Hi :)
Thanks for reading this story so far. The reviews are very encouraging.
Here is Chapter 4.
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Charlie listened to Leah's brief explanation of what had happened between Brax, Heath and Geoffrey King and how Leah had tried to help the situation, the explanation left her shocked.
"I want to go see him," Charlie demanded.
"What, Charlie, you've just gotten home, you can't-"
"Leah, you can either take me yourself, or I'll get there on my own. Either way, I am going to see Brax and I'm going to see him now."
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Charlie knocked forcefully on Brax's front door.
"Why'd you go to Leah?" Charlie demanded as soon as Brax opened it.
"Hello to you too," Brax commented.
"What have you been doing?" Charlie asked.
"Doesn't matter."
"Don't brush me off Brax, why'd you go to Leah for money."
"Hey, hey, hey! I did not go to Leah. She stuck her nose it where it wasn't wanted and now I'm out twenty -five grand."
Brax knew that Charlie would find out about everything that had happened with him while she was in hospital eventually. He had even anticipated that he would be able to tell her before it got any worse.
But, the look in her eyes as she stared him down told him that things were potentially going to get worse because he kept her out of the loop.
"And that makes it okay? Why didn't you come to me?"
That comment snapped Brax out of his self induced reverie and he realised that Charlie needed to be taking it easy after getting out of hospital.
"You should sit," Brax said as he pulled Charlie to a chair.
"I don't want to sit," Charlie argued pointlessly as she sat anyway.
Brax and Charlie sat in silence. Brax was trying to find the words to make this all better and Charlie was enjoying the feeling of being close to her boyfriend after so long.
"Twenty-five thousand dollars?" Charlie asked.
"Yep."
"That's a lot of money."
"Tell me about it; it feels like more when you owe it to someone for no reason."
Brax explained to Charlie everything that had happened while she was in hospital.
"So Leah just gave twenty -five grand to Geoffrey King?"
"Yep, to get him of my back."
"Why?" Charlie asked confused.
"For you and me I guess, she didn't want me losing Angelo's and I guess whatever happens with me she figured, affects you too."
"Right, well I guess we just need to work out how we're going to pay her back."
"We aren't Charlie, I am. This is why I didn't tell you in the first place. I didn't want to worry you."
"That's unavoidable."
"Charlie, I'm working on it okay."
"Charlie, I'm working it out. Come on its late, I should get you home, before Ruby has another reason to yell at me."
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Despite behaving as though Charlie's health was her top priority, Ruby had been scarce the next few days.
Charlie didn't want to push Ruby and knowing how tense the situation was, Brax didn't push the situation either so, they survived on phone conversations alone.
Charlie's mobile remained practically glued to her hand, calls and texts from Brax got her through each monotonous day.
After confessing her fear that Charlie might develop depression from being couped up inside all day. Leah suggested that Charlie join her at the diner for the afternoon rush. Charlie reassure Leah that she was not depressed but as boring as it sounded, Charlie jumped at the offer.
Charlie enjoyed watching the busy bustle of the Summer Bay residents come and go and sat in the diner as Leah closed up for the evening.
Leah declined all offers of help from Charlie and whizzed around making sure all of the machines were turned off and doors were locked.
Charlie startled suddenly when the bell on the diner counter chimed.
Charlie sat up and smiled to see the familiar outline of Brax leaning over the counter. She stood up and moved towards him but hearing his voice brought her to a standstill.
"Hey, there you go, your first instalment, that's 8 grand," Brax said as Leah walked out from the kitchen, oblivious to his girlfriend standing behind him. He dropped a wad of cash onto the diner bench.
He wanted nothing more than to go straight home and call Charlie but Leah's questioning stopped him in his tracks.
"Where did you get that?" She asked, astounded at the sight of such a large amount of money.
Leah had forgotten Charlie's presence in the room.
"It doesn't matter," Brax tried to brush her off.
"Yeah, it does matter," Leah argued.
"I won it in a fight," Brax admitted and Leah's eyes widened but not only at his revelation, her eyes found something behind Brax and he closed his eyes in pain when he heard a new voice.
"You what?" Charlie whispered and the gasp that escaped her when Brax turned around left her reeling for air.
He looked terrible.
"Charlie..." Brax began but then he stopped. There were no words to explain what he had been doing that night; the cuts, bruises and swollen knuckles were enough to paint a very detailed picture.
"It looks worse than it feels," Brax grunted through short shallow breaths.
The feeling that he had let Charlie down affected Brax a lot more than he thought it would.
"You look terrible," Charlie said.
"I might go guys," Leah called out. Despite his condition, Leah knew that Brax would make sure Charlie would get home safely and she did not want to be around for their impending conversation.
Leah, Brax and Charlie walked outside, a silence overwhelming them and Leah was glad that she decided to leave.
The conversation began again once Leah had driven off.
"You look terrible," Charlie repeated.
"Thanks, Charlie, I knew there was a reason I loved you."
"Cracking a joke isn't going to work, Brax. You look like you should be in hospital."
"Nah, I'm a big boy."
"Who did this?" Charlie asked as she ran a finger gently across Brax's cheek.
"My mate, Sully."
"Your mate?"
"Yeah," Brax answered not wanting to push Charlie too far he waited for her to collect her thoughts.
"Was it a bet?"
"Nah, umm, cage fight."
Charlie's mouth actually dropped and Brax could see her try to verbalise her thoughts but nothing came out for a while.
"There has got to be a better way for us to deal with this. Cage fighting is not the answer."
"Charlie, this isn't your problem, Heath and Leah got me into this. I'm going to get myself out and I don't want you involving yourself here."
"How can you say that to me and expect me to just agree?"
"Honestly, I don't expect you to," Brax gritted his teeth out of habit not anger and he continued, "I want you to agree though."
"You can't seriously think you're going to cage fight your way out of another 17 thousand dollars."
"If the fights big enough, I'll get a lot more than 8."
"Are you even listening to yourself? I can't believe you'd keep this from me?"
"I didn't keep it from you on purpose; I just want to keep you out of the crummy parts of my life Charlie."
"What if you get hurt?"
"I won't," Brax said through a steady voice which almost had Charlie believing him.
Charlie took a moment to look at Brax and he did look like he needed a visit to the doctor but Charlie knew not to push it.
"Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" Charlie asked, the strong need to ensure Brax was okay coursed through her.
"Nah, don't think having breakfast with Ruby would do you any good at the moment. What about you come to mine?"
The look on Charlie's face told him everything he needed to know.
"Mum's a bit strict at the moment, isn't she?" Brax teased.
"It won't be like this for long, she just to settle down," Charlie tried to explain on Ruby's behalf.
"Yep, right," Brax agreed sarcastically and the conversation lulled.
"This really sucks at the moment Charlie," Brax admitted. It was a rare occurrence for him to let his true feelings show.
"Yeah, I know."
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"I thought you should be resting?" Brax asked when Charlie the next afternoon.
"I am resting."
"Really, looks like it," Brax teased with a grin before getting a small glass of water for Charlie.
"Leah drove me, I came here to see you then I'm off to the diner. Nothing too strenuous in either of those things."
"Well there could be?"
Charlie couldn't control the grin which spread across her face at the remark but despite her smile, she spoke through it.
"I think you're the one that should be resting, don't you?"
In two days Brax's bruises had only lightened slightly, the cut on his lip had lost all redness but was still evident and the swelling had almost disappeared. He didn't look as bad as he did the night of the fight.
"I'm fine Charlie, really."
"Well I doubt that; big, strong, man too tough and has too big of an ego to tell it how it really is."
"You love this big, strong, man though," Brax leant forward in a whisper.
"That I do," Charlie replied just as softly, before she met him in a slow lingering kiss.
"Nice subject change," Charlie acknowledged when Brax moved away.
"I thought so, yeah," Brax grinned from behind the bar.
Charlie watched Brax stop suddenly, he turned to face her.
"What?" Charlie asked.
Brax furrowed his brow as if trying to work out what he was going to say.
Charlie's sat up straighter and waited, unsure of what to expect.
"Look, nothing is definite yet, but umm, there might be another fight on Friday."
"You are joking, right?"
"Nah, not really, I just need to wait for my mate Sully to finalise some details."
"Brax, you..."
"Charlie, I owe Leah another 17 grand, it'll be a good fight, I'll get at least 10, maybe 12 depending on who I'm fighting."
"Brax, I..."
"Listen, it'll be all good. You should come and watch."
"What?"
"Seriously, come and watch, it's not as bad as it sounds.
"It's as bad as you look."
"It might help me win knowing you're there," Brax hinted cheekily.
"Whatever, me being there will do nothing to help you," Charlie said.
"But you like thinking that you might," Brax nodded.
"Or you like thinking that I might," Charlie said. "Do you know how dangerous this is?"
"Yes, I do."
"Brax, I really don't like this idea?"
"Come on Charlie, it'll be fine, plus what's the worst that could happen?"
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Dun dun dun! I couldn't help but end with that line lol
How was that?
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xoxox
