Chapter 10: The Second

Charlie P.O.V

I lay in my bath tub with warm water surrounding me, red rose petals and some other flowers floating on top letting off this amazing aroma and with the steam somehow managed to ease the wheezing in my breath. I had be dismissed from hospital yesterday only 5 days after the stabbing however I promised to be calm and relaxed and let my wounded body heal itself and I was trying as hard as I could with the help of Ruby, who's idea this was. Once I was settled naked in the warm water Ruby lit tea light candles and let them burn around me, it was quiet and peaceful and but was still unable to mask the pain in my side from where I ripped the serrated knife from.

Whilst in hospital I received heaps of cards and flowers and calls all wishing me well, nearly the entirety of the police station minus a few who had to look after the place came in during the days and sat with me just talking about all the stuff I was missing and how much work had accumulated over the days. Interestingly enough Jake turned himself into the police and due to the report I was reading he seemed somewhat bashed and rattled from a mysterious party who he refused to name however both Angus and I knew who was responsible for the sudden change in heart, and it worried me.

I would be stupid if I didn't believe it was Brax and I honestly don't know what to say to him about it, I am grateful that he's taking an interest in the law by ensuring Jake gets caught but in no ways necessary can I condone what he had done to reach this outcome. Jake was bloodied and bruised, Angus assures me that what he is suffering is little compared to me but I still can't say I'm fully appreciative what he did.

"So we both know who did it?" Angus said as he walked in the door.

"Yeah..." Was my simple reply.

"I just can't believe he took it into his own hands to ensure Jake suffered under the law." I said as I tried to sit up in the tub, the rose petals and flowers along with the bubbles covering everything below the water's surface sig e was unable to view me.

"Charlie he didn't take this into his hands to ensure Jake knew what he did was wrong, he didn't do it for himself." Angus almost laughed.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"He did it for you." He said amused.

"Come on, I think the guy is used to being bashed and cut. He knew what was coming that night, but when it was you who was on the ground bleeding and then in line Jake stepped the line and Brax wanted to ensure he paid for what he did to you, not to what he was going to do to him." Angus said, confusion spread across my face.

"He was ensuring that it wouldn't happen to you again, he was protecting you." He laughed as he grabbed a rose petal from the water and played with it before flicking it back in the water and walking out. I sighed and sunk back into the water, forgetting everything and everyone.

Brax P.O.V

I was sitting on the beach drip drying after my surf and swim in the ocean, I saw Angus in his uniform patrolling the beach by himself, usually he'd have Charlie beside him but now she's off work for at least another week or two. He saw me looking at him and made his way over.

"Surf seems to be pretty good this morning." He acknowledged.

"Yeah it's quite good." I said, waiting to see if he would mention anything about what I want to know. I kissed Charlie when she was in hospital; I'm not sure whether or not she regrets it. Once Ruby walked in on us I left and we didn't even get to talk about it.

"She's okay don't worry about it, however she is quite upset at the moment." Angus said, knowing that is all I wanted to talk about.

"Why upset?" I questioned as it didn't sound like Charlie.

"Well you see Jake ended up walking himself into the police station, bloodied and bashed giving a personal statement and admitting to what he had done. Now she's happy to see him behind bars, she's just confused on why he handed himself in..." Angus said, fishing for information. Both he and I knew what had happened.

"Maybe Jake just decided to make the first decent decision of his life." I teased.

"Without any help?" Angus questioned.

"Yeah it's possible." I stated, Angus nodded and turned to walk away before saying.

"Get those knuckles checked out Brax, might get infected." He said as he walked away, I looked down to see my hands a little swollen and cut from the disagreement I shared with Jake. I got up and carried my surf board to my car then washed the salt and sand of my body under the cold beach showers conveniently located along the beach. I dripped dry for a few minutes as I sat on the hood of my car weighing up whether or not I should go and try to talk to Charlie or whether or not to leave it. I felt as if I was trying to fix a relationship but really we were never in one to begin with so I didn't know where I stood especially after today from what I heard from Angus.

My thoughts got the better of me and I found myself driving towards her house, I parked my car and walked up her drive way. I couldn't here if anyone was home; no lights were on probably because it was day but there were no other sounds or implications that anyone was home. I knocked on the door, and there was no answer, I looked over to her garage and could see her car through the window so she must be home. I knocked again this time louder.

"Yeah hold on I'm coming." I heard her yell clearly frustrated. I could see her approaching her hand holding her side supporting the place where she had been stabbed; I heard her fumbling with the door locks before she pulled it open. Her face had beads of sweat accumulating on her slightly pale skin; I could hear her whizzing as she tried to breath.

"You alright?" I questioned as she leant against the door.

"Yeah I'm fine." She said breathlessly.

"Yeah because you sound and look it." I mocked.

"I'm just finding it hard to breath, but the doctor said it's completely normal seeing as my lung was punctured." She joked, I didn't answer I just stared.

"Darryl what do you want?" She questioned after the silence.

"Darryl?" I teased, she smiled slightly.

"Look Charlie I'm sorry aye." I said as I looked down to her.

"For me getting stabbed or for Jake getting bashed?" She questioned, I laughed.

"Which one do you think?" I questioned.

"Brax you shouldn't have done that..." She trailed off.

"He's behind bars now for what he did, he tried to kill you." I reasoned, she laughed quickly before placing her hand on her side.

"He tried to kill you, if I hadn't have got in the way then he may have." She said.

"You shouldn't have got in the way then." I smiled as I reached out to grab her cheek in my head, she pulled away slightly I sighed a little.

"Brax if you do this stuff for fun or if you get involved in this every weekend I don't think I really want to be in something like that..." She stressed.

"Just give it a chance we could have something great..." I asked.

"Brax we did give it a chance, it involved being naked and having sex all day. That's not great, well the sex was great but the relationship wouldn't be the same." She defended.

"Charlie come on." I said trying not to sound desperate.

"We can't I'm a police officer Brax, you aren't exactly a well behaved person all the time it would be dangerous for us to be together." She reasoned.

"So what now?" I questioned.

"I think you should go back to Teagan and I'll see other people." She answered, I sighed and nodded.

"If you ever change your mind I'-"She cut me off.

"You'll be here I know this is for the best." She reassured me and herself.

Charlie P.O.V

I watched as he walked away and I kept repeating in my head that he and I would be no good together, dangerous almost the knife in my side proved that but for some reason the doubt of what could have been was still inside of me. I wasn't sure how a man who I had known for such a small amount of time could make me feel like this. Inside of me somewhere is asking the question on whether or not he could be the 'one' as no other has ever made me second guess my decision to walk away but then again he could be clouding my judgement due to his amazing body, complimenting looks and charming ways. After much deliberation and thinking I decided the second.