Chapter 29
Charity is sat cradling her glass of wine, looking the complete opposite to the 'life and soul of the party' when Chas approaches. "What's up with you?" She asks bluntly.
"Nothing. Why?" Charity replies defensively.
"Well, do you want to tell your face that? You look like you've lost a pound and found a penny."
Charity sighs. "I think I have." She mutters dejectedly.
It's Chas' turn to sigh then. "Is this to do with Vanessa?" Straight to the point again.
"No, why would it be?" Trying to avoid the conversation.
"Because you've had the same face on you for the past two days! Bit of a coincidence, isn't it?" She replies accusingly.
"It's nothing, alright? Just leave it." Trying, once again, to put an end to the conversation.
"All I'm going to say, Charity, is: you've made your bed and you've got to lie in it." She says sternly, before muttering: "And it sounds like you've been laying in it a lot recently" with a smirk.
"Shut up, Chas!" Giving Chas her best death stare. "Look, I'm just worried about her, okay?" She gives in.
"She's only been back for two days, how can there be anything to worry about?!" Chas asks in bewilderment.
She swallows nervously and looks around, not wanting to be overheard. "I don't know if you've heard already, through Cain or whatever, but she's just found out that her....that the woman she's....involved with....slept with Nate a few weeks ago." Charity plays with the stem of her wine glass, avoiding Chas' eyes, not wanting to see the pity in them at her struggle to even say the word 'girlfriend'.
"What?! You're joking!"
Charity's face remains completely serious as she looks back up at Chas. "Do I look like I'm joking?" Chas' face drops in response.
"Oh God. Poor Vanessa." She says, her hand over her heart, then adds jokingly: "And I thought the Dingles were messy..!" Charity's death stare makes an appearance again. "Well, I guess Nate is a Dingle really.." Chas mutters after a moment's thought.
"That's not the point, Chas! She's going to think there's something wrong with her, isn't she....that she's not good enough....that people don't think she's worth loving or respecting or something. She doesn't deserve that, Chas. She's the best thing anyone could ever wish for." Charity pauses. "She's....she's perfect." She whispers.
"Oh Charity." Chas says slightly pityingly. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you cheated on her then." She adds with more than an ounce of sass.
Charity glares at her again.
"What if she's not okay, Chas?" Charity asks quietly.
"She will be. Of course she will. She's strong. And she's got Tracy, hasn't she?"
"Oh yeah, like her heartbroken sister is really going to be looking after her!" Charity replies exasperatedly.
Chas sighs. "Rhona then. Look, she'll have support, okay?"
"Do you think so?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Okay. Okay. Will you....will you check on her though? Just.....if you see her, you know?" Charity shrugs, trying to act nonchalant.
"Yeah, course I will." She smiles softly. Charity's not fooling anyone - she's still not over Vanessa, nor will she probably ever be.
"Thanks Chas. Don't tell her that you know though. I don't want her to think anyone's gossiping about her."
Chas should be surprised by Charity's thoughtfulness and selflessness, but it's Vanessa she's talking about and nothing surprises her when it comes to her cousin and the blonde vet anymore. "I can do that." She winks at Charity.
"Okay. Okay, good." Charity returns to cradling her glass of wine sadly, but her heart is a little happier knowing that someone's looking out for the love of her life now that she's no longer in a position to look out for her herself.