Chapter Twenty-Five

In ten minutes flat, Charley and Alex headed out into the cold and dark morning and off the camp site. Twenty minutes later, they were walking along the sea front when Alex pointed to a café that was just opening its doors.

‘Good morning,’ a loud voice boomed out. A man with a round face and stomach smiled at them from behind the counter. ‘You’re my first early birds today. What can I get you?’

They ordered tea and toast and scrambled eggs and Charley went to sit down as Alex waited for their drinks. The café was a typical seaside establishment. Plastic gingham tablecloths on square tables, hard-backed chairs with seats made of raffia. Charley sat down at a table and ran a hand across the steam on the window so she could see outside. The day was just beginning but already she could sigh with relief.

Lucky. That’s what she’d been, Charley realised. Lucky to find someone as kind as Alex to look after her when she’d been so stupid. He could have turned out to be anyone. And even if he wasn’t some weirdo in real life, he could have forced himself on her last night – but instead, he was as scared as she was. Neither of them were grown up enough to deal with the situation, despite both of them thinking they were.

What a fool she’d been, over-reacting like that. Fortunately she’d be home soon, once Matt arrived. She was pleased he was coming to fetch her with Sam, although she’d yet to talk to her mum. But deep down, she knew she’d be able to sort things out. Her mum had only acted in everyone’s best interests, even though it had turned out wrong.

She wondered, was she ever going to tell her who her real dad was? It still hurt that she had been so secretive about it, but it wasn’t as if she had stopped her from seeing him. He hadn’t been alive. And she realised that Sam was actually her half-sister. Now, that definitely wasn’t a bad thing.

She’d been surprised to get a couple of text messages from Sophie too, asking if she was okay. Quickly, she sent a reply while she waited for Alex to join her.

‘Hey. Just letting you know that I did stay out all night but I’m going home now. Matt’s coming to pick me up. Cx.’

A message came back almost immediately.

‘So glad you’re safe. Do you fancy hooking up in the market café later? Can’t really stand Angela Wilson. You can tell me all about Alex. Sx.’

Charley grinned.

‘Sure. Catch you later. Cx.’

She gazed out at nothing in particular. When Alex sat down opposite her, she grinned at him. He grinned too, waiting for her to share the joke.

‘What?’ he asked when she didn’t come forward with an explanation.

‘Your dad is a copper?’ she giggled.

Alex laughed then. ‘I know. I can’t get away with anything.’

‘No, you’re just too sweet to get into trouble. You’re a decent boy, Alex. There’s not many like you.’

Alex leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. ‘Will I get to see you again or is this it?’

Shy again now, Charley shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. What do you think?’

‘I think we should stay in touch online and see what happens.’

‘Cool.’

The man from behind the counter whistled a tune as he popped down their breakfast. ‘There you are, my love’s young dream,’ he beamed. ‘Enjoy.’

‘Anyone would think we’re having smoked salmon with these eggs,’ Alex said.

Charley tucked into her breakfast.

‘There is something you need to do for me,’ she said after she’d eaten some of it.

Alex looked up with a forkful of egg in mid-air.

‘Leave, before Matt gets here. I don’t want to scrape you off the floor.’

‘Don’t worry,’ said Alex, ‘I shall be eggstra careful and leave soon.’

Charley groaned, grinning. Yes, she really was lucky.

‘So tell me what Charley really told you,’ Sam said to Matt, as soon as they were out of Louise’s driveway.

‘She spent the night in a caravan with Alex.’ Matt was deadpan. ‘Then she found out that Louise had called the police and decided to ring me. She and Alex should now be having breakfast somewhere on the seafront.’

‘Do you know if they – if he touched her?’

‘No, but I hope he kept it curled up in his pants or else I’ll search him down. He had no fucking right to do that.’

‘We don’t know he did do anything yet, so let’s keep calm.’ Sam spotted the tears in his eyes. ‘She means so much to all of us, doesn’t she?’

Matt nodded, swiping away a rogue teardrop that fell.

‘And what about Louise? When are you two ever going to get together?’

‘What?’

‘Oh, come on, Matt.’ Sam glanced out of the window at the passing scenery. ‘We all know you love her.’

Matt coughed.

‘Why don’t you tell her?’ She turned back to him.

‘Because she doesn’t love me.’

‘Yes, she does. She’s mad about you.’

‘No, she isn’t!’

‘I think you’ll find that she is.’

Matt grinned. ‘You’re going to make me crash the car!’

Sam smiled. At last the penny had dropped for one of them.

‘Has she said something to you?’ Matt enquired after a moment.

‘She doesn’t have to. I can see it when you’re together.’

‘When we’re together, she treats me like her best mate.’

‘Oi, I’m her best mate.’ But even though Sam made a joke about it, she didn’t feel like laughing. Best friends didn’t keep secrets from each other.

‘I know that,’ Matt sighed. ‘I just think she sees me as someone to look out for her and Charley.’

‘And you do it so well that she takes you for granted,’ Sam pointed out. ‘Have you ever tried telling her how you feel?’

‘No!’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m a man, and men don’t do things like that.’

The sat-nav informed Matt that he needed to come off at the next junction.

‘Come on, you know her better than that now. Do you want me to ask her if she’ll have a date with you?’ Sam laughed. ‘Like we did when we were at school?’

Matt grinned too. He checked in his mirror before indicating to change lanes.

‘Do you love her?’ Sam asked when she’d read the sign to see they were three miles from Rhyl and would soon be with Charley.

‘What’s love got to do with it? ’ Matt teased, channelling Tina Turner.

Sam shook her head. ‘Seriously, just tell her, before it’s too late.’ She reached for her phone. ‘I’ll text Charley to let her know we’re nearly there.’

After sitting in the café for as long as they could without overstaying their welcome, Charley and Alex had been sitting in a shelter on the sea front for the last hour while they waited for Matt to arrive. When the text message beeped, Charley opened it eagerly.

‘They’re here, aren’t they?’ said Alex.

Charley nodded.

‘How long have I got?’

‘About ten minutes, I reckon.’

‘Do I have to go?’

‘If you value your life.’ Charley grinned to ensure Alex knew she was joking. Still, she wished it didn’t have to be like this. They’d already decided to arrange to meet up again, once they’d got to know each other a bit better first.

‘I wish you didn’t have to go.’

‘Me too.’

Now that the problem of them sleeping together had been lifted, Charley found they’d both relaxed enough to enjoy each other’s company again. She’d been so grateful that Alex had waited with her. Sitting alone for three hours, she’d have worried herself silly about the trouble she was in and she knew she would have been crying by now. Being with Alex had made it bearable.

‘You will keep in touch online?’ she asked, almost timidly.

He put his arm round her. ‘Of course.’ Then he kissed her.

Charley didn’t want it to end. She knew it was the last kiss they’d be able to share.

‘Bye, Charl,’ Alex said. With a wave, he walked off. ‘See you online.’

‘Bye, Alex.’ Charley watched until he was out of sight. She was still thinking about him when her phone rang a few minutes later.

Then she began to panic.

While Matt and Sam went to fetch Charley, Louise did indeed go shopping. She came back with a bag full of Charley’s favourite things to eat, trying to convince herself that she hadn’t bought them because she felt guilty. She also treated her to some new clothes. They were all she could afford but she knew Charley would like them – a pair of skinny jeans, a short jumper and a longer cardigan to wear with leggings. She also bought her a nice set of underwear to show she knew she was growing up.

She’d decided not to ring Charley, knowing it would put added pressure on her. She wanted to chat to her face to face. Instead, she asked Sam to send texts every now and then, updating her of their progress.

By the time she got home from the shops, Louise was desperate to see her daughter.

---

‘We’re driving along the promenade,’ Sam told Charley. ‘Whereabouts are you? Yes, come out near to the kerbside. What’s opposite you? Look out for the clock tower,’ she told Matt. ‘No, don’t cry, Charl. Everything’s fine. Look, she’s there! Pull in, Matt.’

Sam got out of the car and Charley rushed into her arms.

‘I’m sorry.’ Charley started to cry. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s okay.’ Sam hugged her fiercely. ‘You’re safe, that’s the main thing.’

Matt beeped his horn behind them. ‘Stay here. I’ll find somewhere to park and then come back to you.’

Sam took Charley back to the shelter and they sat down together. There still weren’t many people about, the cold wind obviously keeping people away from the beach. The sea was quite calm, even though the gusts were swirling rubbish around. The seagulls looked on eagerly, waiting for scraps of anything to eat.

Sam passed Charley a tissue. ‘Want to tell me about it?’

‘I was – I was just so mad with Mum when I found out about . . . ’ Charley didn’t know what to say then, so she stopped.

Sam put an arm round the girl’s shoulder and drew her near again.

‘So was I,’ she acknowledged. ‘I can’t believe she kept it from both of us for so long.’

‘Were you really upset?’

‘Yes.’ Sam recalled how she’d cried the night she’d found out. ‘But I suppose I can’t blame your mum. She was only young. I think my dad should have known better though.’

‘Did he know about me?’

‘No. Louise didn’t want to tell him but a few weeks later he died anyway. Lord knows what she thought I would have said about it. I think that’s what hurt the most. That she kept it from me. But I can see why, I suppose.’

‘She really is a silly cow, isn’t she?’

Sam could hear the affection in Charley’s tone.

‘Yes, she is. But her heart’s in the right place.’

‘I don’t think she has a heart.’

‘Of course she has a heart.’

Charley’s face creased up again. ‘Then why is she always fooling around with everyone?’

‘She’s just afraid of getting hurt again. Sometimes it’s easier to deny yourself happiness than dare to have another go at things.’

‘You mean with Matt, don’t you?’

Sam grinned. ‘It’s obvious to you, too?’

‘I think it’s obvious to everyone but Mum and Matt. I wish he was my dad.’ Charley pulled away from her. ‘Oh, I didn’t mean –’

Sam smiled. ‘I know what you meant.’

They sat in silence for a moment. In front of them, two seagulls fought over the remains of someone’s bacon butty. The noise became deafening. Time to go.

Sam spotted Matt walking towards them, carrying three cartons of coffee with both hands. He held a small paper bag between his teeth. She turned to Charley.

‘I think you should text your mum to say that we’ll be on our way home soon.’

Charley took out her phone. ‘She’s going to be so mad, isn’t she?’

‘Yes, but only because she cares about you.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘Of course I think so! She just has a funny way of showing it sometimes.’

They smiled at each other.

‘Hey,’ Sam whispered just before Matt reached them. She leaned in close to Charley again. ‘It’s great to have a little sister.’

Charley’s face lit up.

By the time she saw Matt’s car pull up outside her home, Louise felt like a yo-yo. She’d been up and down to the window that many times. She opened the front door, flew out of the house and ran towards the car.

Charley got out and fell straight into her mum’s arms. ‘I’m sorry,’ she cried, holding onto her. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

Louise was crying too. ‘I’m just glad you’re back and in one piece. We were all so worried.’

Through her tears, she mouthed a thank you to Sam and Matt before tightly holding onto Charley as she ushered her into the house.

‘Should we go in or leave them to it?’ Matt asked Sam.

‘I think we should leave them to it.’

‘I’m glad it’s a happy ending.’

‘Me too.’

‘I suppose we’d better check out what’s happened at the market without us there.’ Matt started the engine up again. ‘I bet all hell’s let loose without us.’

‘Speak for yourself,’ said Sam. ‘I have Nicci manning my stall. She might be rushed off her feet but she’s capable. Whereas you have Ryan.’ She smirked. ‘I know who my money is on.’

‘It’s a good job all this happened when it did. It’s going to be manic setting everything up for the wedding.’

‘Maybe, but it might be good practice for someone sitting not so far away from me.’

Matt grinned. ‘Oh, I reckon there’ll be at least one more family fall out before the big day. It’s part of the fun, isn’t it?’

‘You know that’s not what I meant.’

‘Sorry.’ Matt turned up the radio. ‘I can’t hear you. La, la, la, LA!’

Sam grinned back at him but the smile swiftly dropped from her face. If only the wedding was all she had to concentrate on right now.