think. And I'll go."
He smiled awkwardly, nodded and left. She continued to stare after him long after he had gone.
At home that evening, Charlie eyed Joey curiously.
"So, how well do you know that Sandy?" she asked.
"What?" Joey asked, looking guilty.
The couple were cuddled up on the sofa together, watching TV.
"I just… I felt like I might have been a little intense with her earlier. Cop mode, as Ruby calls it. And then I felt a bit bad. Judging her by her surname. I mean, Casey's a Braxton and he's a good kid. And you seemed to like her. But now that I'm asking you… you're being weird so I'm kind of regretting asking you… Is there something I need to know?"
"No," Joey lied. "Well, not really."
Charlie switched off the television.
"What does 'not really' mean?"
"We briefly knew each other at school," Joey explained.
"Okay…"
"She was my first kiss."
Charlie sat up a little straight.
"You kissed her?" she demanded.
Ruby walked in and then walked right back out again.
"We were thirteen, Charlie. It was a pretty long time ago," Joey pointed out.
"And yet you didn't think to tell me until I dragged it out of you," Charlie countered.
"Because I didn't want it to turn into a bigger deal than it is and I felt really awkward," Joey said.
She reached forward and held both of Charlie's hands, looking her in the eye and apologising.
"Did you date?" Charlie asked.
"No," Joey said. "It was so brief. A kiss. An experiment really. I transferred schools. We didn't keep in touch. She left town as soon as she turned eighteen."
"Does she still like you?" Charlie wanted to know.
"Of course not!" Joey laughed. "Come on, Charlie. She's travelled the world since then. We didn't even recognise each other to start with."
Charlie sighed, not entirely convinced.
"Does she have to hang around the restaurant all the time?" she asked.
"She's a customer," Joey said. "I can't exactly turn her away."
"She is aware that her brother owns the place next door, right?"
"They don't really get on," Joey explained. "Charlie, I'm sorry I didn't say straight away. I just didn't want it to be a 'thing'. Because it really isn't."
Charlie squeezed Joey's hands and moved to snuggle up to her.
"I'm a better kisser, right?" she checked.
"You're the best kiss I've ever had in my life," Joey confirmed.
Charlie smiled happily, returning to sentiment.
"I mean, I guess she must be an okay person," she mused. "She's been rejected by the Braxton's for not being Braxton enough. That's got to tell you something."
"It does," Joey agreed.
"Anyway, I'm really proud of you for how you handled things with Billy and Elijah earlier," Charlie said, changing the subject. "Elijah didn't stop singing your praises when he was making his statement."
"He was just being kind," Joey said dismissively.
Next time… Liam interrupts girls' night, Angelo runs into danger with Brax and Leah contemplates her feelings for Miles…
