Sweet Misery

[Dingo x]

Great update. Aww the scene with Chax on the beach.

Looking forward to more. xx

[Samantha1]

Such a great chapter, love how good a friend Charlie was to Brax

[Sazzle]

Enjoying this story loads!! Loved Charlie sticking up for Brax!

Really great fun interaction and conversation and looking forward to your next update

[JosieTash]

REALLY enjoyed that, especially ......

 He was beginning to get used to Angelo's ways, much to the annoyance of the other man. Charlie kept telling him that he would eventually let his guard down around him, but Brax was starting to get the feeling that that would never happen.

 She had no idea what he had in mind but he had sounded excited about it on the phone. Deciding that maybe a change in scenery might help the rest of her shift progress, she picked up her now empty coffee cup and headed into the lobby of the police station.

 Charlie threw Watson a look before pushing open the front door and charging inside.

A drunk Cheryl Braxton was stood in the middle of the living room, screaming at a frightened looking Casey. Charlie immediately noticed a cut on the side of his head; the blood staining the left side of his face. Brax stood in between the two, blocked Cheryl from getting anywhere near her younger son. The look of relief at seeing Charlie was quickly replaced by one of embarrassment. He tried not to make eye contact with her.

 "Talk to him about the police." She pointed angrily in Casey's direction, who was now just staring down at the floor. "Have you boys not listened to anything I've ever taught you? First school, Casey and now shacking up with a Pig's daughter?" Her words were slurred and her eyes barely open, but regardless her insult had the desired impact. She picked up her wine glass. She downed the remainder of the drink before launching the glass towards her sons. They moved out of the way as the glass collided with the wall and shattered onto the floor.

Charlie quickly moved towards Cheryl, standing between her and Brax. "I'm going to have to ask you to calm down, Miss Braxton." Cheryl spat in Charlie's direction, but thankfully due to her alcohol intake she missed and it hit the floor. She stumbled back slightly, just as Watson stepped forward and caught her, bringing her hands behind her back. Charlie heared Brax sigh behind her. Watson took out her handcuffs and fastened them around her wrists.

 Charlie didn't know what he was going through; her upbringing had been a little different. But she couldn't help but feel like she had to help him in whatever way she could.

 "It'll do you good to get this off your chest. I can come back and get Casey's statement later on..."

Brax shook his head. "I dont think so, Charlie..."

"Come on. Don't make me arrest you...."

For the first time that day Brax smiled. "For what exactly?"

Charlie smiled back at him and shrugged. "For erm...ignoring police advice."

 She came home and found him in his room studying and she just flipped. She told him she wanted him to quit school and get a job."

"Surely she would rather Casey received a good education?"

"Don't get me wrong, she wants what's best for him. But in her head, that doesn't involve school. And it definitely doesn't involve Casey dating Ruby. She wants us all to be as far away from the police as we can be." He hated saying the words just as much as he hated the change on Charlie's face as she heard them.

 Charlie couldn't help but smile at the thought of the group confiding in each other. It definitely went against the image they all portrayed to everyone else.

 "Where were you this afternoon?" He questioned. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to know the answer or whether or not he already knew it.

Charlie shrugged as she stood up. "I was helping out a friend. Now drop it. Are you ready?" She walked out of the Diner, leaving Angelo to sulk behind her.

[Chax47]

Hey!!

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews I'm really excited about this chapter, hope you enjoy

Chapter 6

Charlie stood silently in the kitchen doorway, watching as her best friend poured herself a cup of coffee. Leah turned around and noticed her, gesturing at the kettle.

"Do you want one?"

Charlie nodded as she stepped further into the room, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around her. Leah was already dressed and ready for work. She handed Charlie her drink as she poured milk into her own.

"Leah, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Leah gave Charlie a warm smile which immediately put her at ease. "Of course you can, is everything ok?"

"Yeah everything is fine. You and Miles...you're good friends, right?" Leah nodded so Charlie continued. She was thankful for the cup of coffee in her hands; it gave her something to focus on as she tried to make sense of her thoughts. "Have you ever thought of him as something more than a friend, even though you probably shouldn't?"

Leah silently considered Charlie's question before answering. "It's not something I try to do, but maybe once or twice the thought has occured to me." Charlie felt the knot in her stomach settle slightly as she heared the words she had been longing for. "You know, we get along really well, we care for each other, he makes me laugh; it's easy to fall into that whenever I'm feeling down about being single. But then just as quick as I have the thought, I tell myself that it's a bad idea. Once you cross that line, there's no getting the friendship back."

Leah noticed the changed on Charlie's face, and couldn't help but feel concerned. "Charlie, what's this about?"

Charlie quickly forced a smile on her face. "It's nothing." She glanced at the clock. "I'm going to be late for work. I better get changed." She hurried from the kitchen, with Leah following closely behind her.

"Wait, we're still on for tonight, right?" Leah called after her, causing Charlie to stop in her tracks. Her mind raced through her schedule for the week as she tried to figure out what Leah was talking about.

Leah sensed her hesitation and rolled her eyes as Charlie spun around. "Angelos? Come on, we haven't had a girl's night for ages. Plus Bianca is really excited!" Leah trailed off, hoping that Charlie wouldn't want to disappoint two friends by declining.

Charlie smiled. An evening with her best friends and some wine might just be what she needed. "I'll be there don't worry."

----

Charlie and Watson walked out of the Diner, each carrying a cup of coffee. It had been a slow morning at work so the partners had decided to take a coffee break and get some fresh air out of the office.

"Are you ok? You've been quiet this morning?" Watson asked, throwing Charlie a concerned look.

Charlie took her sunglasses off her head and covered her eyes, knowing that Watson wouldn't be able to tell that she was lying. "I'm just tired." She forced a smile as she took a sip of her drink. Watson seemed to buy it as she didn't push the issue further.

After her argument with Angelo the other day, it had taken him a day or two before he apologised. He had promised her that he would try a little harder to get along with his business partner, although Charlie was still far from convinced. She was confused and the more she thought about it the worse she began to feel.

"I think we should check that out." Watson informed her, nodding down towards the water.

Charlie followed her gaze, settling her eyes on a group of River Boys partying on the beach. Charlie could see that they were drinking, and judging by the noise that was coming up from the beach they had been drinking for a while.

Charlie found her heart beating faster as the two women made their way down the shore towards the group of rowdy men. Please don't be there.

The men didn't notice their arrival until Georgia spoke up, causing them all to turn to face them. "Don't you think it's a little too early in the day to be drinking, boys?"

Charlie silently scanned the crowd before her eyes found him. She was thankful for the sunglasses; at least he wouldn't notice her looking at him. Although that didn't stop him from stepping out of the crowd and walking towards the two women, dressed only in a pair of board shorts.

Why does no one wear clothes around here? Charlie groaned to herself as she pushed the glasses to the top of her head and made eye contact with him.

"Officers, I'm sorry. We were just leaving." Brax glanced at Watson, before focusing his attention on Charlie, a small smile on his face. Charlie tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she glanced behind Brax.

"We've been looking for some chicks! Join the party!" One of the boys shouted, as the rest of the crowd cheered him on. Brax's face dropped as he turned around and glared at the group. They immediately shut up.

Charlie was about to say something but Brax cut her off. "I'm sorry. We're leaving now, there won't be anymore trouble." He threw her an apologetic smile.

"Consider this a warning...." She aimed her comment at the other men but her eyes eventually fell back onto Brax.

They looked at each other for a minute before her and Watson walked away. One of the crowd wolf whistled loudly at the two women, only for the sound to be interrupted by Brax's voice.

"Shut up you idiot. Go on, get lost."

Charlie couldn't help the smile which appeared on her face as she walked away.

-------

Charlie, Leah and Bianca made their way through the Surf Club and up the stairs in Angelos. They had each made an effort for the evening, opting on tight colourful dresses and high heels. For a Friday night, the restaurant was packed but they managed to eventually find a table. Charlie glanced over towards the bar and was slightly disappointed to not find the face she was looking for behind the bar.

"I'll get the first round. White, or red?" After deciding on a wine choice, Charlie made her way to the bar. As she gave her order to the bartender, Brax walked out of the kitchen. His smile grew as he noticed Charlie standing at the bar.

"I'll take care of these." He dismissed the bartender as he continued to pour Charlie three glasses of white wine.

"Hey."

Brax smiled back at her. "Hello yourself. I'm sorry about earlier on."

She shrugged as she returned his smile. Work was the last thing she wanted to discuss right now but she appreciated his sentiment all the same. "It's ok. How's things back home?"

Brax sighed as he finished pouring the last glass. "Still the same. Mum's pretty much refusing to talk to Casey and her drinking has worsened. I don't know how much more of it we can all put up with..."

Leah and Bianca were joking at the table, waiting for Charlie to return with the drinks. She had left over five minutes ago to order, and although the restaurant was busy, it shouldn't have taken her that long.

"Who is that man Charlie is talking to?" Bianca asked, focusing her attention through the crowd onto Brax and Charlie. They looked engrossed in a conversation.

Leah looked towards the bar and then back at Bianca. "That's Brax. He's Angelo's new business partner."

"We've needed some new eye candy around here. He is beautiful!" Bianca swooned as she checked out Brax.

Leah couldn't help but laugh as she slapped Bianca's arm. "You haven't even had a drink yet, and you're already starting!"

Bianca blushed slightly as she shrugged. "I'm sorry...but come on. Look at him!"

Charlie came back to the table, carrying the drinks. "So, what have I missed?" She sat down beisde Bianca, facing the bar.

Bianca smiled at Leah as she took a large gulp of the wine. "More like what have we missed. What's Brax's story?" She took another sip of her wine as she looked over at Charlie. Leah laughed as she reached for her wine.

Charlie felt her breath catch in her throat as she glanced over towards the bar and then back at her blonde friend. "What?" She too reached for her wine, hoping the bitter liquid would ease the discomfort Bianca's question had caused her.

"Is he single?" Bianca asked, a twinkle in her eye.

Charlie shrugged, realising that she actually didn't know the answer to the question. "I honestly have no idea."

Leah managed to get the conversation away from Brax as the group of women finished their first glass of wine. Bianca found herself glancing frequently at the bar, watching Brax while he worked. A few times she caught him gazing back over in their direction but quickly looked away as she caught him. She smiled to herself.

Before any of them had a chance to go back to the bar, Brax appeared at the table side with three more glasses.

"Compliments of the management, ladies." He placed each of the glasses down on the table. He discretely winked at Charlie as he walked away. Charlie tried to hide her smile with her wine glass, while the other two women remained completely oblivious.

No matter how hard Charlie tried to steer it away, Bianca always found a way to bring the conversation back to Brax.

"You guys are friends, right? You must know what type of woman he goes for?" Bianca begged her best friend for information but again, Charlie realised that she had absolutely no idea.

"Yeah we're friends, but I really don't know his women type. It's not something that's come up in conversation." Charlie glanced in Leah's direction, begging her with her eyes to help her.

Leah cleared her throat as she tried to get Bianca's attention away from Charlie. "So, what happened with Liam? I thought you two were going to give that another shot?"

Bianca stared down into her wine glass as Leah's words flowed through her. Downing the remainder of the drink, she felt the effects of the alcohol take it's course. The pain she normally felt when thinking about Liam quickly faded into her drunkness.

"That's all in the past. I need to start taking control of my life...starting with a little male attention. We've been stealing glances at each other all night." She stood up. "I'm going to go and ask him out. Take control! Another round ladies?" She didn't even wait for an answer as she made her way through the crowds towards the bar.

Charlie watched from the table as Bianca caught Brax's attention and they began talking. The jealousy tore threw Charlie's body, settling in her stomach with a wave of nausea. As she finished off her wine she tore her gaze away from the bar and back to Leah, missing Brax looking over in her direction.

"I'm not feeling too good. I'm just going to go home. Tell Bianca I said goodbye." She didn't give Leah a chance to say anything as she stood up, glancing once last time at the bar before walking out of the restaurant.

Brax glanced back over to their table, hoping that he would see Charlie making her way over to him to save him. Instead, all he saw was Leah sat on her own. His eyes quickly scanned the restaurant looking for her, but the feeling of Bianca's hand taking hold of his brought his attention back to the woman standing in front of him.

------

Charlie sat alone on the couch, a cup of tea resting lightly on her knee. This was far from how she imagined the night from ending; her sat in alone in her pajamas with a hot beverage. The voice in the back of her head told her that she was being stupid and totally unreasonable. Her jealousy had no grounds, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't shift the mood that had settled over her since seeing Brax and Bianca together.

Leah appeared in the doorway, tossing her keys on the table. The noise made Charlie jump slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you feeling any better?"

Leah asked as she fell down onto the couch beside her friend.

Charlie nodded as she forced a smile. "Yeah I guess. How did Bianca get on?" She held her breath as she waited for the answer.

Leah shrugged. "I don't know, she's still at Angelo's."

Charlie felt her stomach drop. "So you don't know if he said yes?" She tried to keep her question nonchalant but Leah knew her friend better than Charlie had anticipated.

"It's Brax isn't it. The conversation we had this morning." Charlie didn't say anything but her cheeks reddened slightly. "I didn't even know you two were friends?"

"Only recently. I don't know, the whole thing is messed up." Charlie threw her head onto the back of the couch, feeling a slightly relief at being able to finally talk to someone about it.

Leah reached across and rubbed her friends arm. "Do you like him?"

Charlie turned her head and met Leah's gaze. They held eye contact momentarily before Charlie stood up.

"I'm gonna go to bed." She gave Leah a small smile as she made her way to the bedroom.

"I'm here if you want to talk."

Charlie just nodded at her friend as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

-----

She had eventually managed to drift off into some sort of semi sleep state when a knocking sound caught her attention. At first, she dismissed the noise, rolling over as she tried to drift off back to sleep. But each time the noise became louder and a little more persistant.

Sitting up, Charlie glanced at the clock and frowned. 02:15.

"What the hell?" She whispered as she grabbed a sweater and walked into the bedroom door. Standing in the darkness, she glanced towards both the front and the back door before the knock sounded again and she made her way through the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find Brax standing there.

"Brax....what are you doing here? It's two in the morning." Charlie spoke softly, rubbing at her eyes before running her hands through her hair. God knows what I look like.

He gave her a half smile as he leant on the doorframe and shrugged. "I know, I'm sorry it's late. It's just...you left before without saying goodbye. I just wanted to check that you were ok?"

For a moment Charlie was touched by his thought but then her thoughts quickly returned to what had happened earlier on in the bar.

"Yeah I'm fine. I wasn't feeling too well. And besides, you looked a little busy anyway." She immediately regretted it once the words left her mouth. She hadn't meant it to sound so harsh.

Brax laughed lightly. He figured that jealousy might mean that she liked him a little bit, although he didn't want to dwell on the thought. "Yeah, Bianca was a little full on. You could have saved me back there...." He smiled at her, hoping that she would return the smile but her face remained straight.

"You're not mine to save, Brax."

The words pierced right through him and he was thankful for the darkness; at least she wouldn't be able to totally see the hurt look on his face.

"I'm not interested in dating Bianca, Charlie." He reached his hand out to touch hers but she quickly pulled away and folded her arms across her chest.

"Look, Charlie." He continued, keeping his voice low so as to not wake the rest of the house. "Apart from the River Boys, you are the only friend I have around her. I'm not about to mess this up by dating your best friend."

She raised her eyes to look at him, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "Who you date is none of my business." Hearing herself saying the words brought the reality of it home for Charlie.

"I know but..."

"Charlie?" Ruby's voice came from inside as the living room light was flicked on.

Charlie glanced inside before looking back at Brax. "It's late, I best get back inside." He nodded, although he couldn't hide the disappoint on his face. "Goodnight Brax." She looked at him once more before closing the door and leaning back against it.

----

So....thoughts?!?!

Lianne x

[Inactive User]

Fab chapter More soon please xx

[cb2180]

Am really enjoying this fanfic, update soon!

[Jen1205]

Poor Charlie you can tell she is really struggling with her feelings for Brax and him turning up at her door at 2 in the morning to see if she was ok

Oh I love the line "Why does no one wear clothes around here?" You just know she is actually really enjoying the view

Brilliant again Lianne. I'm really enjoying this story and absolutely love your writing, Cant wait for the next chapter.

[RoRo90]

really enjoying this fanfic

so obvious she as feeling for him, I really want her to fold soon and admit it preferably to Brax

love that he turned up on her door step why did Ruby have to interrupt

hope Bianca doesn't really like him that would be extremely awkward to say the least

update soon earger to read the next chapter

[faith406]

Loved that chapter and love this fic, can't wait for the next update :-)