I am so so happy that you are enjoying this story. Thank-you for reviewing so far, it's actually boosting my confidence to continue CHAX stories :)
Here is my 2nd fav chapter.
It is a bit shorter than the last two BUT I think there's enough to keep you happy :) Especially after Friday and tonight's H & A lol
Also, look out for a little OneShot coming your way in the next few days :)
BTW Had to change the rating, just to be safe :/
Here is Chapter 10.
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"Oh yeah, what exactly about me?" Brax asked taking a step closer to her so that she couldn't move away.
Before Charlie could reply, they were interrupted.
"Having fun guys," Ruby asked both Charlie and Brax, not finding their closeness strange enough to comment.
"It's great Rubes, but more importantly are you having fun," Charlie agreed.
"I'm having a ball but I've lost my future husband."
Brax, Charlie and Ruby all looked around the room for Casey.
"Over there," Brax pointed but seeing that he was being pointed at, Casey made his way over to them.
"We having a little family gathering over here?"
"We are now," Brax grunted and for the second time that day his time spent alone with Charlie was cut short.
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Brax kept tabs on Charlie for most of the night, he watched and waited for her to be alone so he could find out what his father, and mother had said to upset her.
Heath's comment stayed at the forefront of his mind too.
You just have a little think to yourself about why you're crying to yourself behind the bar over Buckton and not your girlfriend.
After a while Brax noticed Charlie had disappeared. He checked all inside and out on the balcony.
She was gone.
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Charlie had been home for all of five minutes when she heard the front door close loudly.
"Why'd you leave?" Brax asked as he walked through the door.
"How'd you know that I left? How'd you even know I was here?" Charlie asked, she hadn't even had the chance to take her heels off.
"It's the first place I looked when I notice you're gone."
"Is my absence that noticeable?" She joked.
"Nah, your presence is."
"Don't do that?" Charlie requested softly.
"Don't do what?"
Charlie remained quiet and looked to the floor.
"What did he say to you?" Brax asked.
"It doesn't matter? You should go back to the party."
"No, I'm where I'm supposed to be, what did he say?"
"You are not supposed to be here with me," Charlie said firmly and Brax was taken aback by her words.
Charlie groaned, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."
Brax didn't say anything, he just kept his eyes trained on Charlie's and he nodded slightly.
"Is this about Natalie?" Brax asked.
"No, not really," Charlie said.
"You don't seem too sure of that."
"It's not about Natalie, but it affects her."
"Care to explain?"
"Not really, go back to the party, Brax."
"Nup, I'm staying right here with you until you tell me what's going on?"
"You shouldn't be here with me, you shouldn't be asking if I'm okay all the time and watching me."
"Says who?" Brax asked, his voice was calm and controlled and it irked Charlie.
"Says me, Brax."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why shouldn't I be doing those things?"
"Because I'm not your girlfriend," Charlie said firmly hating herself as her voice revealed just how much she wished it weren't true.
"Natalie is fine with you being here, and she's fine with me being here for you."
"She says she is, but she's not."
"Did she say that to you?" Brax asked.
"No she doesn't have to; I've been in her place."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Brax demanded, raising his voice.
"I've been on the outside looking in on you with other women Brax; it's not a nice feeling."
"She's not on the outside, Charlie."
"I don't think she's ever been on the inside, Brax."
Her words completely floored him and he ran a hand across his face biding a small amount of time to think.
"What has brought all of this on, Charlie?" The fact that he didn't dispute her argument wasn't lost on either of them.
Charlie refused to answer yet she couldn't look away from his eyes and Brax realised there was a chance that he was on the verge of losing her again.
"Whatever he said to you, don't listen to him," Brax requested and Charlie saw the pain in his face.
"Trust me, I'm trying."
"Good, forget it, whatever he said to make you ignore me for the rest of the night, whatever has made you think this, it's not worth it Charlie," Brax pleaded.
"We agree completely," Charlie whispered as she tried desperately to blink back the tears that were beginning to form.
"What happened, what did he say to you to make you take another 10 steps back? I don't like doing this all of the time."
"We've never done this; I'm not backing out of a relationship."
"No, you're backing out of a friendship."
"We will never have a friendship, Brax."
Even though a friendship was the last thing on his mind, the words hurt.
"Tell me, Charlie."
"Just leave it alone, Brax," Charlie said.
"Fine if you won't tell me then I guess he'll have to." Brax snapped, he was out the door before Charlie had a chance to say anything.
She didn't like the fact that she was arguing with Brax, but, maybe it would be for the better. The past few days had been overwhelming to say the least.
Charlie doubted that Brax would find the answers he was looking for at the party, but he was intuitive, which didn't surprise her. Brax had always been able to read her, know what she was thinking or what she wanted. It was part of the reason she fell in love so hard, so quickly.
Brax knew that her conversation with his father had shaken her and in turn, was the reason she avoided him for the rest of the evening.
But what stunned her most of all was that Danny Braxton had turned out to be quite intuitive too.
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Charlie had just turned the television off and was about to go to bed when Brax got back.
"You get the answers you were looking for?" Charlie asked, it was a taunt, and from the look on his face she could tell that his father had kept his mouth shut.
For a moment she felt a pang of guilt, but that was soon replaced by relief.
"Nope," he answered and followed her into the kitchen where she began to pour herself a glass of water.
"I'm sorry about before," Charlie apologised.
Brax nodded.
"I was just letting have steam, I shouldn't have said those things about Natalie, I know she's important to you."
Brax looked up suddenly. Bingo!
"But they don't do they?" Brax asked.
"They don't think she's important to me?" He clarified.
"Umm," Charlie stuttered.
All of a sudden everything made sense to Brax and he was able to figure it all out just by looking at Charlie.
"No that's not it; they don't think she's important to me because you're around. They told you that and you freaked out."
"Umm, no that's not exactly what happened-," Charlie began but she was cut off.
"You're right, it's not! You wouldn't freak out about that." Brax's eyes widened, things were making sense to him. "You avoided me, you freaked out because they told you that you were important to me."
Charlie moved back against the bench for support.
"No. That's not it either," Brax surmised. "It's more than that, it's more than you being important to me... it's me being important to you," Brax finished and with that knowledge, nothing was going to stop him.
She recognised that look from many times before.
He was devouring her with his eyes and Charlie was ashamed to say she loved it.
"Brax, please don't do this?" Charlie whispered even though they were the only two in the house.
"Don't do what?" He said, the smile on his face doing nothing to help her.
"Brax, I can't be the bigger person here. I'm not strong enough to stay away from you when you're with someone else."
Brax took a step closer.
"I have to stay away from you," she breathed, silently praying he would understand how hard this was for her.
Another step closer.
"You staying away from me is the last thing I want you to do, Charlie."
Brax's hands found the bench on either side of Charlie's hips. He took another step closer and Charlie had to look up to keep eye contact.
"I never thought I'd get the chance to have you back again?" Brax whispered, his lips almost touching hers.
"Looks like we're getting a second chance," Charlie replied just as softly.
She closed her eyes, he was so close and the anticipation of the kiss she was certain was about to happen was too much.
The option of pushing him away had long since past.
Brax's lips met Charlie in the gentlest of kisses. Slow and careful as if giving her the chance to tell him he was wrong, to tell him that he wasn't important to her and that she didn't want him.
When Brax felt Charlie's hands rest on his chest and began to move to his neck he intensified the kiss, unable to take it slow anymore, it had been too long.
Charlie met him with the same intensity, tasting him for the first time in six years; they soon found their rhythm as if no time had passed.
Charlie arched into him and felt him completely. It was clear he wanted her just as much as she did him.
Brax lifted her effortlessly onto the bench his hands moved up her thighs and rested underneath her dress, her long legs wrapped around him.
Charlie wasted no time in pulling Brax's shirt from his chest and over his head as their lips met again furiously.
She felt something begin to vibrate against her leg and music filled the small kitchen.
Charlie tried to pull herself away from Brax.
"Brax that's your-" She tried to tell him his phone was ringing even though she was certain he could hear it but he cut her off.
"Don't you dare," he whispered against her lips and Charlie felt his lips moving against hers again; she moaned at the contact.
When his phone began to ring a second time, Charlie stiffened.
She pulled herself away from Brax and put her hand between them to stop him from moving near her again.
"Brax that's your phone," she panted, the ringtone of his phone was like a bucket of ice water being poured over her, over them.
Brax took his phone out of his pocket and without even looking at who was trying to call him, he threw it behind him and they both heard a thud as it hit something in the living room.
"I don't care," he panted back and this time it was Charlie that pulled them back together.
Their kiss continued and it was only when they began to slowly rock against each other that Brax forced himself to stop.
Charlie looked at him, confused for a moment but calmed herself when she felt him lift her into his arms again, kissing her again as he walked toward his bedroom.
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WOW! That's all I have to say lol What about you?
Please review.
Thanks for reading.
xoxox