Thank you for all the absolutely wonderful reviews for this story so far, it means a lot to know you're all interested, and thanks to those of you who have favourited this story and added it to your alerts etc. Hope you enjoy this next one, and again, please review, Sam.
Chapter 2.
Charlie sighed heavily as she walked past Angelo's, it held so many happy memories for her, dating back to when she and Angelo were together, but more importantly, her and Brax, many a time had they spent secret rendezvous in his office, hell, even at the bar a few times, a smile covered her face as she remembered one particular event.
Flashback:
"Brax, we're gonna get caught." Charlie moaned as he continued to kiss her neck whilst his hands worked wonders all over her body, and yes, they were just behind the counter at Angelo's, Charlie wearing nothing but her knickers, and Brax in nothing but his boxers.
"No we're not." He whispered back to her before pulling her underwear off with ease, she was easily convinced as her hands quickly found their way to his boxers, pulling them off as quick as lightening. "Someone's keen." He said cheekily before sliding his hands up her thighs,
"Mhm, shut up Brax and just give me what I came here for." She demanded, it turned him on when she went into cop mode.
"Charlie Buckton, you're making me feel so used."
She raised her eyebrows before placing her tiny hands on his shoulder blades, "You complaining?" She asked flatly, he bit his lip seductively before shaking his head and moving himself closer to the counter so he was nearly inside her, "Braaaax, come on." She pleaded with him.
Just as he was about to give into her pleas, they were interrupted, by none other than Heath pounding up the stairs.
"Bro, what time-" Heath cut himself off when he saw his brother topless behind the counter, by this point Charlie was sitting on the floor, hoping Heath hadn't seen her, "Why on earth are you topless?"
"Just came back from a surf-mhm." Brax moaned the second part as Charlie slid her hand up his thigh and towards his manhood, she grinned as his whole body tensed.
"Ah yeah?" Heath asked, right before holding up Charlie's dress, "Buckton's down there with you isn't she?" He asked, Brax simply shook his head, Charlie stopped her ministrations and froze, Heath was too good. "Use protection." He winked before dropping her dress and turning out of the restaurant.
Brax glared back down at Charlie before lifting her up and placing her back on the counter, "Where were we?" He asked, she grinned before they found their way back into another passionate kiss.
End of flashback.
"Helloooo?"
Charlie stopped pushing the pram and looked up to be met by Sam, "Oh god, Sam I'm so sorry, I was away with the fairies."
He laughed at how clumsy she was, "No bother, how's my favourite girl, eh?" He asked as he cooed down at Zoe who giggled up at her 'Uncle Sam', despite the fact he wasn't her biological Uncle, he was Brax's best friend, and seeing as nor Casey or Heath were around, he filled out the uncle role pretty perfectly.
Charlie smiled as Zoe reached out and clasped her entire hand around his index finger, she loved him so much.
After Brax had skipped down, Sam had taken Angelo's on, Sam admitted to Charlie that he kept in contact with Brax for 2 whole weeks after he left, but after that, they lost contact, and he hasn't seen or spoken to Brax since.
"Wanna go for a coffee?" He asked Charlie, the two of them had become strangely close since Brax left,
"Just had one." Charlie replied,
"Oh."
"I suppose I could manage some gelato though?"
Zoe giggled and clapped her hands together, "Ge-ge", her way of asking for ice cream. Charlie laughed and leaned over to look at her daughter,
"Hmm, we'll see if you get any princess, mommy gets first choice." She grinned before kissing her daughter's forehead as her and Sam walked into the Surf Club.
x x x x x x x x x
Brax sighed as he walked out of his office and behind the bar, he now worked at a restaurant in the City, he had quickly moved up the ranks to become assistant manager, although he may as well be the actual manager, seeing as she was never there.
He picked up the two large plates containing pizzas and brought them over to a family of three, the conventional, mother, father and gorgeous little girl, with twinkling blue eyes. Brax smiled lightly at the little girl who grinned up at him, her eyes reminded him of Charlie,
"One meatlovers and one Hawaiian." He said before placing the pizzas down on the table,
"Thanks." The woman said, he froze slightly as he could smell her perfume, it was the perfume Charlie wore.
He pried himself away from the table and walked back behind the bar, pouring himself a glass of whiskey as he thought back to one of many times they spent together.
Flashback:
"Hello beautiful." Brax smiled as he wrapped his arms around Charlie's waist from behind and buried his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her gorgeous scent. She jumped slightly at his touch before turning around, his hands gliding down to her waist.
"Thought you were working." She said smugly,
"Lunch break." He said before he began kissing her neck,
"Mhm, so how long have you got?" She asked breathlessly.
"However long you want me for, sweetheart, I'm on a break."
Her eyes lit up as she took his hands and led him towards her bedroom.
"Best-lunch break ever." Brax panted slightly as Charlie rested her head on his chest.
"What about yesterday? And the day before that? And..."
"Yeah, yeah, alright." He replied cheekily, "Every lunch break's the best lunch break ever when it's spent with you."
She blushed slightly before reaching up and kissing his lips, "I love you, Brax."
"I love you too."
End of flashback.
"Bro, we need to talk." Heath's voice brought Brax out of his lovely thoughts that he didn't quite want to end.
x x x x x x x x x
Charlie smiled as she sat at the beach with her two daughters, Ruby sitting in the sand beside her, Zoe laughing, giggling and grinning as she played about the sand just in front of her mother and big sister.
"So, Charlie, I spoke to Casey on the phone the other day." Ruby began.
"Uh-huh." Charlie replied, not really wanting to discuss the reason why the man she loved most had left.
"Yeah, he says he might be getting out in the next few weeks." Ruby told her mother excitedly.
"That's great, Rubes." Charlie tried to portray enthusiasm in her voice.
"So, eh, do you think Brax might come back if he does?"
Just the mention of his name sent shockwaves through her body, and just the thought of him had an unimaginable impact on her life, "I don't know Rubes." She said sadly, "But even if he did, I wouldn't want anything to do with him." She said coldly.
"Charlie, he's Zoe's father."
"It doesn't matter, Ruby, he evidently doesn't care about me seeing as he left, and he clearly won't care about Zo either."
"Charlie, you can't say that, Brax has always wanted to be a Dad, more than anything."
"Yeah, that's what he said Rubes, he also told me that he loved me and that he'd do anything for me, yet he left me."
"Charlie-"
"Ruby" Charlie interrupted, "Can we please just enjoy our afternoon together, without talking about him?"
She nodded before smiling at Charlie, "Sure."
x x x x x x x x x
Brax looked up absentmindedly to see Heath glaring down at him, "You look like you've seen a ghost." Heath commented.
"Something like that." Brax commented before he downed the liquid in the glass he had been holding.
"What's up?" Heath asked as he sat down, he had become a lot more independent and sensible since they had left the Bay.
"Charlie, that's what's up." Heath frowned, "She's like a ghost, Heath, following me wherever we go, her eyes, her smile, even her goddamn perfume, it's been over two years, Heath, and I can't forget her, not a day goes by when I don't think about her and wish that we could go back."
"Well, as if by magic, Casey rang this afternoon, he's getting out from prison in a few weeks, maybe less."
"Really?" Brax asked in disbelief.
Heath nodded, "So, I recon if it's alright with you, our time's come in the City, and it's time to go home."
"You know what Heath? I think you might be right." Brax smiled widely as he pulled his brother in for a manly hug.
x x x x x x x x x
Charlie took a deep breath before opening her bedside bottom drawer and withdrawing her letter from Brax, the only thing she had ever received from him since he left, she received it about a week after she found out he had left, after she got that letter, she never called or tried to contact him again, the only thing she tried to do, was move on with her life and forget about him.
She sighed as she read the one word on the envelope, 'Charlie'.
She opened the envelope and withdrew the small piece of white paper from inside, three simple words written inside, 'I love you'.
The tears streamed down Charlie's face as she held the piece of paper in her hand tightly and lay down on her bed, reading over the words again and again and again:
'I love you'
She ran her trembling finger along the words, studying Brax's handwriting, wondering where he was right at this minute, what he was doing, who he was with, if he was thinking about her, if he ever thought about her since he had left Summer Bay.
Yes she was with Matt now, and she was trying to move on, and yes, she had to be strong, for her baby girl, she had to keep up the brave facade, even if it was killing her inside, because not a day went by that she didn't think about Darryl Braxton.
She slowly curled up into a ball as she pulled the duvet over her and held the piece of paper close to her chest, and that night, just like many a time before, she cried herself to sleep.