Episode 7528

Extended Summary

Ryder, Bella, Nikau and Chloe are sat on the Salt balcony with Chloe excitedly insisting that there must be something in the air with all of them together plus Ari and Mia reuniting. She suggests they go on a double date. Bella protests they’re already on one. Chloe says she and Ryder work there. Ryder suggests they go for cocktails in the city for the weekend. Nikau tries to cut the conversation short by saying the pair have work but they still have ten minutes. Later, Bella and Nikau make their exit while Ryder suggests they meet after work. He is distracted by Chloe suggesting they create a cocktail together, allowing the others to slip away. Since Amber and Jai are at Bella’s and Ari is recuperating at Nikau’s, they settle for milkshakes at the Diner.

Downstairs, John learns about the hardware store threatening to sue and apologises to Alf and especially Leah for the mistakes he made with Susie. Leah assures him she doesn’t blame him for what Susie did. Alf says he’s been trying to work out the day to day running but isn’t on the committee anymore. John assumed Alf would be reinstated as president when he resigned but it doesn’t work like that. Alf checks that Susie didn’t have access to money. John looks awkward. Meanwhile, Justin arrives at the Diner and learns from Irene that Leah is helping out at the surf club. Roo arrives and tells Marilyn that John’s surfaced. Justin is unsympathetic and also unhappy that Leah seems more interested in helping the surf club than sorting out their financial problems. He heads off to work and Irene also excuses herself.

Irene arrives at the surf club as John is admitting that he got Susie to put the sponsorship money in another account. He says it would have been dodgier to put it in his own account but Alf retorts it would only have been dodgier if he’d run off with the money. Leah accesses the account and notes there’ve been no withdrawals: However, the sponsorship money isn’t there, meaning they have no funds to put on the competition and no way to stop themselves being sued. John is apologetic and Irene takes him for a walk. He says he convinced himself he was going to spend the rest of his life with Susie and would pay back the money except she emptied his account too. Irene encourages him to try and make things up.

At the Diner, Roo and Marilyn lament how things have gone for Justin and Leah. Bella and Nikau come in. Marilyn asks them about Ari but Bella cuts the conversation short, wanting to be alone with Nikau. However, Roo immediately sits at their table and asks about Ryder and Chloe. Bella confirms that they’re together. Roo goes to Salt where Ryder tries referring to Chloe as his workmate but Roo says she knows. Ryder notes he was keeping it quiet because he doesn’t have the best track record but Chloe makes him happy. Roo tells Chloe it’s nice to meet her (despite Chloe pointing out they’ve already met) and suggests she sit down so they can talk. Ryder hastily tells Chloe to get on with her work.

Irene escorts a nervous John into the Diner for a reunion with Marilyn. John apologises for worrying her then extends the apology to both of them for letting Susie hurt them, especially Irene. Meanwhile, Justin arrives at the surf club and tells Leah he’s brought in a few clients at the garage. Leah tries to avoid talking about the missing money and insists she’s trying to make a difference. Justin says he’s trying to make a difference for them but Leah dogmatically says the money’s gone and she’s not going to give him a fight. Justin leaves, bitterly telling her to look after herself. Once home, he makes an irate phone call to the police, complaining about the lack of progress.

Bella and Nikau are relaxing outside the Paratas’ house with Ari resting inside. Just as they’re enjoying having alone time, Ryder and Chloe turns up. Ryder comments on them dropping him in it with Roo but Nikau retorts they’d have been engaged by the time they told her. Bella suggests the pair can hang out at Ryder’s but Chloe replies that he doesn’t have a pool and soon they’re messing about in there. Nikau tries to say they’re disturbing Ari but Chloe argues she has as much right to be there as Nikau. Bella snaps and walks away. Nikau follows her and Bella complains that everywhere’s crowded: She’s not used to being around big families and misses when it was just the two of them in the middle of nowhere. Nikau suggests they go away together.

Roo calls round to see Justin, brushing aside his claim to be busy and saying she’s worried about him and Leah. He notes that if they hadn’t trusted Susie, he and Leah would be in their own place by now, but she’s pretending it never happened. Roo says that’s how Leah deals with things, trying to fix them, and neither is wrong. Some time later, Leah and Justin meet at Salt. Leah says she can’t act like a victim and Justin says he needs her. However, his attention is drawn to John, who has just entered, and he angrily berates him for not realising what was going on with Susie. John says he was a fool and he’s sorry but Justin brushes it aside and storms out.

Leah follows Justin downstairs, saying John’s not to blame, Susie is. She nearly says something else but stops herself. Justin accuses her of blaming him and Leah snaps that she does: He kept pushing for the house after they were rejected for the loan. Justin sarcastically thanks her for talking to him and heads down the beach. Seeing Leah following him, he grabs a nearby board and heads out into the water. Leah calls out that she’ll still be there when he comes back. After paddling out some distance, Justin starts to turn round but then a massive wave knocks him off the board, leaving him floundering in the water. Leah calls out to him frantically.