Chapter 57

Robbie's apartment. There's knocking at the door. Robbie walks out of the bedroom and says "Enough. I'm coming." She opens the door. It's Leigh. "Leigh. I didn't expect to see you. Come in."
Leigh walks in and says "She's gone."
Robbie says "What?"
Leigh says "Charlie has gone."
Robbie says "Gone where?"
Leigh says "I don't know." Yvette walks out of the bedroom. "What is she doing here?"
Yvette says "I should go. See you later?"
Robbie says "Sure."
Yvette leaves. Leigh says "I can't believe you."
Robbie says "Don't lecture me now, just tell me what happened."
Leigh says "I don't why I came here."
Robbie says "You need to talk to someone. Sit down."
Leigh sits down and says "Talking to you is what caused this. If I hadn't talked to you, if she hadn't listened, she'd still be here with me. She wouldn't have run away."
Leigh starts to cry. Robbie sits next to Leigh, tries to comfort her and says "Did she leave because of me? Because of what I've done to her?"
Leigh says "Not everything is about you. I asked her to tell me how you two got together, told her how I felt, tried to kiss her and she ran."
Robbie says "She ran? Didn't she says anything?"
Leigh says "She said she couldn't do that to me. I don't understand."
Robbie says "I do. She wouldn't want to start anything with you in the state she was in."
Leigh says "I didn't care what state she was in."
Robbie says "Listen, Charlie can have sex and not feel a thing. She can go from one girl to the next. She wouldn't want you to be one of those and how she was last night, you would have been."
Leigh says "Charlie's not like that."
Robbie says "She can be."
Leigh says "I don't believe it."
Robbie says "You're going to hate me for this but I used to tell Charlie seeing her with other girls turned me on, they couldn't touch her though, and she'd do it but she stopped."
Leigh says "Why would you tell her that?"
Robbie says "I knew we wouldn't last and all women are different, it gave Charlie experience. But she stopped doing it because of you."
Leigh says "How did she stop because of me? I didn't know she was doing that."
Robbie says "One night she told me she didn't want to anymore. She said she'd had enough and if you ever found out, you'd hate her. I was so mad."
Leigh says "Because she wanted to stop?"
Robbie says "More because her reason for stopping was that you'd hate her, not that she just wanted me. You were her first thought, not me."
Leigh says "Why didn't you end things years ago?"
Robbie says "I made the move on her. I wasn't going to tell her I made a mistake, I was only with her to stop my sister being with her, and I didn't love her. I thought she'd finish with me."
Leigh says "She did, eventually."
Robbie says "I didn't mean to hurt her."
Leigh says "No, you used her and now she's gone."
Robbie says "What do you mean she's gone?"
Leigh says "She left Shannon a note saying she had to get away and she left the not because she knew I'd be there and she couldn't face me."
Robbie says "You cloud her judgement and she hurt you, she wouldn't want to see you."
Leigh says "You are not helping."
Robbie says "Charlie loves you so much but I twisted her feelings. I messed with her head."
Leigh says "You took advantage of her then got bored and moved on."
Robbie says "I suppose you could say that."
Leigh says "Could?"
Robbie says "Fine. I was an evil b***h and I tried to ruin Charlie. Happy?"
Leigh says "No."
Robbie says "All I'm saying is that girl has a lot in her head. If she needs time, give it to her."
Leigh says "She didn't have to leave."
Robbie says "If she was here, she's do whatever made you happy regardless of herself. Let her do what she needs to and she'll be home when she's ready."
Leigh says "How much time do I give her?"
Robbie says "Leigh, stop it. Just let her do what she needs to. You can't help her with this."
Leigh says "But if she stays away she'll miss her birthday. Twenty-one and she'll be alone."
Robbie says "You can't do this to yourself. She'll come home."
Leigh says "But I miss her."
Leigh starts to cry again. Robbie hugs Leigh and says "I know you do."