Crooked Halos Ch. 10 Charity/Brayden Chadresa
by LilAngelGirl
 
 

~*~*~*~*~
 

Charity looked at her light blue dress one more time as she turned to Bray. "This thing is horrible." She frowned.
"You look so innocent in it though." He laughed.
"You owe me big Mama’s boy." Charity said grinning as Bray rolled his eyes and knocked on his parents door.
Sticking out his hand he grinned. "Are you ready sweetheart."
Charity looked down at his hand. "Wait a second, you never said anything about touching."
"Just take my hand Standish. It will be over before you know it."
"Sure it will." She sighed slipping her hand into his as the door opened.
"Brayden you made it." A woman smiled.
"I said I would didn’t I?" Bray said giving his mother a hug.
The woman then smiled at Charity moving a strand of her brown hair from her face. "And who is this lovely young lady?"
"This is Charity Standish, Charity my mother, Faye Rogers."
"Nice to meet you ma’am. Bray has told me wonderful things about you." Charity said sweetly extending her hand.
"I wish I could say the same about you, but my son here only told me about you today." Faye frowned.
Charity smiled sweetly at the woman. "Well that’s Bray for you. Always forgetting the important stuff."
"Yes, isn’t that the truth dear." Faye laughed ushering the newly formed couple into the house.
Charity looked up at Bray and smiled. "And I am very important." She whispered.
"You wish." He muttered.
"So Charity do you live here in Texas?" Faye’s voice sounded from the larger dining room.
"No actually I don’t." Charity told her as she and Bray walked into the room.
"So where are you from?" Faye asked.
"Charity travel’s all over mother." Bray said as Charity glared at him.
"Liar." She whispered as he gripped her hand a big harder.
"I am thinking of staying in Texas now though. Its such a beautiful place." Charity smiled.
"Yes isn’t it? I love it here." The woman said looking up at Bray with a huge grin, letting him know he had finally done well.
"Mother, is dad around?" Bray quizzed.
Faye nodded. "Upstairs let me go get him." She smiled, then looked back at Bray, "And son, be have yourself while I’m gone." She said with a chuckle.
When Brayden’s mother dissappeared Charity let go of his hand and looked up at him. "What did she mean by that?"
Bray laughed. "You’ll see soon enough." He told her.
"Brayden, what did she mean?" Charity asked again.
Bray lowered his head. "When she starts to come back down I’m going to kiss you okay?" He asked a grin dancing on his lips.
"Oh no you’re not!" Charity almost yelled.
"Keep your voice down!" He told her. "Look if my mom doesn’t see me kissing you she will never believe I am interested in you. She always catches me kissing girls, but this time she was grinning, so she likes you.’ He finished.
"Kissing you wasn’t part of the deal." Charity said turning away.
"Trust me it won’t hurt you. In fact I think you will enjoy it." He grinned.
Charity put her hands on her hips. "You are so full of yourself." She informed him just as she heard voices coming down the stairs.
Quickly Bray rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I promise it won’t hurt." He smiled as he brushed his lips against hers, Charity’s arms wrapping around his neck. Suddenly she pulled back. "Bray, not in you’re parents house. Its disrespectful." She said sweetly looking up at him with a glare.
"You are too good to be true." He grinned just as his parents entered the room.
"Did we walk in on something?" His father grinned giving him a wink.
Charity took a deep breath and leaned against a chair arm, trying to understand why her legs had suddenly went so weak.
~*~*~*~*~

Chad knocked on Theresa’s door and waited, praying she would answer and let him come in. He needed to see her, talk to her, make her understand his love was for real.

Slowly the door opened and Theresa looked out. "Chad." She whispered softly staring up at him.
"Can we talk Theresa?" He asked his tone light.
"Come in." She said looking at him like a scared child.
"Are you okay?" Chad asked as she shut the door behind them.
"Did you know?" She whimpered, looking up at him, slowly backing away.
"Know what?" Chad asked dumbfounded.
"The truth." She replied running her hands through her hair.
"Truth? Resa are you okay? You’re scaring me." Chad said walking toward her.
"No! Answer me first Chad. Do you know who you’re father is?" She asked looking down at the ground.
"My father? No Resa, you know I have no idea who he is." Chad told her. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"You really don’t know?" Theresa said chewing on her lip. "Or are you lying like all the rest of them." She cried.
"Theresa baby, what on earth is going on?" Chad begged reaching out to touch her hand.
"Don’t touch me." She bluntly told him.
"What? Resa what’s wrong?" Chad asked.
"You belong to him, Chad. That man." She cried out backing up until her back was up against the wall.
"Belong to who? You know who my father is?" He asked.
She nodded her head, tears streaming down her face. "He told me. Told me when he tried to attack me." She whispered.
"Attack you?" Chad said looking at her.
"Yes Chad. He said you would turn out just like him."
Chad thought for a moment, "Theresa what are you talking about, who said I was his son."
"Julian." She yelled. "Julian Crane told me you belonged to him! You are his son with Eve Russell, Chad. You’re a Crane!" She screamed.
" Theresa have you been drinking?’ Chad asked looking at her. "No way am I Julian Cranes son. And Eve Russell? That ain’t right Resa, how can I belong to those two?" He asked.
"Don’t you think I checked it out Chad? I called Dr. Russell, and she admitted she had a son with Julian, it all fits Chad. You are their long lost son." She said looking up at him.
Chad felt his body go numb as he sank down on Theresa’s couch. "This can’t be happening." He said shaking his head. "No, I can’t be his son." He muttered looking up at Theresa. "I just can’t be."
~*~*~*~

"Charity this is my father, Keith Rogers" Bray said looking up at his father.
"Nice to meet you sir." Charity said forcing a smile as she gathered herself.
"Son, where did you find this young lady? I must say, she’s must nicer than any of those other girls." Keith said smiling at Charity.
"Keith, I’m sure Charity doesn’t want to hear about all those other girl’s Bray used to date." His wife scolded.
"Of course not. Forgive me for bringing them up." Keith said looking at his son with a grin.
"This is a lovely house Mr. And Mrs. Rogers. "Charity said adding a extra sugary sweet tone come into her voice.
"Yes, we are very proud of it." Bray’s mother smiled.
"Faye dear, do you need help with supper?" Keith said looking down at his wife lovingly.
"Yes actually I do."
"Oh I can help." Charity offered feeling Bray’s hand brush hers as he looked down at her with a fake smile.
"No dear, you and Bray just relax in the den, while we prepare." Faye said looking at her son. "But thank you for offering."
"Really its no problem." Charity said again, trying not to beg.
"Its very kind of you, but we can handle it." Keith laughed.
Bray put his arm around Charity’s waist. "Charity, why don’t we do as my parents said." He said giving her a warning look.
"Yeah, okay." She sighed, as they walked away from his parents.
"Don’t push it, if you over do it they will figure it out." Bray said worried.
"Charity shrugged. "Whatever. "
"Look, I need this. I need to see my mother approve of something I do at least once in my life." He frowned.
"But its all a lie. We are not together, so how can you feel good about this?" She questioned his as they sat down.
"She’s smiling, I am making her smile. She hates my modeling, thinks my writing is crazy, and never likes the girls I date. But tonight she smiled at me." Bray sighed.

Suddenly Charity shut her eyes a pain hitting her in the head.

I can never do anything right! You hate everything I do don’t you mom? Admit it? You can’t stand who I am!" Charity shouted.
"I love you! But I don’t love who you are. Charity you are just like your father, honestly sometimes I think you do things just to make me mad at you." Faith Standish yelled.
" Well I’d rather be like him, then be like you mom!" Charity yelled.
"But kicked out of school Charity? My child got kicked out of school?" Faith screamed.
Charity shrugged. "At least now you’re paying attention to me." She laughed bitterly.
" Was that why you did it Charity? So I would pay attention to you?"
"Maybe." Charity said shaking her head. "Its not like it matters anyway."
"Of course it matters. You got caught drinking on school grounds Charity. And with that boy at that."
Charity rolled her eyes. "Please, spare me the speech on how I should and shouldn’t act. You spend all your time at work, why do you care what I do?"
"I work because you’re father doesn’t help me, I work because someone has to take care of you."
"Are we done here?" Charity said looking at the stairs. " I’m going to dad’s tonight, at least he doesn’t nag me." She said storming of the stairs.

"Charity, are okay?" Bray said staring at her.
"I, I didn’t. I couldn’t have." She muttered. "That’s not me. I wouldn’t." She said to herself ignoring Bray.
"Charity, what’s wrong." He said again.
"No! I was a good kid." She said shaking her head.
Bray grabbed Charity’s shoulders and turned her toward him. " Talk to me Charity." He said raising his voice.
Charity blinked and looked at him. " I don’t want to remember anymore." She suddenly cried collapsing in his arms.