Secret Little Affairs {Waterloo Road}

4

Charlee sat in bed with Lily and sighed. Tom hadn't come home. Yet again. She kissed her daughter's head and smiled. "Mummy is always going to be here for you. No matter what."

Lily babbled and rolled over. Charlee laughed and kissed her head again. Charlee hated how much of Lily's life that Tom was missing. She couldn't understand how he could ignore their daughter.

Charlee took Lily downstairs and placed her in the bouncer. She went to make her some breakfast. She looked up as Tom walked in. He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Save it. Because I am officially done with you. I was willing to give our relationship another go. But no. You just have to let me down."

Tom knew how much he had ruined things with Charlee. She wouldn't forgive him. Not when he had also been cheating on her.

***
Charlee went into work. Eddie was minding Lily. Max walked over to her. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Charlee nodded. "Yeah I'm just sick of Tom. He acts like Lily doesn't exist and I'm done with it. There is nothing stopping me from taking her and going."

Max sighed and nodded. He had been worried that Charlee would leave with Lily and he didn't want that. He didn't want to lose Charlee when they were finally getting close.

***
Charlee looked up as Tom came into her classroom. She didn't look at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I'm gonna try harder. Be there more for you and Lily. She's our baby girl and I don't want to ruin that."

Charlee shrugged. "I don't care. You've made me feel like I'm a single mum. Lily doesn't deserve this. She is your daughter Tom and yet I'm always doing this alone."

***
Tom didn't want to lose Charlee or Lily but he knew that he couldn't keep stringing Charlee along. He wasn't in love with her anymore.

Tom looked up as Bailee walked in. She smiled. "We need to talk to someone. About us. This isn't right at all. We're stringing Max and Charlee on and I don't want to do this anymore."

Tom nodded. Telling everyone about them would be hard but they had to do it.

***
Charlee sat in her classroom.  Max walked in. "If you're serious about leaving, I'll come with you. Isla is better off with Bailee."

Charlee was shocked. She couldn't believe what Max was saying. "You're saying that you want to leave your daughter to go away with me and another mans child? Max. This is insanity."

"I know."

Charlee shook her head. "I can't let that happen. Isla needs you Max. You're her father."

Max sighed. "I will always be her father. But I can't let you go. We've grown close and I want it to be you that I go to bed with after an amazing night."

Charlee knew she couldn't say goodbye to Max. She didn't want to. But she knew that it wouldn't be easy. Especially when Tom wouldn't let his daughter go without a fight.