Episode 7653

Extended Summary

Nikau joins Bella on the beach with some coffee. Bella is just finishing off a phone conversation with Mackenzie and tells him about Dean taking his medication. She notes she has the flat to herself. At the Parata house, Mia tries to get Ari to sign the contract, saying it could set them up. Ari is worried about involving someone else. He says if they’re caught, she could be charged as an accessory and they could both go to prison. Mia thinks it’s worth the risk. Bella and Nikau arrive, with Nikau calling out that he’s just going to get some things and go stay with Bella. Mia quickly leaves. Nikau finds the contract and looks shocked.

Alf is trying to untangle a fishing line outside the Diner, telling Marilyn he was hoping to catch something for him and Martha and complaining about her and Roo spending all their time on the fundraiser. Leah and Justin appear and Leah explains she’s still worried about Theo. Justin points out that he’s twenty and is probably staying with a mate. Alf says you can’t help kids if they don’t want it. Leah and Justin head inside with Justin trying to get Leah to take Alf’s advice. Tori and Christian are just leaving; Tori says they need to sort a wedding venue. Christian thinks she should prepare for her job interview but Tori doesn’t think she’ll get one. Leah gets a text and hopes it’s Theo but it’s Irene reminding her of a delivery.

Tori, Christian and Grace arrive at the surf club. Tori gets a phone call and sends them on ahead while she takes it. Jasmine approaches Mia and asks about the contract. Mia says Ari will bring it round later. Back at the house, Nikau and Bella chat to Ari about the contract. Ari says there’s still a lot of paperwork to do. Nikau wonders how they can afford it. Ari says they’re talking to financial people. Nikau is enthusiastic and Bella agrees. Ari says it’s good to see the two of them have worked things out.

Tori joins Christian in Salt. She tells him she’s got an interview tomorrow morning online and she’s in the final three. Christian is delighted for her. They go to the Diner to tell Leah and Justin. Justin is bewildered since she said she didn’t have a chance. Marilyn also offers her congratulations. Tori says it’ll be practice for future interviews. Christian quietly tells Leah and Justin that she’s excited; Justin seems to have mixed feelings.

Bella and Nikau find Mia setting up a class and tell her they know about her and Ari buying the gym and are happy for her. Mia agrees it’s an amazing opportunity, but Nikau calling it a legit business seems to give her pause. Later, Bella and Nikau are curled up on the sofa in the Diner flat. They consider getting dinner to eat in. Nikau notices the bag with her camera and suggests she take it with them and photograph the sunset. Bella says she just left it out and isn’t interested in taking photographs anymore. Nikau is surprised, saying she’s amazing at it. Bella says she has other things to focus on and kisses him.

Jasmine is packing up the office at the gym when Mia arrives back. Jasmine says she’s happy to be selling to her and Ari. She suggests they meet for dinner at Salt to mark the occasion. Mia agrees, heading home. She finds Ari sat looking at the contract: He says he’s still thinking about it. Mia says she didn’t think about how hard it would be for him and doesn’t know what he went through in prison. Ari says he shouldn’t have given her the money. Mia notes she’ll tell Jasmine they’re pulling out and he can do whatever he likes with the money, even being prepared to give up on the adoption plan.

Back at the flat, Nikau tells Bella he wants things to get back to normal. He hopes something will come up for him at the bait shop and suggests she go back to TAFE and do photography, with him maybe joining her. Bella insists she’s not into it anymore and won’t go back. At Salt, Mia starts to tell Jasmine they’re pulling out but then Ari appears and gives her the signed contract. Mia is delighted.

Leah and Justin are walking by the beach. Justin thinks the hospital will talk to heaps of people, not convinced Tori is in the top three. He says they’ll deal with her leaving if it happens. Leah checks her phone and Justin assures her Theo will land on his feet. That night, Tori is setting up an office area in the front room where she can do the interview. Christian emerges from the bedroom and she tells him she couldn’t sleep. She also has prompt cards set up. Christian then gets a call into work to help out with a car crash and has to leave.

Next morning, Bella meets Nikau on the pier, having been summoned by a note and alarm. Nikau produces her camera and says he wants to help her find her passion. She doesn’t take it so Nikau takes shots of her. Bella takes it from him and, for a few moments, seems to enjoy taking photos of him, but as she does so, she has flashbacks to the last shoot with Sienna and to Nikau telling her they’d slept together. Bella gives him the camera back and says she can’t do it. At the Morgan house, Tori, Justin, Leah and Grace are having breakfast together, with Tori still in her dressing gown. Christian arrives back and is bemused, saying Tori’s interview is about to start. Tori says she’s got an hour but then her laptop starts ringing. Christian realises she forgot to take daylight saving time into account when calculating the time difference. Leah rushes Tori into the bedroom to get changed. Justin answers the call, saying it’s Doctor Morgan’s office, but seems to have no idea what to do next.

Nikau returns to the flat and asks Bella what happened, saying it’s just what they used to do. Bella says that, even though she’s forgiven him, they can’t go back there. Nikau doesn’t want her to give up on something she loves because of him. Bella tells him to leave her alone and disappears off into her room.