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Enjoy this one
CHAPTER 26- I'll never leave you
"Hey, you feeling ok?" Bianca asked, peering up from her magazine as Charlie shuffled down the stairs
"Yeah, I just need to get away" Charlie trailed off, shutting her eyes tightly as she pictured Brax in her head, her eyes stinging painfully at the thought of leaving him
"Get away? Charlie what do you mean" Bianca raced over to Charlie, holding her hand tightly in her own
"I c-can't do this anymore" Charlie cried as Bianca held her tightly in her arms, as she released Charlie, she tilted her head trying to catch her gaze
"Me and Rube's are leaving the bay" Bianca looked at her dumbfounded, both girls turning their heads around at a familiar voice
"Leaving…what do you mean you're leaving?" Heath said, as he emerged from the bathroom, silently hoping he'd mixed up her words
"We're leaving, tomorrow morning" Charlie said shakily
"Buckton you can't go"
"I have to"
"What about your friends, Brax?" Heath asked, as tears intensified in Charlie's eyes "You're just gonna leave him for good? Forget everything that ever happened?"
"It's not like that" Charlie choked up as Brax flashed through her mind again
"Not like that? Then what is it like?" Charlie pushed back her tears, as she looked Heath directly in the eye
"Well I'm sure with the help of his new woman, Brax will get by" She muttered, her voice barely audible "Now if you'll excuse me I need to pack" Charlie said, trying to get past the two of them, only for Bianca to hold her back
"You promise me something" Charlie nodded "You'll come back when this one's born"
"I promise" Charlie nodded, sobbing uncontrollably as Bianca struggled to hold her emotions, pulling Charlie into her arms
"I'm gonna miss you so much" Charlie nodded her head in response, wiping the tears that fell from Bianca's eyes as she pulled back, stroking her friends cheek with her thumb
"Neither of you tell Brax I'm leaving" Charlie said, wiping her own tears with her sleeve, Bianca nodded, Heath however shook his head
"You can't ask me to do that"
"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you"
…
Ruby anxiously knocked at his door, waiting for him to emerge, one thousand things going through her mind, searching for the right thing to say to him, but her heart failing miserably, telling her this was the wrong thing to do.
"Hey, what are you doing here" He said cheerfully as he swung open the door, she smiled weakly at him, only leaning back slightly when he went to kiss her. He looked at her confused and puzzled at her sudden change
"Don't Case, don't make this any harder than it has to be" She said, she couldn't stop the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks
"Any harder? What are you talking about?" He reached out to take her hands, only for her to snatch back and hold them tightly behind her on the small of her back
"I-I…we can't be together anymore" She choked out, trying not to look him in his beautiful hazel eyes as she spoke
"What, Rubes" he reached out to cradle her cheek, her pure instinct was to lean into his touch, that was the natural thing to do, but none of this was natural
"Casey, we can't be together, because I'm leaving ok…me and Charlie are leaving the bay" she whispered, her voice barely audible as she spoke
"Na, na you're not leaving, you can't…Why?" Casey exclaimed, stepping towards her
"Charlie can't be here anymore Casey, she's hurting too much and I have to be there for her" Ruby nodded as she spoke, desperately trying to tell herself that this was right
"Rubes-" she cut him off before he could finish, in fear of what he might say
"No Case, I gotta go" She choked out before turning on her heal and fleeing the porch before he could get a word in edge ways
…..
Charlie leant on the grass as she breathed in the air of summer bay; placing lilies over her baby's gravestone she shed a single tear. Was this really the right thing to do? Her answer was there when from the cliffs she saw Brax frolicking on the beach with the same blonde from yesterday. She slowly traced her fingers over the engraved gold, brushing her hair behind her ears and wiping her tears away with her thumb
"Mummy will come back" she whispered as she kissed the headstone, her lips lingering on the gold plaque "I'll never leave you baby" she gasped as more tears streamed down her cheeks, stinging her eyes, reluctantly she got to her feet, turning away as slowly as she could never looking back.
Taking a deep breath as she walked up to her old home, the home where her and Brax had shared many memory's, the home in which she had many laughs and the home in which her life had nearly ended. She knocked hesitantly at the door
"Charlie" Leah smiled as she opened the door, only for her smile to falter when she saw her friends puffy eyes and blotted cheeks
"I came to say goodbye" Charlie choked out as Leah held her in a tight hug
….
"What…Charlie you have to tell him" Leah pleaded after Charlie had outlined her the drama of the past few days
"No, Leah it will only make this ten times harder" Charlie said adamantly
"Well then you need to ask yourself, are you really doing the right thing by leaving him behind?" Leah queried, Charlie anxiously tapped her fingers on her coffee mug, her nails softly tapping against the china
"I have to Leah" Charlie wiped the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her arm as she spoke "I can't live like this anymore"
"But Charlie-" Leah interrupted
"No Leah, my mind is made up" Leah nodded reluctantly as Charlie threw her a weak smile
"So when are you going?"
"This afternoon" Leah's eyes widened
"This afternoon! Charlie are you serious!" She exclaimed, placing her hands over Charlie's
"Yep" Charlie nodded her head, avoiding Leah's eye contact "You promise me, you'll look after Brax" Charlie demanded, meeting Leah's eye
"Promise" Leah nodded, crying as Charlie engulfed her in a hug
"I'm gonna miss you so much"
"Me too" Both girls cried as they clung onto each other, the realization hitting Charlie that she was leaving her life behind.
…
"Brax, Brax!" Casey called to his brother as he bounded along the beach,
"BRAX" He shouted, finally getting his brothers attention as Brax's eyes drifted from his new girl to Casey
"Oi" Casey slapped him round the head, as he still gained no dignified response, no words from Brax. But what was he expecting, ever since the break up with Charlie, he had been that way. Cold, distant, isolated
"What the hell was that for?"
"I was calling you!" Casey exclaimed, now overcome with nerves at delivering the news to Brax 'surely it was the right thing to do, Brax needed to know right?'
"Hey babe" The blonde girl sashayed towards Brax, pecking him on the cheek
"Case, are you gonna tell me what's up or just stand there?" Brax asked, ignoring her presence, he stood confused, knowing something was up with Casey but not sure how to approach it with Leanne there
"Its about Charlie" Brax sighed
"Case, I don't wanna here it. I've tried texting her, she doesn't reply so shut it!" he said sternly, his voice cold and emotionless
Casey rolled his eyes, what more could he do than try? Brax would soon learn about his mistake "Forget it, have fun", his worries still plaguing his mind as he continued on his beach walk
He sat consumed in his thoughts, thinking of Charlie and Ruby leaving teared him apart, he'd grown to love Charlie as a mum. However he'd learned over the past few weeks that pretending things were ok made it easier, like his brothers, he'd learnt how to put on his poker face, never letting anyone in. By doing that had he unknowingly pushed Ruby away, just like Brax had to Charlie?
…..
Charlie climbed the stairs of the restaurant cautiously, as to make sure Brax wasn't there, silently crying to herself she placed the letter in front of the till, hoping one day, he'd read it and one day he'd forgive her for leaving him behind and move on completely, live the life he wanted, that's if he was upset at her departure, she looked at her surroundings, her eyes glazing over as she pictured him in her mind, his mesmerizing green eyes, his cute dimples…how she missed those dimples.
….
"You ready?" Charlie asked Ruby as they packed the last suitcase into the car, Ruby shook her head as she cried silently, her eyes rifting to the coast
"Can't we stay?" she begged, soft tears rolling down her cheeks
"Rubes" Charlie sighed, holding her daughter in her arms "We'll be ok" Charlie whispered into her daughter's hairline
"Right little Buckton, you come here" Heath called, pulling Ruby into his arms and holding her tightly, breathing in the familiar Buckton scent for one of the last times
"I'm gonna miss you!" Bianca cried as her and Charlie said their goodbyes
"I promise we'll come back for bub." Charlie smiled as she placed her hand on Bianca's stomach
"Aww Charlie" Leah sniffed as her and Charlie embraced
"This is so wrong" Heath muttered as he stared Charlie directly in the eyes
"You look after yourself Heath" Charlie sighed, stepping into his arms "And Brax" She added
"You know you could always stay and do that yourself" Charlie shook her head whilst letting her tears fall
"This is the right thing to do" she muttered unconvincingly
"Ruby" Charlie swung her head round at Casey's voice, watching the loving exchange between the two teens
"You sure?' Heath asked as he gestured towards Ruby and Casey, Charlie nodded her head silently, trying to convince herself that the ache in her heart would be temporary
"Come on Rubes, time to go" She called, the two teens nodded acknowledging at each other as Ruby hopped into the car, Charlie turning her head and staring out to the ocean for the last time, breathing in the salty smell of summer bay, taking in her memory's and holding them close to her heart. She drew a breath as the engine started up, pulling out of Bianca's drive way.
Ruby's hands lingered on the window as they drove past Brax coming out of the surf club, his eyes met hers filled with curiosity at her tears as she palmed the window, desperately trying to reach him.
Charlie silently let the tears fall down her cheeks as they drove past the 'thank you for visiting summer bay sign' she shook her head, how could she say goodbye, this was her home despite the heart break and the angst, it'd made her happy, brought her some compassion, devotion. LOVE. She unclipped her Pandora bracelet and leant over to the glove compartment, placing it in there safe and secure.
"What are you doing?" Ruby asked
"Saying goodbye." Charlie whispered as she settled her eyes on the road again
"Charlie we can't do this" Ruby said, running her hand through her hair 'Stop the car" she demanded
"Ruby No-"
"Stop the damn car Charlie!" She screamed
….
"Oi, oi Casey! Do you wanna tell me why I just saw Charlie and Ruby heading out of town" Brax asked as he stormed over to the small gathering at the end of Bianca's driveway, Heath pulled Bianca closer to him as his brothers huge frame edged closer to them all
"Well is some one gonna tell me or what!" Brax yelled, glaring at all of them, his gaze bouncing off their eyes
"She left" Bianca said in a croaky voice
"She what?" Brax asked his voice bland and vulnerable at Bianca's words, his eyes losing their spark, staring down on them emotionless as he registered her words "Nah…nah she hasn't left" Brax said adamantly as he backed away from them all, shaking his head. She couldn't of left him; she had to still be there. He needed her there, even if he couldn't be with her, just to see her everyday was enough to dull the ache he felt inside since she'd ended it with him at the hospital. He'd promised to protect her, he'd failed once and now he'd failed again. She'd left him behind, without a goodbye. The little air left inside his lungs failed him as his tears won their fight with sanity, his body felt paralyzed to the spot, as life without her became a reality. Finding all the strength he could muster, he tore his eyes away from those glaring through him, those who could now see his raw emotions out in the open and fled, looking for the one place that he could seek solace.
…
"What do I do little one?" Brax whispered as he knelt in front of his baby's grave "She's gone" he muttered, thankful for the harsh wind that blew over the cliffs, overwhelming the sound of his heart breaking
"What do I do?" he repeated, picking at the grass with his fingers, trying to figure out was his life now was, there were no pieces to pick up. Charlie was his only piece, she was out of sight, like one in a billion grains of sand on a beach, and she was lost so easily. He'd come here to find clarity, all he'd found was another memory of Charlie, what they had, what they were. Hearing the faint thudding of footsteps behind him, he regained his composure as the figure sat next to him, their arms folding lightly over their knees
"Leave me alone Heath" Brax mumbled, his voice cold and emotionless, his isolated exterior building a mental wall between them. Brax could feel Heath's glare staring him out, but still he ignored his presence, only focusing on the headstone that lay in front of him
"Brax-" Before Heath could finish he was cut off by his brothers dead voice
"Did you know?" Brax asked, not daring to look at Heath, Heath sighed to himself, knowing his answer would irk and aggravate Brax, but not wanting to lie to his brother any longer, he decided to admit the truth and take the punishment.
"Charlie made me and Bianca keep quiet-"
"So you lied to me then" Brax said coldly, clenching his jaw, what ever happened to blood and sand?
"I didn't have a choice…"
"Everybody has a choice Heath!" Brax bellowed, finally letting lose of his emotions "You had a choice!" he repeated, staring his brother directly in the eye, immediately sending Heath cowering back at his intimidating stare.
"Go back home to Bianca, Heath" Brax muttered
"Brax…"
"Get away from me Heath"
"Brax you can't stay out here on your own" Heath looked over to his brother, trying to get him to reason
"Don't start acting like you care" he refused to acknowledge Heath anymore, ignoring him as he argued his point, welcoming the silent memories that flooded his brain on an unquiet sea.
"Heath, will you please shut up and leave me alone" Brax snapped after a while of Heath rambling on, interrupting Brax's path of thought, his memories of Charlie, his voice still impassive and reserved.
Heath nodded reluctantly, watching on as his brother stared out to the horizon, completely broken, the last time Brax had let his emotions show was when Charlie was shot, he was beginning to wonder whether letting her walk away so easily was the best thing for everyone, especially Brax. He knew Brax would be harboring anger at everyone, but he believed it would die down, maybe his brother may find the shadow of his old self and get out of this dark hole he'd involuntarily dug himself into. But more than anything Heath wished Charlie would come back, not just for Brax's sake but also for his own. She'd become a friend; a good friend…Heath Braxton didn't have many friends.
He understood Brax's feelings of abandonment that was something the Braxton boys were used to, their father for one. But now Brax's poker face has slipped everyone could see the broken man underneath and the one person to make him feel whole again had done what everyone did. Took the easy way out and abandoned him, but it still didn't numb the pain.
…
"Thank you" The Ruby said as she smiled over at Charlie in the seat opposite
"For what?" The Charlie said, confused as to what her daughter was referring to
"For doing the right thing" the Ruby clarified, her mum raised her eyebrows in response
"Mhm, we'll see about that." Charlie chuckled, still completely unsure of her decision to go back and follow her heart, she needed to conquer the fears she had and the raw emotions that had built up inside her, not run away from those she loved, those who can heal her broken heart.
Pulling up on the all to familiar drive way Ruby smiled as Charlie stared out to the distant sea, sucking in a deep breath and dreaming about all of their memories in this one small town Charlie smiled as she pictured him clearly in her head, every minute she'd left all she'd pictured was him, his seductive green eyes and show cased smile that made her heart melt and how her mistake had been the mere thought of leaving him behind, breaking up with him, she thought she'd done it out of love and compassion, but her actions were that of confusion and sorrow, and all she needed was for him to take her in his arms and chase the pain away. She relished the memories that flooded her brain, residing in every nook of the town every crevice explored held in her mind as her blue eyes glistened in the fading light.
"Don't ever do that again Charlie, I'm never packing and unpacking in one day again!" Ruby teased as Charlie's thoughts departed with him and turned to her daughter, the wise young girl that had convinced her to follow her heart for once and allow her to feel.
"Common you." Charlie beckoned, savouring the familiar smell of the sea and the cool breeze that swept through her hair, the faces refused to surrender their smiles, both as eager to surprise their friends. They grinned at each other as Charlie knocked on the door, both waiting like excited kids on Christmas morning.
*Knock Knock Knock *
The door swung open and a bare tear stained face stood on the other side, instantly lighting up at the sight of them.
"Oh my god you're back" she squealed, engulfing Charlie and Ruby in a hug.
I know there wasn't really any Chax action; I promise there will be next time. But hey, at least she changed her mind x