"You Call It Madness But I Call It Love"
Hi CJers!
Hope there's still some of you around! The CJ fics are certainly few and far between right now but I hope you're still enjoying this one!
B2T, Claudia, Jensy, CJ4eva & Shopgirl - Thank you all for your lovely reveiws! Keep 'em coming!
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Charlie sighed softly as she parked her car in her driveway and walked up the side of the house towards the back door. She had no idea if Brax was seriously flirting with her outside the Diner and didn't know how Joey would react to the knowledge Brax had asked her out.
Charlie knew that Joey would probably want to tell Brax the truth and assert her position in Charlie's heart to her brother. But she also knew that Joey was still hesitating in telling her family about their relationship and didn't want her girlfriend to be forced to confess the truth before she was ready.
Been hesitant to the whole Bay finding out she was now dating a woman was also playing on Charlie's mind.
Charlie knew when everyone found out she wouldn't hesitate in confirming her feelings for Joey but she was afraid that the town's reaction to her newfound lover would somehow change things between her and Joey. Charlie loved what she had with Joey and though she didn't want to lie to the people closest to her, she enjoyed the excitement that came with dating Joey in secret. She didn't want that to end even though she knew they couldn't hide their relationship forever.
As Charlie tried to work out how to approach the subject of Brax flirting with her all thoughts of Brax disappeared when she saw Joey sitting in one of the chairs on the back porch. Charlie immediately broke into a smile when she saw her girlfriend.
Joey grinned happily as Charlie walked up to her and immediately jumped up to greet her. Wrapping her arms around Charlie's waist, Joey kissed her girlfriend passionately.
Charlie deepened the kiss with Joey, desperately seeking entrance into her mouth as she ran her tongue across Joey's bottom lip. Teasingly Joey finally gave her access and their tongues were soon dancing together softly.
Breaking their kiss, Charlie looked flushed, "I don't have a long break today so we need to get inside...now!"
Taking Charlie's hand, Joey grinned enjoying the feelings of being completely in love with the woman she was with and allowed Charlie to lead her inside.
Closing the back door behind them, both women immediately wrapped their arms around each other's and found themselves kissing deeply. Their passion for one another grew strongly as their lips melded together perfectly.
Charlie grinned as she pressed Joey up against the kitchen table and lifted the younger woman so she was sitting on the edge of the table. Feeling Joey wrap her legs around her waist and pull her closer to her as they continued kissing only made Charlie's excitement and desperate need to be with Joey grow.
Joey relished having Charlie in her arms but feeling the need to have Charlie's body against her own, she began undoing the buttons on Charlie's uniform shirt. Teasing her girlfriend by taking her time, Joey finally undid all the buttons but left the unbuttoned shirt on Charlie. With her left hand wrapped around Charlie's neck she ran her free hand up and down Charlie's body, making sure she teased Charlie's breasts through the fabric of the bra she was wearing.
"Please Jo...I need you," Charlie begged as her lips met Joey's once more.
Joey grinned into their kiss, sensing that Charlie didn't even want them to wait until they were in the safe confines of her bedroom before she started making love to her. The excitement of being together in secret and risking getting caught by any one of Charlie's housemates spurred Joey on more and she dragged her hand down Charlie's body, placing her hand at Charlie belt.
Struggling to undo the police issued belt that Charlie wore as part of her uniform, Joey blushed as Charlie stared at her and enjoyed watching her struggle in her attempt to slip her hand into Charlie's pants so she could enjoy the wetness that she had no doubt was waiting for her.
Both women froze in their position and groaned softly into the others' mouth as they heard the front door open and voices coming from the other end of the house.
Charlie broke her lips from Joey's and stared at the woman in her arms seeing the absolute frustration in her eyes that matched her own.
Pulling away from Joey, Charlie immediately blushed as she rushed to do the buttons of her shirt up and Joey jumped off the kitchen table. Although not wanting Charlie to be doing her shirt back up, Joey assisted her girlfriend in her fumbling attempts of doing the buttons up.
Recognising the voices as that of Ruby and Casey's who were now in the Living Room, Joey knew that while they didn't want to hide their relationship from the younger couple, they certainly didn't want to be caught wrapped up in one another's arms passionately.
As Charlie managed to do up as many of her buttons that made her look respectable enough, Joey leant forwards and brushed their lips together softly.
Reluctantly breaking apart, they both turned around and Joey opened the back door walking outside. Charlie stood at the still opened door and couldn't resist pulling Joey back into her arms for another quick kiss.
"Wait here, I'll see what they're doing here," Charlie whispered pecking Joey once more before awkwardly closing the door on her girlfriend.
Turning around immediately, Charlie tried to wipe the flushed and guilty look off her face as Ruby and Casey entered the room, though for the first time she was glad that Ruby hadn't entered the house from the back door like she normally did.
Charlie cleared her throat, "Ah...hey...what are you guys doing home?"
Ruby stared at Charlie, equally surprised to see her mother at home and looking quite embarrassed about something, "Ah...we have a spare period straight after lunch so thought we'd come back here and work on an assignment we have together for the next...hour or so...everything okay Charlie?"
Charlie fiddled awkwardly with her watch, the feeling of Joey's lips and hands running across her body a mere minute ago were driving her crazy to be in the woman's arms again, "Of course...just...home to have some lunch before...getting back out there...um...are you sure you don't want to go back to school to do your assignment...you know so you don't get distracted by...each other?"
Ruby frowned awkwardly, knowing her mother was trying to hide something, "I think we can manage to get our work done together here...do you not want us to be here?"
Casey stood there silently behind Ruby with his arm wrapped around her waist. He could sense that Charlie was uncomfortable and seemed to be hiding something. He hoped that it wasn't to do with Charlie not accepting him and Ruby as a couple as he thought Ruby's mother had gotten past her issues with him and could see that he really cared for her daughter. But he sensed just from the way Ruby was looking at her mother that there was more to it that he wasn't aware of.
Charlie ran her hand through her hair, wishing that she could just come clean to Ruby and Casey about her relationship with Joey but she didn't want to risk Brax finding out before they were ready to deal with him, "Don't be ridiculous...you can totally stay here...and do your assignment...'cause that's important...well you should get on it while you're got the spare time before you have to go back to school...I'll just be in here...making myself some lunch."
"Okay then," Ruby nodded, trying to work out exactly what was going on with Charlie though she knew that it would probably be a better idea to talk to Charlie later that day without Casey around especially if it had to do with Joey.
Taking Casey's hand, Ruby then led her boyfriend out of the kitchen and into the living room leaving Charlie alone in the kitchen.
After a few minutes of busying herself in the kitchen pretending to concentrate on actually making something for lunch and overseeing the young couple working on their school work, Charlie was desperately hoping that Joey was still outside waiting for her.
Opening the back door and sneaking outside quietly, Charlie grinned as she stepped outside and was immediately met by Joey's arms wrapping around her waist and Joey's lips were against hers.
Charlie smiled into the kiss and deepened it quickly, enjoying every moment being in Joey's arms. She felt so safe and alive with this woman and she never wanted the moment to end. Knowing that they couldn't stay there forever with their family members in the other room, Charlie broke off the kiss reluctantly.
Joey pecked Charlie on the lips quickly once more before staring up at her girlfriend, "So I take it our lunch plans of spending some quality times in each others' arms has to be postponed?"
Charlie sighed heavily, "So you overheard that Ruby and Casey have conveniently chosen this time to occupy the living room for the time being while they work on an assignment? God I can't even sneak you up to my room!"
Joey smirked in frustration, "Aren't we supposed to be proud of them for concentrating on their school work as opposed to each other?"
"Oh absolutely I'm very proud of them," Charlie smiled, then capturing Joey's lips seductively, "It's a good thing they don't know what a bad example we're setting by completely ignoring everything else other than each other!"
Joey licked her lips as they parted and stood there happily wrapped up in Charlie's arms looking up at the woman she loved, "God I hate this part of hiding our relationship...I need to find the right way to tell my family...soon!"
Charlie stroked her fingers up and down Joey's back, "You only have to do that if you feel that you're ready to...every time I see you and hold you I'm getting more comfortable with the idea of being 'out' with you...don't feel that you have to tell them for the sake that we might finally find some time alone together...as nice as that would be."
Joey matched Charlie's actions teasingly, "I'm glad you're comfortable with the idea of being with me in a proper relationship...but I really do want to tell my family because I can't keep hiding such a huge thing from them...I just need to find the right time. But until that time comes...you should...get back inside before Ruby notices you missing and I should..."
Charlie nodded reluctantly, hating that their romantic plans had been cut short and her girlfriend had to leave before Ruby or Casey spotted them in their romantic clinch, "Come by tonight...I don't care who's home I'll find a way to sneak you into my bedroom 'cause I so need to be with you! And I don't start work 'til early tomorrow arvo so we'll have the entire morning together."
Joey couldn't help but flutter her eyes softly at the sensations she was experiencing just from Charlie's words of need for her, "I will...though it might be late...Darryl insisted on bringing home some of his pizzas after his shift at the restaurant so we can all have dinner together as a family for like the first time in a week."
"Do you think tonight would be a good time to...tell your family about us...if they're all there?" Charlie asked gently, not trying to pressure her.
Joey rolled her eyes, "Did I mention with the pizza comes a few beers and then some more beers after that? As interesting as it would be to make that announcement while my family's downing some serious alcohol I don't think it'd be the perfect time...they wouldn't remember anyway so then I'd have to tell them all over again."
Charlie nodded in understanding, "Enjoy your night with your family...don't have too much to drink...I need you here so I can ravish you as early as possible!"
Joey squeezed Charlie's hips, "As if I could refuse anything you ask if I get to ravish you too! I'll see you tonight. Enjoy the rest of your shift at the Station this arvo."
Kissing each other tenderly goodbye, the couple reluctantly let go of each other and Charlie watched on as Joey walked away from the house.
Walking back into the kitchen and closing the back door behind her, Charlie had a silly grin planted on her face. Being with Joey made her feel like everything in her life was perfect and though a small part of her was dreading the Braxton's finding out about them, she couldn't wait to be able to show her affection for the woman she was madly in love with.
Leaning against the back door, Charlie sighed as she recalled that Brax had been flirting with her unexpectedly and she'd wanted to tell Joey about it because she didn't want to keep secrets from her girlfriend.
Shrugging at the thought of Brax being serious when he was flirting with her because she knew deep down he hated her, Charlie decided to let it go. She didn't want to dwell on Brax being weird around her, as she was far too happy being in love with Joey to let him get her down. If she had a chance, she knew she'd tell Joey about what had happened when she next saw her that night but she wasn't going to push the issue since it was a meaningless encounter.
Besides Brax was probably just trying to confuse me by playing the 'nice guy' and will be back to his 'threatening bad boy' self the next time I see him...
Or maybe Brax could be hiding something and he wants to get me onside so the police don't find out what it is...
How would I ever explain that to Joey if it turns out to be true?
Damn those interruptions!
Will Charlie live to regret not telling Joey about Brax's flirtatious ways?
Could Charlie be on the right path that Brax is playing games with her to keep her from finding out why he's in town?
Next Time - CJ continue the painfully frustrating interaction that results from their secret relationship!
Will they ever give in and let people know they're in love!