My lovely readers... this is I think Chapter 23

Charlie's P.O.V

Tapping the snooze button I turned to face out of the window, the morning light hurting the delicacy of my morning eyes. I moved so that I was flat on my stomach and nuzzled my head in to the pillow, I took a deep breath before the 1minute snooze time came to an end and the blaring of bongo drums bounced around the room, there was no point I might as well just get out of bed and face whatever needed to be faced.

I avoided all phone calls, text messages and live people last night after my abrupt departure from Brax's family dinner. This morning I planned on doing the same. I picked up my toiletry bag and the bits I needed to get ready; I then made a sprint for the bathroom.

I turned the shower dial and the water started to run hitting the bottom of the shower, I removed my clothes and slipped inside the shower, I let the water run down the length of my body before squirting some shower gel on my hand, I lathered it on my body, I watched my hands come up my legs around my back, running down my arms, across my neck but when it came to my stomach I looked away and just quickly lathered the mango and papaya concoction. I couldn't get myself to look at my stomach, last night I had placed my hand on my stomach as if it was true, I was pregnant and I was protecting the baby but now the thought of possibly having Angelo's baby grow inside of me was horrifying. I felt my stomach tighten and a feeling of nauseous came over me.

-x-

My plan on avoiding everyone this morning had worked out. I had showered, dressed and left the house without bumping into anyone. I know I would have to see all of them at some point but right now distance was good. Even now I was doing something crazy, something so messed up even for me and I was doing it from a distance, waiting for the right moment. I sat in my car, parked a fair distance from the house me and Angelo shared, I was waiting for his car to leave the driveway.

After what felt like eternity and then some years I watched as he pulled out of the driveway, and headed off to the opposite direction to where I was. I looked around the car for any eagle eyed neighbours before putting the car into drive and drove the short distance. I jumped out of the car, made my way around the back of the house clutching the brown paper bag that I had brought along with me, I lifted a few plant pots before finding the spare key, I inserted it into the lock and turned it, the door lock clicking, I pushed the handle down and walked inside. The kitchen was the same as I remembered, not that it had been long since I had left. I walked through the kitchen, into the living area, not paying much attention to the items strewn around the place. I walked up the steps and I walked into the bathroom. I removed my phone from my pocket, I placed it on the end of the bathtub, I then took out a long rectangular box from the brown paper bag and I read the instructions. I had read them many times before but I really needed to make sure this was the correct result so I was taking no chances.

I did the necessary 'piss on the stick' before getting up and going to sit in the same position I used to do all them months ago, I grabbed my phone and I let the timer begin its five minutes. I know what I was doing was crazy but maybe like all the other times I had done a pregnancy test, and the result was negative, this time would be the same so there was no point breaking tradition.

I closed my eyes and then I opened them to look at the timer, I watched as the timer went from 10seconds, counting its way down, normally at the countdown there is some sort of excitement, a sense of celebration, that feel good feeling but instead there was a nervousness, an unsettled feeling, one of butterflies with teeth. I am not one to linger, I like to get things over and done with as soon as but this was something I wanted to put off forever.

I cast my mind back to all them evenings/nights of undesirable sex with Angelo, trying to get me pregnant, I would sit on this same cold bathroom floor, the excuses I used to make to have Angelo out of the house and now it was the same thing but in a weird way. I remember thinking that bringing a child in to this world should be on the basis of love, not compatibility, not to cover a broken relationship or that a child is born as a happy accident, if I was pregnant then what did this mean for me. I will be bringing a child into this world on what basis, the lying cheating women who will never be able to look at one of the two men that she had had an intimate relationship with at the same time.

I couldn't put it off any longer; I picked up the stick, as I picked it up and as my eyes saw the result, a tear fell. I was in an abyss, lost in this time, my ability to hear, my ability to move had all gone. I didn't even notice that the bathroom door was now open and as I looked at the test again I took a deep breath before I heard him,

''Charlie what are you doing here?''

My hand trembled and a sharp jolt went through me, the stick fell and clambered onto the floor, conveniently right in his feet,

''Charlie what are you doing here, and is that what I think it is''

How or why was this happening, how could I have been so stupid, pregnant with child, finding out on my ex fiancées bathroom floor, with the possibility of it being his child and now having to face him. I just felt my body give way, it was like I had no control, some remote was controlling me, I picked my phone and I ran out of the house, not once looking back, I could hear him shouting my name, I could hear the joy in his voice even though this was the most awkward situation ever and he only knew half the story. Angelo knowing changed everything, I hadn't got my own head around it and this happens. What was I going to do?

Brax's P.O.V

''the person...''

I disconnected the call for what felt like the umpteenth time, I had been trying to call most of the morning but nothing, I bargained with myself that I would call her one last time and then I would go looking for her. I walked out of the surf club and before I reached my car I saw a tinge of blue coming into the parking lot. I looked up to see that it was Charlie, I watched as she got out of the car and walked straight for the beach, I was going to shout her name but I saw the distressed look on her face. Something had happened and I needed to know. I tried to reason with myself everything was okay but for some reason I knew this was not good, for me! Call it intuition or knowing your own luck but I knew something was off.

As I watched her head towards the water she slumped onto the sand, I made my way down to her but before I reached her another figure had approached her, Bianca sat next to her and I just watched the two of the them talk, I couldn't help myself so I walked towards them and within hearing range I could hear Charlie's words through her sobs,

''Everything is messed''

I walked and stood in front of them, I could see the black mascara (I think that's what it's called, I'm a river boy, I don't know about make-up) running down her face.

''hey everything okay ladies'' I tried to make it as cheery as possible and tried to remove the worry from my voice, Charlie didn't look up but Bianca did, she just shrugged her shoulders to say she didn't know what was wrong.

''I can't do this right now'' Charlie said still not looking up at me, I tried to control my voice, tried to act like that person who just knows this women from work and as a friend and not the love of his life but I couldn't.

''You can't do what Charlie, you can tell me'' as the words laced with worry escaped my mouth, another voice then settled into my ears, it was someone shouting Charlie's name, I ignored it first but as the sound came closer I looked up to see a breathless reddened Angelo making his way to us.

Just what we need I thought to myself.

I watched as he got closer and upon realising that it was Angelo calling her name, I watched as Charlie got up and looked at me and then at Angelo, Bianca also stood up and watched Angelo approach, he carried something in his hand.

''Please Angelo, not here'' I heard the pleading in Charlie's voice,

''Charlie, you was at my house, and then you left'' I looked from the two of them too Bianca both of us displaying a look of confusion on our faces.

''Charlie, you left this, this changes everything'' I watched as Angelo lifted the item that he was carrying in his hands, I felt like someone punched me in my stomach so hard that the breath in my lungs escaped through my ears.

''Your pregnant'' I stated looking straight at Charlie, tears strewing down her face,

Pregnant, the word just swivelled in my head, I looked up at Angelo and he was walking closer towards Charlie, I don't know what came over me but my hand swung back and with as much force as I could muster my fist connected with his face, sending him flying back in the sand and the pregnancy test flying out of his hand. I shook my hand as the pain seeped through slowly from the force of the punch and without thinking twice I grabbed Charlie's hand and began to drag her up the sand bank and towards my Ute, I could hear nothing apart from the thumping of my heart.

-x-

Eeek a long overdue chapter...sorry about the wait. I have been lazy but I have decided to write in between revision breaks as exams are coming. *please all put your hands in a praying motion and hope I pass, much appreciated*

So hopefully a few more chapters to come your way, once I get writing it doesn't tend to take me long but I do need the motivation to start sometime. Anyway if I don't manage an update soon, hope all are having a fun festive season.

And apologies for any mistakes... I'm so out of the writing loop...

Abz