Teens of Summer Bay

[Georgia]

Thanks to Bec, Elainea, Dotti and amz for the reviews They made my day. And I don't know what happened with Aden, the story needed some drama and that's how I wrote it. Sorry

Chapter Eleven: Where’s Belle

It was late the next morning before anyone realised Belle was gone. Nicole had passed out on the couch as soon as she had got home; Geoff had put a blanket on her and then gone up to bed, annoyed at Nicole’s behaviour throughout the night. Ruby had fallen asleep peacefully, Xavier’s arm tucked tightly around her waist. Annie had gone to bed full of happiness, as she had probably got herself a new boyfriend, whereas Aden went to bed full of guilt, as he hadn’t meant to kiss Annie, because he had a thing for Belle.

So, first thing in the morning, Aden was walking around to Annie’s house, to apologise for his behaviour, and let her know that he just wanted to be friends. He found the door open, and Annie was sitting happily on the couch, her legs crossed and a notebook on her lap.

“Hey Annie, I wasn’t sure if you would be up. We need to talk”, Aden spoke softly, so that he wouldn’t wake up the rest of the house

Annie stood up, and threw herself at Aden, who managed to catch her in time, and hold her at arm’s length.

“Look Annie, last night was great but I actually came to tell you that this can’t continue. I just want us to be friends. You’ve just got out of a serious relationship, and I have a thing for Belle”

“Belle?” Annie asked, disbelievingly

“Yeah,” Aden replied, somewhat dreamily

“What’s Belle got that I haven’t?” Annie questioned; her tone aggressive.

“It’s not like that Annie. Last night only happened because you were sad, and I was drunk. You miss Jai, which is understandable, so this isn’t right.”

Annie didn’t say anything, but instead sat back on the couch and continued writing in her notebook. Aden took that as his cue to leave, and walked towards Nicole’s house, which was where he guessed Belle was staying, because she obviously hadn’t been at home.

Geoff opened the door as soon as Aden knocked, and instead of inviting him in, Geoff pushed him backwards to the front step, before following him out.

“Sorry. Nicole is still sleeping off last night’s hangover”, he said quietly

Aden laughed. “I wasn’t actually here to see Nicole. I’m here to talk to Belle. She wasn’t at her house, so I assumed she was here”

“She isn’t here mate.”

“Do you think she’s already left? I mean, it is 11am. She could have already wandered home”

“She didn’t come home with us last night Aden. I assure you she isn’t here”

“Then where on earth is she?”

“Aden, all I know is that Nicole mentioned something about her leaving the party early”

“Wake up Nicole”

“Aden, I can’t do that. She’s sleeping”

“And this is important, so please wake her up”

Geoff sighed and walked inside, shutting the door in Aden’s face. He could hear the sounds of movement inside, and then a pair of footsteps coming to the door. It took her a while, but Nicole finally came to join Aden, looking truly shocking. Her usually straight hair had gone curly, and parts of it were matted to her head. She had rings under her eyes, and looked like something off of a Halloween special. Geoff followed her back outside, still not really trusting Aden alone with Nicole.

“Morning Nicole”

Nicole nodded her head and tried to blink as the sunlight made her eyes water.

“Geoff said something about you seeing Belle leaving the party earlier”

“Oh yeah, she got really dressed up, and was looking gorgeous, and then she freaked out looking for you. Geoff told her you were on the other side of the bonfire, so she rushed straight over there. I don’t know if she found you though, because about ten minutes later, I saw her rushing up the sand

dunes, where Angelo approached her. They left together”

“You let Belle leave with Angelo?” Aden asked disbelievingly, before remembering that no one else knows about the abuse.

“You could have stopped her yourself Aden, but from what I hear, you were too busy making out with Annie to care”, Nicole shot back

Aden quickly turned on his heel and left, trying to escape the wrath of Geoff, whose face had gone bright red and had clenched his fists after hearing the news.

“I’m not finished with you yet Jeffries”, Geoff angrily called after him, expecting a reaction but he didn’t get one. Aden was too busy trying to find Belle.

He rushed around a corner at the diner and ran straight into Belle.

“Belle, thank god you’re ok. I heard that you had gone home with Angelo, and I was really worried about you. I’m so glad you’re alright”, Aden panted

“No thanks to you”, she hissed at him and attempted to walk past him, but Aden grabbed onto her wrist.

“If you have something to say to me Belle, just say it. Don’t speak in riddles”

[Georgia]

Dedicated to everyone that has reviewed, because I love you all.

Chapter Twelve: Telling the truth

“If you have something to say to me Belle, just say it. Don’t speak in riddles”

“I said no thanks to you”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You were too busy kissing Annie to care about me, so don’t pretend now”

A smile lit up Aden’s face, “what, are you jealous?”

“Get over yourself. I came to tell you that I liked you, and that maybe we should go out sometime, but then I saw what you were really like”

“Belle, that was an accident, I’ve already told Annie that, so don’t be like that. Let me take you out”

“You can’t Aden. Angelo took me home last night, and we are kind of back together”

“How can you be kind of back together?” Aden asked, trying to keep the image of Angelo touching Belle out of his mind.

Belle ignored him and tried to walk away, forgetting that Aden was holding tightly to her wrist.

“Let me go”, she cried out in pain. Aden gently pulled her closer, and tugged up her sleeve, revealing bruises already forming on her skin

“He did this to you”, Aden stated, not even needing an answer. The confirmation came as Belle started crying.

“He took you back to his house for one night and he did this”. Belle nodded her head, and delicately lifted up her shirt, showing more bruises that were forming on her stomach. Aden felt physically sick.

“Belle, you can’t let him do this to you”

“That’s not all he did”, she whispered, disgust colouring her tone

“What do you mean? Has he hurt you elsewhere?”

“Don’t worry about it”

“I’m already worrying, so just tell me”

Belle bent down slightly, and rolled up the legs of her trousers, showing bruises leading up her thighs. In that moment, everything made sense.

“He’s sexually assaulted you”, he whispered, desperation clear in his voice and his face

More tears streamed out of Belle’s eyes, and her breath hitched.

“I said no, but he wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t let go. I didn’t want it, but he refused to let me go.”

Aden leaned forward and pulled Belle into his arms, letting her sob into his shirt.

“Don’t worry Belle; I won’t let him hurt you again”

“You can’t do anything to stop him Aden. He’s the police; he rules this town, and all my friends love him”

“He hurt you Belle, really hurt you”

“I can’t do that to my friends. I can get over this. I just have to leave Summer Bay”

“Belle Taylor, you can’t leave town because of him. We’re going to the police station right now”, Aden hissed and started walking towards the police station, listening for the sound of footsteps following him. Within a minute, he could hear Belle hesitantly walk behind him.

*

“Interview started at 12.05pm on Thursday the 24th of September 2009. Please state your name”, Constable Buckton told the tape recorder

“Belle Taylor”

“Now, please state the crime you are reporting”

“I’m here to place a charge against the man that sexually assaulted me and beat me up”, Belle whispered

“Can you please state your assailant’s name?”

“Angelo Rosetta”

Belle could hear Charlie’s breath stop, and then try to cover her slip up

“Do you have any evidence?”

Belle raised her arms, and then her t-shirt, followed by lifting up her trouser legs. Charlie’s eyes filled with sympathy, but there was anger lingering behind that

“Interview concluded at 12.10pm on Thursday the 24th of September 2009. Belle, you’re dismissed”, Charlie said, the anger from her eyes seeping into her tone.

Belle drew back in shock, and quickly left the room, before falling into Aden’s arms, tears overflowing from her eyes.

When she finally pulled away, Charlie was standing by her elbow, glaring.

“Miss. Taylor, I’m going to tell you this now, there isn’t much of a chance that Angelo will ever be prosecuted”

“What about the evidence?” Aden interrupted

“The only witness, Belle herself, hasn’t had a very good record. She and Angelo had a rocky break-up, and he’s a well respected member of the community. No one will believe her over him”, she cruelly informed them, before walking out.

Aden stared in disbelief at Charlie, who now had her back to them

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Belle sobbed, “everyone loves Angelo, and now they will hate me.”

“Your friends won’t”

“I wouldn’t be too sure”, Belle whispered into Aden’s shirt, so quietly that even Aden couldn’t hear.

[Georgia]

Thank you for the reviews guys. Hope you like this chapter, and let me know if you think this is getting too long.

Chapter Thirteen: Breaking the News

Annie, Nicole, Ruby, Xavier and Geoff crowded around the coffee table at Irene’s house. Aden and Belle sat opposite them, and the room was overly tense. Aden had called the emergency meeting, and no one had any idea about what was happening.

“So what’s all this about?” Nicole asked, never the patient one

“We need to tell you something”, Belle whispered. Aden smiled at the we reference

“Can you hurry up and tell us what’s happening. I hate the suspense”

“Well when Belle was in hospital a few months ago, it wasn’t actually an accident that put her there. Angelo had been abusing her, and he went too far. And after the beach party, when she went home with him, he did it again, but he went even further, and sexually assaulted her. I made her press charges, and we thought you deserved to know”, Aden informed the group

Everything was silent, except for the sounds of the group breathing. Nicole, as always, was the first to break the silence.

“How could you make Belle tell a lie like that to the police? They are Angelo’s work mates, and you have no right to turn them against him for no reason”

“But he assaulted Belle”

“That’s bull. Belle’s just making up lies because she still loves him and is mad at their break-up.”

“She has the bruises to prove it”

“Belle’s always been clumsy. She just wants to get back at Angelo for dumping her”, Nicole screamed, before storming out of the house.

The rest of the group sat in silence, before Geoff chimed in.

“Belle, I want to believe you, I really do, but Angelo isn’t like that. Nicole told me how sad you were over the break-up, and it seems more likely that this is revenge instead of the truth”, Geoff whispered, ashamed at what was coming out of his mouth. He wanted to believe his friend, but he couldn’t.

He soon followed Nicole’s lead and walked out of the house.

Annie frowned at Aden and Belle, and left the house.

“You really shouldn’t have brought us here to lie to us. Angelo is a police officer. He isn’t able to do anything like that, and he wouldn’t want to”, Xavier informed Belle, before walking out, leaving Ruby behind.

“You can leave as well”, Belle whispered, tears welling up in her eyes

“Why would I? I believe you”, Ruby spoke confidently and loudly, unashamed that she was the only one left

Belle looked up in shock. “What?”

“I’ve seen Angelo lose his temper before, he’s always round our house discussing work stuff. It isn’t very nice. Plus, friends always believe each other.”

Belle smiled, as Ruby stood up and embraced her, before joining her boyfriend outside.

Aden lightly grabbed Belle’s chin and tilted his head towards her.

“I think it was very brave what you just did”, he whispered

“All of my friends hate me, except Ruby”.

“I don’t hate you”

“You’re not exactly my friend”

“I could be your friend. I’m an awesome friend”

“You can’t be my friend”, Belle whispered

“And why’s that?”

“I like you too much”

Aden didn’t reply, and Belle blushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry Aden, I didn’t mean to make it awkward”

“You didn’t. I was just trying to figure out if it would be wrong to kiss you right now”

“Not so much”, Belle whispered

Aden leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly against Belle’s, before deepening the kiss when she didn’t pull away.

It was the perfect end to a not so perfect day.

[Georgia]

Thank you guys for the reviews Five is a fantastic number, seeming as I'm at Chapter Thirteen, and I thought only one or two people would review, so thanks. Enjoy

Chapter Fourteen: One Pair Leaves the Bay

Nicole threw another dress into her open suitcase. “Hurry up Geoff, the taxi is waiting outside”, she screamed

Geoff ran into the room and threw a handful of underwear into his small bag, which was dwarfed next to Nicole’s giant suitcase.

“Remind me again why we have to leave Summer Bay?” he asked quietly, not wanting to get into Nicole’s bad books.

“Because I can’t be around Belle and her lies anymore”

“But can’t we just avoid her?”

“No, I think it’s best if we go out of town for a few weeks, until this has all been resolved”

“She’s supposed to be your best friend Nicole”, Geoff finally reminded her of the obvious

“And you’re supposed to be my boyfriend”, she yelled

“I don’t understand why you believe Angelo over Belle, you best friend” he yelled back

“So now you’re turning on me?” Nicole spoke quieter now

“I’m not leaving the bay when Belle needs us most”

“Stop with the us. I’m going, with or without you”

“Without”, Geoff whispered, ashamed at Nicole’s behaviour, “but just tell me one thing. Why are you so against Belle? Why won’t you give her a chance?”

“Because she didn’t trust me alright! Aden found out about the abuse before I did, and I only found out because she’s pressing charges.”

“So you’re mad at Belle because she didn’t tell you?”

“Yes”, she whispered

“Why don’t you stay and try to help her? I’m sure she only kept this from you because she was ashamed”

“Because I can’t trust her. She didn’t tell me anything and now I can’t trust her, so I’m leaving. Not because I hate her, but because I can’t be around my

best friend when I don’t believe the story that she’s telling”

Geoff didn’t say anything but walked over to the bed, and zipped up his bag, and then Nicole’s suitcase.

“What are you doing?” Nicole asked, her eyes threatening to overspill with the tears that had welled up

“We’re packing our bags, so that we can leave Summer Bay for a while, until things die down”

Nicole smiled and helped Geoff pick up the bags, and together they walked down the stairs and to the car that was waiting outside.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nicole asked, not wanting to make Geoff choose between her and Belle unless he was really sure

“I love you Nic, and if you are struggling this much, I can’t stand around and watch. I have to help”, he informed her, not one ounce of regret in his voice.

Together, the pair slid into the taxi and it pulled away, taking Nicole and Geoff away from Summer Bay and to the airport.

Little did they know that Aden was standing nearby on his way to Belle’s place, and saw everything. He rolled his eyes in disgust and continued walking.

Summer Bay was putting on a huge act, to cover up something that was bubbling underneath.

The problems Annie were suffering, and the fact that basically all of Belle’s friends were against her were just smaller issues, helping to disguise the fact that something evil had happened in Summer Bay.

Aden was used to disguises though, and he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

[Georgia]

This chapter is dedicated to Tan (do you mind me calling you that?), Bec, El, lino and HeavenForbid.

Chapter Fifteen: And then there were five - but is it permanent?

Despite the fact that only Aden and Ruby were on her side, Belle continued to press charges, and things continued to get worse for her.

Charlie, who secretly had a crush on Angelo, kept knocking coffee down Belle’s clothes at the diner. Xavier and Annie would disappear whenever they saw her coming. Leah refused to talk to her at work and Roman had “accidently” dropped a plate of salad on Belle’s foot, all because his daughter had left town.

“Aden, maybe I should just drop the charges”, Belle told him after another infuriating day at the diner

“You can’t do that Belle, he really hurt you, and if you don’t press charges, he might hurt someone else”

“But I’m not strong enough to do this by myself Aden”

“You’re not by yourself. You have me”

“For how long?” Belle whispered

“For as long as you’ll have me”

“You don’t mean that. You’ll leave when stuff gets tough. You’re nineteen years old, just like me, and you’re amazing, so you can have any woman in the

world. Why would you want me?”

“Belle Taylor, you doubt yourself too much. Nineteen years old is a perfectly fine time to get into a serious relationship, and I’m not that amazing. And as

for you not being amazing, that’s like saying the sun isn’t hot. You are smart and funny and strong and brave and beautiful”, Aden insisted

A smile lit up Belle’s face, but it was ruined by the fact that she had tears pouring out of her eyes and down his cheeks.

Aden leaned forward and gently kissed the tears off of Belle’s cheek.

“Aden, stop”, Belle whimpered, which made Aden immediately sit back in his chair

“What did I do?”

“You’re being too perfect. I don’t deserve any of this, and when you leave, I’m going to be heartbroken”

A frown ruined the smile that had previously been on Aden’s face. “I’m not going to leave you Belle. How can I convince you of that?”

Belle leaned forward and kissed Aden lightly on the lips. “You can’t convince me,” she whispered, “I have to convince myself”

Aden nodded and pulled Belle to her feet. “Come on Belle, I think it’s time for bed. You’re obviously exhausted”

Aden started walking, leaving Belle trailing behind, and tears rolling down her cheeks yet again.

I thought he was different, but he’s just like every other guy. He’s only got one thing on his mind. But I think I might love him. And if sleeping with him is the only way to keep him, maybe that’s what I have to do.

Aden didn’t notice that Belle had gone quiet, caught up in the thoughts that were swirling around her head.

He helped her into bed and tucked the blankets up around her chin, before walking to the other side and letting himself in, pulling Belle towards his chest.

“Goodnight Belle”, he whispered softly in her ear, stroking her hair to help her sleep

“Goodnight”, she whispered back, confusion clear in her voice

“What’s wrong?” Aden asked, already knowing every little detail of Belle’s voice

“It’s just when you said it was time for bed, I thought you meant it was time for us to sleep together”

“Belle, you don’t have to worry about that. I don’t want to sleep with you”, Aden reassured her, not realising his error until it was too late.

“What, am I not good enough to sleep with? Is there something wrong with me?” Belle exploded, reading too much into Aden’s words, her self-doubt taking over everything.

“Belle, what are you talking about?” he asked. It was obvious he had no idea what he had said wrong, until he remembered his words. I don’t want to sleep with you.

“Oh Belle, I didn’t mean it like that. You should know that”

Belle stayed silent, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had cried so many tears recently, but these were for a good reason. Aden didn’t want her.

“Belle Taylor, you are impossible”, he fumed, “I haven’t known you very long at all, but I feel a connection to you, and I want to get to know you. I only said that I didn’t want to sleep with you, because you’ve been through so much recently, and it’s not what you need right now. Of course I want you Belle. You’re beautiful and enticing, and I want to take this further, but not until you’re ready, because I love you Belle Taylor, and I want this to work. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardise anything”

A smile spread from ear to ear, and Belle snuggled into Aden’s arms, finally feeling safe.

“And for the record, I love you too Mr. Jeffries”.

[Georgia]

Amz and Bec, thank you guys for the reviews. This chapter is for both of you, but especially Bec, because I wrote it with her comment in mind. Enjoy

Chapter Sixteen: Ruby – the new best friend

“Hey Belle, its Ruby. I just want to let you know that the lead constable on your case asked Charlie to ask me to ask you to go and see her, as soon as possible. So as soon as you get the message, just head on over to the station. Call me later, I miss talking to you. Nicole and Geoff have left town, and Annie isn’t talking to me, so I guess the awesome foursome is just down to us two. Speak soon. Bye”. Ruby’s voice squealed down the phone, as Belle replayed the message, for the fifteenth time that morning.

“Do you think I should go to the station?” Belle asked Aden, who still had his head under the pillow, as it was only about 6am in the morning.

“I think you should stop playing the message”, the muffled voice grumpily drifted up to Belle’s ear, receiving a giggle in response

“You’re just grumpy because you didn’t get enough sleep last night”

That was what brought Aden’s head up from under the pillow. “You did make it hard for me to sleep last night. I’ve never knew that you talked so much!”

Aden was soon begging for mercy, as he couldn’t stand the pummelling that Belle was laying on him.

“Come on lazy. You need to take me to the station”

“You’ve decided?” Aden asked, unsure when Belle had made up her mind

“Well, it seems like it’s important and I can’t hide away in my bedroom forever, even if I have the most amazing guy in the world in my bed”, she whispered, before placing a soft kiss against Aden’s lips, and then laughing at the groan Aden let out when she pulled away.

“You need to be ready in ten minutes. I want to get down there early”, Belle announced, bouncing out of bed and grabbing the clothes that were littered around the floor. “If you’re really lucky, I’ll even shout you a coffee on the way”

“Can I have a cappuccino, with extra chocolate powder?” he asked, sounding like a two year old

“Of course you can”, Belle said indulgently, more cheerful that she had been in a long time.

*

Belle and Aden arrived at the police station, Aden wearing a large amount of chocolate powder around his lips, and Belle clenching onto Aden’s hand like it was the only thing keeping her afloat.

Everyone was ignoring them, the officers rushing around doing important duties, like answering the phones, and one officer seemed to be Google searching Neighbours.

Finally, an office took some notice of them. “Hi, how can I help you two today? You seem a bit lost”

“Ruby Buckton called us-“Aden said, attempting to take control of the situation, but he was cut off

“Oh yes, Angelo wanted to see you guys today”, the office kindly said, before showing them into an interview room.

Belle sat as close to Aden as she could possibly get, and was gripping onto his hand so tightly that the fingertips had gone white.

“Breathe Belle, everything will be OK”, he tried to reassure her, but her whole body was shaking with fear. Aden felt like shaking as well, but out of fear for the girl sitting next to him.

When Belle was unable to stop shaking, Aden pulled her onto his lap, and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Belle, I’m here for you. I’m going to protect you, I promise”, he whispered, even though he realised that he might be powerless to save her from Angelo

Soon enough, the door banged open and Angelo strolled in casually, but as soon as the door shut, his casual facade was dropped.

“Belle, you stupid idiot, what the hell do you think you’re doing, pressing charges against me?” he fumed, as Belle leaned into Aden’s chest

“You’re nothing but a tramp Belle. It’s only been a little while and you are already with someone else. You better hope that these charges aren’t taken seriously, otherwise you better sleep with one eye open, because I’ll be coming for you”, he threatened, before walking towards Belle and grabbing her off the chair and throwing her at a wall, smirking at the large bang.

“Get off of her”, Aden yelled, and tried to help her, but was thrown to the floor from a nasty backlash, which followed through and hit Belle across the face.

“Drop the charges Belle”, Angelo hissed, before swinging for her again. The noise had obviously attracted someone’s attention, because the door to the interview room swung open, and Charlie rushed in.

“Oh god Belle, I’m so sorry”, the stressed out officer gushed, rushing straight to Belle’s side. “I need some help in here!” she screamed

Three more officers rushed in, one handcuffing Angelo, one rushing to Aden’s side, and another helping Charlie comfort the sobbing girl

“She told you Charlie, she told you what Angelo was like and you didn’t believe her, and now look what’s happened” Aden yelled from the floor, as the officers dragged Angelo out of the room

“You’ll pay for this Belle, and your boyfriend will too”, were Angelo’s departing words. All of the officers had left the room, and Aden ran up to Belle and pulled her into his arms.

“Shhh babe, I’m here now, I’m here”, Aden comforted his sobbing girlfriend. “I love you Belle, and he’s gone now. He won’t hurt you again, I promise”

“Please don’t leave me”, Belle sobbed, the tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping off the tip of her nose

“I won’t”, he whispered in her ear, “I won’t,” he repeated again and again, until Belle had quietened down. The sobs had turned to sniffles, and Belle’s face was buried in his shirt

At least Summer Bay had seen Angelo Rosetta for who he really was, an abusive cop who bashed his girlfriend around when he didn’t get what he wanted.

[Georgia]

Thank you for the reviews Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter Seventeen: One Perfect Date

I got a surprise for you. Meet me at the diner at 6.30pm. Love A xxx.

It was the sixth time Belle had read the message and she had no idea what was going on, and therefore she had no idea what to wear. She wanted to look beautiful for Aden, to show that she wasn’t just a girl that cried a lot, and needed to lean heavily on him all the time. And then, to make things even worse, she had no idea if the dress she was wearing was making her look slutty, which she really didn’t want.

Ruby, come quick, I have a fashion disaster. Aden has a surprise for me and I have no idea what to wear. Belle xxx

The message was sent and within ten minutes, Ruby had arrived, rushing straight into her room, and then to the wardrobe

“Where is the date?” Ruby questioned, getting involved in the dilemma straight away

“We’re meeting at the diner”, Belle replied, before sitting on her bed nervously, “and I need a dress that goes with my nail polish”

Ruby looked down and saw the black polish that was chipped from the wearer scratching at it. “Take that off now”, she ordered, “and paint them a light blue”

“I don’t own a light blue”, Belle informed Ruby, who rolled her eyes, and threw her handbag onto the bed. “I brought my polish, just borrow that”

Before long, Belle was dressed, her nails repainted and her hair immaculate, but it was the dress that really made all the difference. It was a silky blue dress that fell to her knee, with only one shoulder. Instead of looking tacky though, Belle had pulled off the style, and looked like a million dollars.

“You look gorgeous Belle. Aden’s heart will be in the palm of your hands tonight”, Ruby giggled, proud that her friend was happy with Aden

“Thanks for your help Rubes. I have about half an hour before I have to leave, do you want to stay so we can catch up?” Belle asked. She had really missed speaking to Ruby. She could tell that they were pretty similar, plus Ruby was really kind and loyal, all the qualities of a good friend.

“Sure,” Ruby said, settling onto Belle’s bed, a smile on her face, but Belle could see the sadness in her eyes

“What’s wrong?” Belle asked, concerned about her friend

“Nothing really, it’s just Jai left town, Annie won’t talk to me, Geoff and Nicole both left as well... and Xavier and I broke up”

“What?” Belle exclaimed, shocked at her friend’s admission. “Why, what happened?”

“Well, after everything that happened with Jai, Xav and I were struggling”

“But you guys looked so happy every time I saw you”

“That was just an act Belle. We didn’t talk much anymore, and then, after everything that happened with you, our relationship fell apart even more”

“You shouldn’t have picked me over your boyfriend Rubes”, Belle whispered, feeling immensely guilty

“Oh it wasn’t that Belle,” Ruby was quick to reassure her, “it was after Angelo was arrested. Xavier got really mad because he was wrong and I was right,

and then I might have yelled at him a bit”

Belle’s eyes filled with tears at the loyalty Ruby had shown her.

“No Belle, don’t cry. You’ll ruin your make-up. Anyway, I’m 19 years old and Xavier and I had problems. Don’t blame yourself. So go, otherwise you’ll be late for your surprise with Prince Charming” Ruby giggled

Belle stood up and kissed Ruby on the forehead. “Thanks Rubes, for everything”, she whispered before rushing out of the house, not wanting to be late.

*

When Belle got to the diner, it was exactly 6.30, but all the lights were out, and there were no cars in the car park.

She rushed inside, thinking that she had confused the date or the time, but when she got inside, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The whole of the diner was lit up with candles, and rose petals were scattered all across the floor. Romantic music played softly in the background, and the enticing smell of food hit Belle straight away. Aden was sitting at the central table.

“Hey babe, I thought you weren’t going to make it”

“I thought you had forgotten about our date”, Belle admitted, staring at the floor, but Aden walked towards her, and gently raised her chin. “I will never

forget about you Belle”, he whispered softly, causing Belle’s whole face to flush.

“Now, sit down and let’s eat. I’ve been here for an hour setting up, so it’s time we enjoy it”, he told her, guiding her to the table and handing her a plate.

Belle quickly grabbed all her favourite foods, and sat opposite Aden, who was already digging into his plate

“You eat like a pig!” she exclaimed, laughter bubbling from her lips

“Well... you eat like...” Aden struggled to find a retort but Belle cut him off as more laughter erupted from her mouth

“So I go through all of this, and you tease me?” Aden asked, his face slipping into a pout

Belle didn’t fall for it though. She lightly threw an olive at him, and laughed again as his pout deepened.

“Right Miss. Taylor, I’ll go and enjoy my dinner at another table”

Belle grabbed his hand as he tried to move, and leaned across the table, kissing him passionately. “Now, Mr. Jeffries, would you please stay and enjoy your dinner with me?” she asked quietly.

“I’m not too sure. I don’t think you’re sorry enough”

“Do you want me to beg?” Belle asked sarcastically, shocked when Aden actually nodded his head. “You’ve got to be kidding Aden!” she exclaimed, but Aden stood up and made to walk to another table

Belle quickly dropped to her knees, and clasped her hands out in front of her. “Aden Jeffries, please stay and be my company while we eat this magnificent meal”, she begged, choking back tears of laughter

“That’s better”, he told her, laughter clear in his voice as well

"Oh, and I might not have told you this, but you are beyond gorgeous", Aden whispered quietly, making Belle blush, and lean over to kiss him softly one more time.

And together they sat at the table, consuming large plates of food, exchanging stories, and laughing the night away.

[Georgia]

Thanks for the reviews guys. Sorry this took a bit longer than usual, I had all these chapters written in advance, and then I posted them all... Enjoy

Chapter Eighteen: Geoff returns to the Bay

A hesitant knock on the door disturbed Aden and Belle, who were sitting on the couch watching a movie. Aden had wanted to watch some kind of horror, so Belle was currently snuggled into his chest, not wanting to watch the movie.

“I’ll get it”, Belle declared, as soon as she heard the knock

“Anything to get you away from the movie”, Aden retorted, chuckling at his girlfriend’s antics. Belle tried to deny it but when a scream from the movie filled the room, she jumped and let out a wrangled squeak, sending Aden into spasms of laughter

Belle glared, and opened the door, stepping back in shock when she saw who was there. “Hi Geoff”, she said weakly, “what are you doing back?”

“I realised that you were my friend, and I couldn’t leave you when you were in trouble. I was ashamed of myself, so I’m here to make it up to you”, Geoff explained

Aden stood up and walked towards the door, forgetting all about the movie. A scowl was set on his face, and his hand was already curled into a fist.

“Come in then Geoff. Where’s Nicole?” Belle asked, widening the door so that Geoff could get inside. “Aden, calm down”, she whispered, placing a reassuring hand on Aden’s chest.

Geoff looked around, flinching at the movie that was still playing, and took a seat at the kitchen table. Aden sat down opposite him and glared, while Belle was the middle ground, cautiously sitting between the two guys.

“So, where’s Nicole?” Aden asked, struggling to make conversation, so using Belle’s unanswered question from before.

“She’s not coming back to the bay”, Geoff whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

“What?” Belle exclaimed, immediately grabbing onto Geoff’s hand to comfort him. “Tell me everything”, she demanded, retracting her hand when she saw the look Aden was giving her

“We left the bay to get away for a while,” Geoff started off his story by covering the real reason he and Nicole had left the town. “Everything was going well, but then we got into a fight, because I wanted to go home, and Nicole didn’t. So I left, giving her a chance to cool down, and when I came home a few hours later, she was in bed with another guy, so we broke up”, Geoff finished, his voice so quiet, it was barely audible.

Belle’s face immediately registered sympathy, and even Aden had the decency to look shocked at the revelation.

“Couldn’t you and Nicole have worked it out?” Belle asked, trying to deny the fact that her friend wouldn’t be coming back

“We could have done, but every time I looked at her, I would have seen her with some other guy, and I don’t want to live my life like that” Geoff explained

“But-“Belle started to talk again but Aden cut her off. “Belle, don’t. It’s his life, and you don’t owe him or Nicole anything, so just don’t”, he practically begged

She nodded, and stood up, walking back to the couch and snuggling under the blanket, peering at the movie from behind her fingers, giving the men a chance to talk

“Just leave Geoff”, Aden told him, disgusted at how he could come back after everything he had done

“I’m here to help Belle. She needs people rallying around her right now, and you are not in the position to turn people away”

“Angelo has already been arrested, so she doesn’t actually need anyone. She has me and she has Ruby, and we were here through everything. You

weren’t and she doesn’t need people like that in her life”, Aden whispered furiously, trying not to alert Belle to the words that were being spoken.

“Aden, can you come back and watch the rest of the movie? It’s really freaking me out”, Belle called from the couch, anxious for the whispers to stop.

Aden smiled lovingly at her and left the table, settling down beside Belle and wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Geoff stood up and left the house, taking a glance back just before he left. It was a lovely picture. Belle was wrapped in Aden’s arms, and her face was buried in his chest. Aden was gently stroking her hair, and paying more attention to Belle than the movie.

Geoff sighed, and regretted his decision more than ever. He should have stayed and helped Belle, the woman who was like his sister, and close friend rolled into one. And now, he was alone. His girlfriend had basically left him, and his friends didn’t want to know him.

Aden sat on the couch, deep in thought, his hands still stroking Belle's hair. Something had happened in Summer Bay, something bad. Something that had torn apart the people of Summer Bay. Tomorrow... tomorrow, he would ask Belle what had happened......

You guys are pretty lucky Nicole is just out of town. I was thinking about killing her off...

[Georgia]

Chapter Nineteen: Secrets Revealed

Aden laid the last fork on the table, and stepped back to admire his handy work. He had cooked a romantic breakfast for Belle, and he wanted it to be perfect. He had to ask Belle what had happened in Summer Bay, and it would be a tough conversation, so he wanted to make sure everything else was alright.

“Belle”, he called, “the food is getting cold I suggest you come out here”

Belle rushed out and gasped at the beautiful table setting. “Wow Aden, this is amazing. What are we celebrating?”

“Just the fact that you’re my girlfriend”, he said lovingly, pulling out a seat for Belle, who sat down, and grinned radiantly at Aden, before grabbing a piece of toast and digging in

“And you say I’m the one who eats like a pig!” he exclaimed, before sitting down beside her

“You’re hilarious”, Belle said sarcastically, through a mouthful of toast, causing Aden to laugh lightly at her, and grab hold of her hand

“Belle, I need to talk to you about something serious”, he told her, all the kidding gone from his voice

“Go ahead”, she said quietly, swallowing the lump of toast in her mouth

“I’m not stupid Belle, and I can tell that something happened in Summer Bay, something that you guys don’t talk about, but I need to know”

“Why?” she whispered

“Why what?” Aden questioned, unsure what Belle was talking about

“Why do you need to know?”

“Because I want you to be my future, but I need to know about your past first” Aden admitted, hoping that he hadn’t hurt the woman that had captured

his heart. Luckily, Belle took it well, and smiled slightly, before averting her eyes to the table top, which was suddenly interesting

“It can’t be that bad Belle. Just tell me”, he whispered, trying not to appear too bossy

“About six months before you arrived, there was an incident”, she informed him, her eyes darting around the room, looking at everything except Aden

“And what happened?”

“There was this man, who was new to town, and we let him be a part of our group. We really liked him, but when we went back to Nicole’s house one day, he was standing there with a gun”

Aden sat back in shock. This wasn’t what he was expecting, and he hated himself for making Belle relive it. “Belle, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to tell this story”, he whispered, but Belle shook her head.

“I want to be with you forever, but I think you were right. You need to know what happened and I get that, I respect that,” she told him, some of the pain on her face being replaced by anger.

“He forced us to all sit down next to each other and he tied us up with rope. It was so tight; I could feel it digging into my wrists. Nicole was sobbing beside me and Ruby had her head on Jai’s shoulder. We were so scared. We didn’t know, but the guy that we trusted was crazy, and wanted to hurt us all”

Belle stopped and had a sip of the orange juice that was right in front of her, before clearing her throat and carrying on with the story

“He said that he would kill us if we didn’t tell the truth about our friends. He said that we made him sick, because we told so many lies, and we backstabbed each other all the time. He untied Geoff and made him tell us what he really thought about us. Geoff said that Xavier was boring, Ruby was over the top, Jai was only in the group because of Annie, and that Annie could drive him insane. He said that I was alone because I was looking for perfection, and he said that Nicole flirted with every guy in town”

Aden’s eyes widened in horror, as he heard Belle tell him what this man had made them do.

“We all had to have a turn, but when it was my go, I couldn’t do it. I was last, and I didn’t want to hurt my friends anymore than they had already been hurt, so I just repeated what they had said. He wasn’t happy though, and he shot me”, Belle whispered, wincing at the memory

Aden pulled Belle onto his lap, and ran his finger lightly over her stomach. “That’s what that funny mark is”, he said quietly in her ear, as she nodded.

“I’m so sorry Belle”

“Now you know what happened. That’s why we were so quick to jump at each other’s throats. It’s because we assume that the others hate us, and we remember what they said about us” Belle admitted, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders

“Why did you let me join your group, if that was the last experience you had?” Aden asked, curiosity overcoming him

“Because we vowed to forget about what happened, and to never dwell on it again, so we never talked about it. Instead it just hovered over us, and ripped us all apart”

“So that’s the terrible thing that happened in Summer Bay”, Aden whispered quietly, his fingers still over Belle’s scar

“Yeah, our friendship’s all fell apart and I almost died”, Belle recapped

“I’m sorry I asked”, Aden said gruffly, trying to cover the emotion in his voice. An image was crowding his mind, an image of Belle, bleeding out from a gunshot wound, and it hurt him just to picture it

“I’m sorry it happened”

“It’s not your fault”

“It kind of is. They only invited that guy to be our friend because it was uneven numbers”

“Weren’t you going out with Angelo at the time?” Aden asked, unsure if this was before or after the break-up

“Yes I was, but he was always working, so I was always the odd one out”, Belle explained

“Summer Bay must be the most unlucky place in the world. In six months, you’ve been in a critical condition at the hospital twice!” Aden joked, trying to lighten things up a little bit

Belle laughed lightly, and continued eating her breakfast, not wanting to dwell on the past any more. Aden smiled at her, and dug into his own food, proud of how brave she was.

It was in that moment that Aden realized he had to marry Belle Taylor.

A/N: This is chapter nineteen, and there are two more chapters to go Thank you for all the comments. I really love reading them, and I hope you liked that chapter as well. If anything was unclear, just let me know, and I'll fill in the blanks. After this fiction is finished, look out for my new one: The Line. And if you have time, have a read of Summer Break, which only has a few more chapters to go as well. After Summer Break is done, I'm attempting my first humourous fiction: Lighter Side.. so keep an eye out for that one too.

[Georgia]

Thank you for the reviews, and here is the second last chapter. Let me know what you think

Chapter Twenty: Proposal and a Death (CONTAINS REFERENCES TO DEATH)

Aden paced the room for the thirteenth time in as many minutes. He had chosen the perfect engagement ring, but now he was nervous. He didn’t want Belle to say no, because it could ruin their relationship.

So he was pacing, and it was weird, because he had never paced before.

The candles were all lit, and the rose buds spelt out the word love. There was a picture on the wall of Aden holding Belle on his lap, taken on the first day they met. Ruby had had the good sense to take a snapshot. There was also a sign, hanging delicately on the wall, one that read Marry Me.

But he was still pacing, because something was wrong with this scene, and if Belle was going to say yes, everything had to be perfect

And that was when it clicked. Belle loved romance as much as the next girl, but this would be the kind of thing Nicole liked, something that would shower her in attention and make her feel special.

So Aden blew out all the candles, hid the flower petals under the bed, took down the sign and put the photo on the bedside table, before picking up the phone and calling Belle’s favourite restaurant, and ordering Belle’s favourite food.

The food arrived and Aden set the table, even going so far as to fold the napkins into little swans. He laid the main course on the table, and put the desert in the oven to keep warm. Then he walked back to the table, and put the jewellery box on his seat, before sitting down.

Belle walked in less than five minutes later, and squealed with joy, before sitting down opposite Aden.

“What’s the celebration this time?” she asked, while inhaling the smell of the delicious food.

“We’ve been going out for a while, and I want to be with you forever. Is that a good enough reason?” he asked softly.

“Yes”, she giggled, “now can I dig in?”

Aden nodded and they spent the next hour talking about everything under the sun, only taking a break when Aden stood up and got the desert out of the oven.

“It’s a chocolate mud cake,” Belle announced with surprise, and Aden smiled, before placing a tiny bit of the cake in her mouth, laughing at the sounds of

delight that were coming out of her mouth.

“I was going to wait for a while, but I think this is the best time”, Aden announced, reaching his hand down to grab the jewellery box, not noticing when Belle’s face dropped

“Aden, it’s ok. You don’t have to make excuses. If you want to dump me, just say it. You don’t have to go to a lot of trouble”, she said fiercely, causing Aden to look up suddenly, and he flinched at the sight of the sadness in Belle’s eyes.

“I wasn’t going to dump you Belle. I was going to ask you to marry me”, he defended himself, showing her the ring nestled in the navy blue jewellery box

“Are you serious?” she squealed, and Aden nodded his head, smiling at the joy that had replaced the pain in her eyes

“Yes”, she whispered passionately

“Yes?”

“Yes”, she yelled, and threw herself at Aden, who had the good sense to catch her. She plastered kisses all over his face, and didn’t stop until the phone rang.

“I’ll get it”, she trilled, happiness clear in her voice and her stance. Aden smiled and watched Belle run to the phone.

Within seconds, the joy had faded, and the pain was clear on Belle’s face again.

“Thank you for telling me”, she whispered solemnly, before putting the phone down gently

“What’s wrong?” Aden asked, rushing straight to Belle’s side

“It’s Geoff. He’s killed himself”, Belle choked out, “that was Annie. She was the one who found him”

Aden had no idea how to comfort Belle, so instead picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, tucking her into the blankets, and grabbing tissues, so that he could gently rub the tears of her face.

Before long, Belle had fallen asleep and Aden got up and paced around the house. Everyone thought Geoff had committed suicide, and his memory would be tarnished forever.

Aden picked up the home phone and began the tedious job of calling everyone in the little group Belle hung out with, starting with Nicole.

“Hey Nic”

“What do you want Aden?” she asked snappishly

“Did you hear about Geoff?” Aden questioned, but got his answer when Nicole burst into tears

“He killed himself and I didn’t even get a chance to apologise”, she sobbed

“Are you coming back to Summer Bay?”

“No, I’m moving so that I can be closer to Dad”, Nicole stuttered, and quickly hung up the phone before she got even more emotional

He then dialled Xavier, and Ruby answered the phone instead

“Hey Rubes, I was hoping to speak to Xavier”

“He’s packing. I was just about to call you so that I could say goodbye to Belle”

“What do you mean?”

“Geoff killed himself because of something that happened about six months ago and Xav and I just can’t live here anymore” the young girl admitted

“I’m sorry to hear you’re leaving Summer Bay”, Aden said, a huge smile lighting up his face

“Can I speak to Belle?”

“She’s actually asleep right now”

“Well, I’m leaving in the morning, so I’ll call her from the road”, Ruby said quietly, before hanging up.

Aden then called Annie, the last remaining member of the group.

“You can’t speak to Annie now”, Irene answered Aden’s question

"Why not?"

“Her brother just killed himself and Martha just came to pick her up. Annie is going to live back on the farm”

“So every teenager except Belle and I are leaving Summer Bay?” Aden asked, hope rising up in his chest

“Looks like it. Look love, I better go, say hi to Belle for me”, the older woman said, before placing the phone back on the receiver.

Aden couldn’t contain the grin that was set firmly on the middle of his face. He walked back to bed, and got in beside Belle, embracing her tightly in her arms.

He was extremely happy that Belle had told him about her past, but he wasn’t ready to share his past with Belle yet.

Everyone was entitled to their own dirty little secrets