If No One Will Listen

[**Julie**]

Awww poor Nicole.

Loved the sneak peek.

Brilliantly written chapter. I love the way you write both of them. Can't wait to read more.

[Louise_2983]

Me.. a Geoff and Nicole shipper?... never!

Can't wait for the next chapter, the heart to heart between Aden and Nicole looks good- unfortunately he is making alot more sense than I would like

Oh I wasn't including you in that sentence, I know you're not a fan

If even the Nicole lovers think Aden's talking sense I think I might just have got that scene right yay

[jdoddy]

Nice use of sarcasm there.. Looking forward to the next chapter

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 9

The door slammed behind him with a resounding thud as he stormed into the kitchen, stopping only as he caught sight of the blonde figure slumped over the metal table littered with text books and study notes.

“What’s sleeping beauty doing here?” he asked her reaching out a flat palm to knock Geoff back to the land of the living.

“Leave him!” Nicole ordered, slapping his hand away.

“He’s exhausted”

“So is Annie but the last I saw of her, she was looking after his daughter!”

If took all the restraint he had not to add the words your daughter to the end of his sentence.

He knew from the look of pain flashing momentarily across her pretty face that he didn’t need to.

She’d tacked those words on mentally herself.

“What is he doing here anyway?”

“We were just drafting an international peace treaty” she snapped sarcastically.

“What does it look like we were doing?”

“You’ve got to stop encouraging him Nic”

“To do what? Pass the HSC? I didn’t realise that was a bad thing”

“You know he still has feelings for you, he still thinks you’re going to be a happy little family one day and if you’re still sticking to your guns and insisting that won’t be the case then you have to stay

away from him. Stop dangling yourself in front of him like some sort of prize he can win if he puts in enough effort!”

“I don’t do that!”

“Maybe not intentionally but secretly you love it” Aden told her knowingly as he flung open the fridge door and grabbed a beer, the transparent, emerald bottle clinking against those either side

of it as he removed it from the shelf and popped off the lid with a bottle opener.

“You love the chase. You love him pleading with you, telling you how much he wants you to be together”

“That’s not true!” she protested adamantly but his words struck a chord with her she wouldn’t admit.

“I don’t know what it is” he shrugged walking through into the lounge and flopping down onto the sofa as she followed.

“Maybe it’s because Roman wasn’t around and you never felt like your Mum wanted you”

“She didn’t” she whispered quietly sitting down next to him and hugging her knees close to her chest. She didn’t need reminding of how much of an inconvenience she had been to her own mother.

“And because of that you’re a tease. You want Geoff to want you even if you don’t want him and if he tells you about it, pleads with you even , then even better hey?”

“I don’t mean to tease him” she murmured behind a handful of blonde hair not admitting that Aden was right but tellingly not denying it either.

“I love him and there’s a big part of me that does want to be with him. When I found out about him and Claudia it really hurt. He spent months not sleeping with me and then it took him all of 5 minutes

to jump into the nearest caravan with her! I admit it, when he tells me that he wants us to be a family part of me likes it because it’s like a band aid temporarily patching up that big gaping wound that

feels like it’s never going to heal”

“Geoff’s got a wound too” he replied matter of factly as he glugged down the refreshing beverage he clutched in his strong hands.

“You walking out of hospital the other week, leaving Angelica behind and all this false hope you’re giving him, by trying to maintain some sort of relationship with him when you don’t want the same type

of relationship he wants, is his band aid Nic”

“I guess” she mumbled softly as he reached out his hand to gently rub her arm.

“It is false hope isn’t it? Because if it’s not and you want to be with him and Angelica then don’t waste any more precious time Nicole, get in there” he ordered flinging an arm towards the kitchen.

“And tell him right this minute!”

“No” she shook her head sadly.

“It is false hope and you’re right I have to start keeping my distance or he’s never going to accept it and neither am I. It’s just difficult when we go to the same school and live in the same claustrophobic

little town”

“Even so Perth’s a little far” he nodded towards the glossy prospectus on top of the stack she had dumped on the coffee table earlier.

“Why would you miss me?” she teased with a cheeky grin, playfully poking him in the ribs.

“Like a hole in the head!” he let out a low chuckle.

“But Roman needs you Nic”

“I know and I would never go anywhere if he wasn’t ok but it’s months until I have to decide and he could have recovered by then” she told him, hope tinging her high voice.

“I hope so”

“Me too” she smiled weakly.

“Because I love him and because I’m worried that if I stay around here Geoff will wear me down eventually and I’ll spend the rest of my life resenting him and Angelica and they’ll both hate me for it”

“Look I know what it’s like” Aden mumbled softly.

“Living in this tiny town, always having them around even when sometimes you just want to forget”

“I thought you and Belle were friends?” she asked knowingly.

“What’s she done now? Or was it you? That seems more likely actually...”

“She’s got Liam Murphy sleeping in her bed” he sighed in defeat, running his fingertip around the circular rim of his beer bottle.

“And is he doing anything else in her bed, other than sleeping?” she questioned suggestively.

“She’s says not”

“And you don’t believe her?” she asked hopping up and grabbing them both a beer from the fridge as he downed the last dregs of the one he already had.

“No, I believe her. I just don’t trust him. He’s not sleeping in her bed because it’s comfy Nic. The guy’s a rock star, how can I compete with that? He can give her anything she wants, take her

anywhere she wants and I come home from work every day stinking of fish!”

“Only because you chose to stay here to look after Belle” she reminded him as she handed him another beer and curled back up on the sofa.

“Great job I did of that too” he sniped in self deprecation which Nicole chose to ignore.

“She still meant more to you than anything else and she knows that” she reminded him softly with a smile.

“He might be a rock star Aden but I don’t think Belle wants a rock star...she wants the guy from the prawn trawler”

“I don’t think she wants either of us right now” he sighed deeply.

“And I’m worried that if she’s around him he’ll undo all the progress she’s made and she won’t even have the opportunity to get to the point where she might feel ready to have a relationship again, with

me or with anyone else, because she’ll be dead” he told her bluntly, slamming him empty bottle down onto the coffee table so forcefully that Nicole jumped slightly.

“And I’d rather watch her date every other guy in the Bay then let him do that to her Nic”

“Aden, it’s really sweet how protective you are and everything but you’re talking about Belle as if she hasn’t got a mind of her own and she’ll just go along with anything Liam says. You seem to be

forgetting that Belle was in rehab with Liam and she still managed to come out of there a long way back down to road to being her old self again”

“I just feel like he’s hurtling the wrong way down that road and he’s going to crash right into her Nic and no matter how much she fights he’ll ruin her. Belle’s not strong enough to be supporting other

people right now, she’s the one who needs support” he told her, his insides twisting painfully at the mere thought of Belle not getting through this.

He could handle living without her if he had to but not if she wasn’t living herself.

“You can’t protect her from the entire world Aden” Nicole whispered softly, seeing the pain and genuine concern radiating from his entire being.

“No matter how much you want to. If it wasn’t Liam it would be someone or something else. I mean I saw Russell hassling her the other day”

“WHAT?!!” he spluttered, struggling to keep in the mouthful of cold beer he had just taken.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Probably for the same reason Belle didn’t” she shrugged simply.

“Because you’d end up serving a life sentence for murder and we like having you around”

“You might, I’m not so sure about her” he told her genuinely worried that once Liam had well and truly wormed his way in to Belle’s life he would be surplus to requirements.

“Don’t be stupid Aden! She could have cut you out of her life completely after what happened between us. Hell she probably should have done! I would have done! But she didn’t and if that doesn’t

scream “I still love you” then I don’t know what does!”

“Did she buy anything from Russell?” he asked hesitantly, searching her face with his piercing blue eyes to make sure her answer was an honest one.

“Of course she didn’t! She told him where to go. Aden, are you sure it’s Liam you’re worried about because it seems to me like your trust issues really lie with Belle?”

“I don’t know Nic” he sighed peeling the label off the ice cold glass bottle.

“She lied and kept so many secrets from me and the only reason Russell’s giving her aggro now is because she went to him in the first place when this first started”

“She really did tell him where to go” Nicole smiled, nudging his arm gently with her own.

“Old school feisty Belle was back with avengeance!”

Rubbing his temple in frustration he exhaled a long, deep breath.

“All I know is that I love her Nicole, so much, and I’ve seen addiction destroy people I love before. I can’t let it happen to her too, I won’t let it happen to her too” he whispered as memories of

how his father had struggled to battle his own addiction flooded through him. He had destroyed his entire life, he couldn’t bear it if that happened to Belle too. He needed her to beat this.

“You can’t control every aspect of Belle’s life Aden. Whether it’s Liam or Russell or some innocent painkillers in the bathroom cabinet she is going to be tempted and you can’t stop that. She has to fight

this herself and all you can do is be there for her. And that means no more stressing her out because you’re jealous of some, quite frankly mediocre, pop star”

“You love him!” Aden chuckled, his head tilting back slightly in amusement.

“He’s number one on your ipod playlist!”

“Maybe he is” she muttered coyly, her cheeks blushing crimson.

“Maybe I do love him, maybe I even created an appreciation group for him on Facebook” she confessed, cringing as he laughed at her embarrassment.

“But I love you more”

“Platonically of course!” she exclaimed with a giggle as she saw a look of pure horror crash over his attractive features.

“Then where’s my Facebook group?” he teased, nudging her gently.

“Delayed. Belle wants copyright on all the photos, she’s a creative nightmare” she mocked playfully.

“Seriously Aden, she loves you anyone can see that. You just have to give her time and maybe show her that you can have a grown up relationship where you don’t throw a strop and run off every time

something happens that you don’t like”

“Ok” he scoffed, his eyes bulging wide at her cheek.

“Now you’re pushing it Princess, telling me to do something you can’t even manage yourself!”

“Maybe I am pushing it but it’s true. If you’d stuck by her when she needed you instead of walking away because of how her problems made you feel then it would be you in her bed right now not

Liam”

“Yeah” he replied simply taking another gulp of his drink and not elaborating further. He didn’t need to confirm that she was right verbally, they both knew it anyway.

“Go and wake Geoff up” he suddenly ordered her, slamming his glass down on the table.

“Aden, I told you I don’t want to be a family with him and An-“

“I know” he interrupted softly.

“I meant wake him up so I can take him home” he told her grabbing Roman’s car keys.

“I need to talk to Belle”

***

“I don’t believe you!” Annie exclaimed with a loud, over enthusiastic chuckle as Aden and Geoff entered the kitchen.

“It’s true I swear, he must have just hidden it before the cameras came around!” Liam protested from where he and Annie sat on the couch engrossed in Cribs with Belle sat in between them absorbed

by the baby girl snuggled up in her arms rather than the TV show.

“You’re just winding me up!” Annie laughed accusingly.

“You’ve probably never even been to his house before!”

“I have! I swear!” he argued as she continued to giggle unsure whether to trust what he was telling her.

“Seriously he holds the best parties in Hollywood, not that I can remember most of them because of you know...the drugs” he sighed in slight embarrassment.

“But a six foot statue of Jesus is not something you forget!”

“ A six foot statue of Jesus?” Aden questioned with a smirk suddenly alerting the three people lined up on the couch to his presence.

“You should get one Geoff”

“Yeah I’ll add it to my Christmas list” Geoff muttered sarcastically dumping his school stuff in a heap on the floor as he clearly struggled to keep his exhausted body upright.

“Hey” Belle smiled softly, tilting her head to look up at them as she held Angelica aloft before her, nuzzling her nose into the soft spot just below the little girl’s ears and eliciting a tiny, happy gurgle from

her.

She shifted uncomfortably as Aden’s gaze wandered over the three of them. It shouldn’t matter to her what he was thinking but in that moment it was all that mattered to her.

“Hey, can we talk?” he asked hesitantly, feeling as though he already didn’t have a place there.

“Alone?”

“Sure” she nodded, slowly getting to her feet.

“I was thinking maybe a walk and some fresh air would help this little one sleep better tonight, you could come with us?”

“Great” he smiled genuinely as he reached out to tickle the baby girl.

“I haven’t had any time with my favourite girl today have I rugrat?”

“Neither has Daddy here” Belle told him with a knowing glance at Geoff.

“But he looks like he’s about to drop so we’ll let him off won’t we precious?”

“Sorry Belle” Geoff sighed regretfully.

“I know I need to do more I just don’t have the time or the energy to do everything and stay awake too”

“Just go to bed Geoff but we need to work something out better than this”

“I know, sorry” he mumbled sheepishly, running his fingertips gently over his daughter’s head and pressing a kiss against her smooth cheek.

“That’s Daddy Angelica” Belle whispered cheekily.

“You remember Daddy don’t you?”

“So-” Geoff began to apologise once more before Belle cut him off.

“Night Geoff!” she told him, almost as order as she nestled Angelica snugly into her pram and turned back to face Liam and Annie.

“You guys will be ok without me won’t you?” she questioned as Geoff slipped into his room and shut the door behind him not even having the energy to argue with Belle about her letting Liam stay. Annie

had filled him in on the details at school and he couldn’t say that he was happy about it but he also couldn’t muster the strength to argue with her right then.

“Of course” Liam told her with a cheeky grin.

“There’s a double bill of The Hills on after this and Annie’s not going to believe the stories I’ve got about Lauren and Whitney!”

“Right” Belle chuckled, shaking her head slightly.

“Just give the your drug taking a miss from your stories hey?”

“Belle, Annie here is smarter than the both of us put together!” Liam objected, a tiny smile gracing Annie’s face upon hearing Liam Murphy call her smart.

“She’s not going to run out and take drugs just because I told her a few stories”

“Well at least keep it PG-13!”

“Yes Mum!” he laughed as Belle rolled her eyes towards the heaven and followed Aden, as he pushed Angelica’s pram, out of the house.

They didn’t speak a word as they walked along the moonlit beach with Aden pushing Angelica and Belle enjoying the gentle rhythm of the waves caressing the shore. Every minute or so the caught each

other’s eye and smiled coyly before one of them would look away and pretend to interest themselves with something else.

It was Belle who finally broke the comfortable silence lingering in the arid air between them, coming to a standstill and lifting her gaze to look at him.

“You know Aden, talking requires moving your lips”

“Well” he smirked cheekily.

“I can think of another activity that involves moving my lips that would be much more fun right now!”

“You wish!” she chuckled softly, the gentle waves of her dark hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

“Now how about you say whatever it was that you wanted to say funny boy?!”

“Ok” he mumbled so softly that his voice was almost drowned out by the waves sloshing over the shore.

“Nicole told me that she saw Russell giving you aggro the other day”

“Ah” she replied a hint of frustration apparent in her voice.

“You should have told me”

“Why?” she asked incredulously.

“He’s my problem, this whole thing is my problem Aden”

“I can’t be there for you if you won’t let me Belle” he sighed softly, running his fingertips along the silver pram handle.

“I want you to be able to tell me this stuff. I want to be the one you confide in, the one who you turn to for support. I know that I haven’t really been that guy in the past, that I’ve left you alone when

you needed me the most and gone off on one because I was jealous or angry or both and then there was the whole thing with Nicole” he sighed with deep remorse, if there was one thing he regretted

more than any other it was sleeping with Nicole.

“ You beating this means everything to me Belle. I know I have no right to kick off about Liam being around but it’s only because I care and you need support as much as he does right now. I’m worried

that you’re taking on too much, I know that it’s your choice and there’s nothing I can do about that but I can be there for you if you let me. I want to be the one supporting you Belle, no strings, no

ulterior motive, I just want to help you whether we’re together or not”

Suddenly she was balancing on the tips of her toes, her lips pressed to his, her palms flat against his shoulders. Pushing aside the surge of shock rushing through him, his hands slid down her sides to

the small of her back, as he returned her passionate kiss, pressing her closer against his body as she let out a tiny whimper against his full mouth.

Her fingertips ran softly through his windswept hair as a soft growl of satisfaction escaped from him, partly muffled by a harsh cry which sent her back to reality and backwards out of his arms.

“Hey Rugrat, don’t cry” he cooed gathering the baby girl in his arms and cuddling her close to his chest as Belle watched, her breath coarse and raspy as she struggled to regain her composure.

“I know what it is. You’re just jealous because Aunty Belle got a kiss from Uncle Aden and you didn’t aren’t you?” he smiled playfully as the baby in his arms continued to cry in distress, her limbs flailing

against his broad chest.

“No need to cry about it sweetheart” he murmured as he rocked her soothingly.

“There’s plenty for you too” he grinned pressing a string of kisses over her soft cheeks as Belle smiled softly and Angelica in turn became calmer, her cries turning into tiny sobs until she was silent in Aden’s arms.

“Are you going to say anything tonight that isn’t going to make me want to jump into bed with you?” Belle laughed as she gently rubbed her fingertips in soothing circles over Angelica’s back and rested her head on Aden’s shoulder.

“Not if I can help it” he grinned cheekily, brushing his lips over her dark hair before directing his attention to the baby girl in his arms once more.

“That’s it angel, all better now aren’t you? Uncle Aden’s got the magic touch”

“Clearly” Belle grinned as the little girl reached up her tiny fingers to explore the contours of Aden’s face, almost poking him up the nose in the process.

“Careful Rugrat” he chuckled, taking her little fingers in his hand and pulling them away from his face.

“No need to cause me any injury, you know you’re my favourite girl. Angelica always was my favourite Rugrat even if she was selfish and blunt and bossy, in fact do you know who she reminds me of?”

he questioned as Belle let out a loud chuckle against his shoulder.

“Your mummy” he told her softly with a grin.

“Not that she’s being much of a mummy to you right now is she princess? I swear, if I’d known this was going to happen I would never have cut that cord...or at least tied a big fat knot back in it!”

“She’s ok” Belle murmured softly into his ear.

“She’s got plenty of people who love her and whatever happens we’ll be there for her right?”

“Right” he nodded with a small smile.

“Uncle Aden’s worth ten of Mummy Nicole anyway!” he teased, nudging Angelica’s tiny button nose with his own.

“But no where near as modest as she is!” Belle quipped sarcastically as Aden’s smile dissolved and he watched her intently.

“What did that mean Belle? The kiss? Because to me it felt so right and I love you so much...”

She shrugged her shoulders gently.

“It meant...I guess it meant that there are a lot of unresolved feelings and issues between us right now and there is a big part of me that just wants to say it’s all ok, to forget everything that went wrong

and to wrap my arms around you and kiss it all better. But it’s not ok Aden and I can’t even begin to deal with us until I’ve dealt with myself. I need to fight this addiction before I can address whatever feelings I might still have for you”

“I told you, together or not I’ll be there” he whispered sincerely.

“I can’t” she murmured softly, pain clearly visible in her dark brown eyes.

“I can’t let you support me Aden because I will just end up kissing you or jumping into bed with you or even worse fighting with you and alienating you even further. I need to deal with this alone or it’s

going to destroy whatever we still have, and we do still have something no matter how damaged it is, but if I don’t walk away from you now I don’t think we’ll ever be able to repair it”

Tears welling up in his piercing blue eyes he sighed softly. He had meant what he’d said, her getting through this was what mattered to him most.

“If you need me to stay away then I will, I meant what I said Belle, I’ll do anything you need”

“Ok” she nodded tears falling freely down her smooth cheeks, glistening in the moonlight cast across the sandy beach.

“But I need you to ask me to do it”

“What?”

“I need to hear you say it Belle, I need to know that this is really what you want and not me misinterpreting things and screwing everything up again. I love you too much to do that”

“I love you too” she whispered softly in between gentle sobs.

“Or at least I think I do”

His heart sunk at the condition she added to the end of her declaration, the thought that he may have lost her love killing him slowly. She was the only person who had loved him for who he really was

and he had lost her.

“But I need you to...god Aden don’t make me say it” she sobbed loudly, her heart breaking as she saw herself pushing him away, her head telling her that it was the right thing to do whilst her heart

screamed in protest.

“You have to” he told her bluntly as their eyes locked together and a distraught whimper escaped from her.

“I need you to stay away from me until I’m ready to come back to you” she finally forced the words out, her heart shattering as she witnessed her heartbreak mirrored in his eyes.

“Ok” he stated simply, kissing Angelica’s forehead softly and handing her to his former girlfriend.

“I told you” he whispered before turning on his heels and walking away.

“Whatever you need, I’ll give”

Next Time:

* Can someone unexpected convince Nicole to take a chance on motherhood?

*How is Belle's past linked to her present?

*Can Aden really stay away from Belle?

[hitmanfan]

oh Louise that was a really good update, but so sad, however I'm glad Aden is trying to do the right thing (just hope Liam doesn't get in the way of Belle's recovery.)

[bradyell]

Louise!!! You're killing me here!!!!

*takes deep breath*

right ok....

How wise was Aden in his chat with Nicole! and vice-versa! Nice to see that what happened between them hasn't affected their friendship!

Belle and Aden the kiss

I hope sooooooooooo much that she does go back to him! they belong together!

loved it as always and can't wait for more!

[KaiyaBlake]

*wipes away tear* So sad.

All of it!

Loved it though, Can't wait for more

[Red Ranger 1]

Really great update.Loved Aden's chats with Nicole and Belle, they were really to the point.Plus Belle, Liam and Annie as the strangest family unit ever.

[Symphony]

i had to scan through this really rapidly, but i look forward to returning to read it properly later with a cup of tea!

loved what i read of it - particularly the friendship growing between Annie and Liam; it's nice to see one of them being 'starstruck' and he seems to be being nice to her.

and also, the kiss you described - brilliant, not overdone but contained just the right amount of magic, really really great description!

[~Zoe~]

Really good update. I liked Aden's chat with Nicole and Belle.

& the kiss with Belle and Aden

Loved it, cant wait for more