Episode 7520

Extended Summary

Nikau is cleaning a boat outside the bait shop while Chloe and Bella watch. He asks if they fancy helping him but Chloe says she doesn’t want to get tired before work and Bella says she’s enjoying the view. Ryder approaches and tries to retreaton seeing Chloe but Alf gets him to go over and say something. After an awkward greeting, Ryder asks about Ari and Nikau says he’s getting better. Chloe asks if he wanted to ask anything else but Ryder heads off to work. Bella tries to ask Chloe about it but Chloe tells her to mind her own business. Shortly after, Bella sits down with Chloe and says just because she told her to doesn’t mean she’s going to. Chloe admits she kissed Ryder but says he wasn’t interested in a repeat performance. Bella realises she likes him but Chloe heads off to work.

Dean and Amber are in bed together, with Amber describing it as unexpected. They wonder about telling Jai, but moments later, he comes running in. After noting that’s where Amber is, he asks Dean about playing footy with him like he promised. Amber requests a good morning kiss, then the three of them wrestle. Meanwhile, Justin and Leah are also in bed, with Justin talking about framing the photo of them outside the house. Leah suggests they take a better one. Justin offers her a cuppa and heads out into the living area in his boxers… only to find Marilyn there minding Grace, since Tori was called into work. Justin retreats into the bedroom and notes the thing he’s most looking forward to is privacy.

At the Diner, Bella and Nikau discuss Chloe liking Ryder. Bella thinks that Ryder likes her too and is just being an idiot. Nikau reminds her what happened the last time they got involved and Bella points out none of them expected to be kidnapped. Willow comes in and smiles at Bella but Bella ignores her and leaves with Nikau. Irene tries to encourage Willow to hang in there. At the surf club, Chloe enters and Ryder asks if she’s heading up to work. Chloe sarcastically says she’s not going there for a meal and Ryder says he’ll see her up there. Justin shows Ryder a photo of their new place’s kitchen, asking his opinion of the bench and explaining he’s thinking of getting Leah a bigger one. He was also after more board wax but Dean isn’t around.

Meanwhile, Jai is finishing off breakfast and notes Dean said it would make him grow up strong. Willow arrives as Amber is taking Jai to school. Jai cheerily notes Dean and Amber sleep in the same bed now as he exits. Dean looks at Willow awkwardly before they go for a walk on the pier. Dean insists that they know what they’re doing and are together now. Willow wonders what will happen if it doesn’t work out and if Amber would just go back to the spare room. Dean says he’s got a chance of having a family. Willow warns him Amber could take Jai away again.

Bella and Nikau enter the surf club. Nikau tries to interest Bella in a swim or a game of pool but Bella is determined to sort things between Ryder and Chloe, convinced they’ll make a cute couple. Nikau says he’ll be there when it backfires. Bella heads up to Salt, where Ryder and Chloe pass each other without talking. Bella tells Ryder he’s taking a break and sits him down, saying Chloe thinks he rejected her. Ryder says she won’t talk to him and admits he likes her but thinks he’s missed the boat. Bella retorts that the boat has barely left the dock and encourages him to make her listen.

Dean looks at Jai’s things in the flat. Amber comes back and asks what Willow said, knowing she’d have an opinion. Dean fobs her off somewhat, asking about Jai and then saying he has to get to work, in a distant manner. At Salt, after a bit of sniping. Ryder asks Chloe into the store room to discuss olives. In fact, he wants to ask her if she likes him. Chloe says she’ll murder Bella and Ryder says he’ll help. Chloe admits it’s true and Ryder kisses her. Chloe wonders if it was a pity kiss. Ryder says he really likes her. They kiss again.

Justin comes into the Diner and quietly asks Marilyn if she can carry on looking after Grace. He explains that he wants to fit a new bench in the house for Leah. Nearby, Irene is serving Willow when Amber comes in and asks what Willow said to Dean. They go for a walk on the beach and Willow says she was worried about Amber taking Jai away. Amber says she’d never do that but Willow says she’s threatened to do it every time she and Dean disagree. She notes how invested Dean is in their family.

Bella is doing badly at pool but confidently tells Nikau that Ryder and Chloe will be making out now, noting she learned from her counsellors about radical emotional honesty. Ryder and Chloe come down from Salt, bickering, and dash past them. Once outside, they laugh that Bella and Nikau think they still hate each other. Ryder asks what she wants to do now and Chloe suggests going for a walk. Ryder asks if she’s ever been up to the lighthouse.

Dean and Jai arrive back at the Diner flat. Amber asks Jai to go and get changed. Jai guesses that Dean’s in trouble; noticing their looks, he says he is too now and hurries off. Amber assures Dean that she’s invested as well: She liked him even before Jai came along, she’s all in and she won’t stop him seeing Jai. Dean notes it looks like she’s moving into his room and they kiss. At the surf club, Bella is shooting looks over at Willow, who is chatting to a client. Nikau asks if he can try some emotional honesty on her. Bella says Willow betrayed Colby. Nikau reminds her she was planning to leave Colby and come to New Zealand with him, and also suggests that it’s not entirely Willow’s fault that Colby’s in jail and it might be worth forgiving her. Bella goes over to Willow who offers to get out of her way. Bella suggests they talk instead.

Leah runs up to Justin on the pier, asking what the surprise Marilyn mentioned was. Justin explains about his plan for the bench, then reveals that when he went to get the keys from the real estate agent they’d never heard of them: The house has been sold, but not to them. Meanwhile, Willow and Bella walk near the beach. Willow asks what Bella wanted to talk about and Bella says Willow’s the one who’s been wanting a conversation. After they chat about Nik, Willow says they can wait if Bella’s not ready. Bella says she wants to talk yet doesn’t, and loves Willow yet hates her… and might not forgive her. She asks how Angelo got to her. Willow points out they talked about that when she first came back. Bella says she wasn’t listening.

At the Diner, Leah and Justin fill Irene and Marilyn in on what’s happened. Leah is convinced that it’s a mistake as Justin notes they’ve handed over a $90,000 deposit and signed a contract. Irene asks what Susie says. Justin hasn’t been able to get hold of her but says he’ll try again. After the others have moved out of earshot, Irene tells Marilyn that Susie has the surf club money and the deposit. Marilyn says she can’t accuse people like that. Irene says she isn’t… yet.