Beauty In The Breakdown

[Jody]

Great follow up to the previous chapter.

Aden is so angry. I loved his attitude towards Geoff, noone writes them like that anymore, because in most fics people have them remain friends.

I know Nicole has a point (it's so difficult having to write that) he needs to get over it because it's not healthy to go around being angry at everyone but I want him to pine for Belle. Heartbroken Aden is lovely to read.

Justin, did not see that coming. Crazy idea but Justin is not the mystery man is he.

[SAM27#]

Adelle fan which line did you like???? Was it the whole chapter????

Awesome chapter...poor Aden I am really not liking Belle at the moment!!!

Justin is a surprise!!!!!! I hope he isn't the other guy.

Update soon please!!!!!!!

[adelle]

Good chapter, update soon!!!

[katef2007]

love it poor aden

[Taniya_K]

Wow! Great follow up! I'm adding this to my favourite FFs! It's just too true to the characters and I can almost visualise everything!

Please update again soon!

[whispered_envy]

You guys really know how to make a person feel good about what they write.

I got sick of waiting for H&A to write Justin in somewhere...

[whispered_envy]

I should have the next chapter done by tomorrow, or possibly tonight if I can manage it... and there's actually going to be some Aden/Belle interaction in this one!

[adelle fan.]

yay can't wait to read it.

[Jody]

Looking forward to that next chapter. So far you have handled Aden's feelings on the breakup so well I can't to see you handle Belle's feeling on it. I know should probably be hating Belle for breaking Aden's heart but I am still choosing to live in denial and belive it was for his own good.

[whispered_envy]

Warning: This chapter contains some coarse language, and talk of Aden's abuse. Longer than I thought it would be, too- I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Three:

It was awkward at first. Aden hadn’t really expected anything different. Seeing Justin after barely speaking to him for a few good years was simply strange. Aden had been surprised that Justin had agreed to come back to the Bay so readily, but what had helped make up his mind was hearing that their father had been sent to jail. He told Aden over the phone that if it was just the two of them, then he’d come for a visit.

Aden had arranged it so that Roman and Nicole would both be out, so the brothers could talk freely. When Justin had first arrived at Roman’s house, he had been impressed with where his little brother was living. They started off making small talk, Justin talking about what he had been up to in the city and where he had been working, Aden talking about school and The Bay, nothing too serious. But when Justin mentioned the girl Aden had been seeing, Aden couldn’t help himself. He opened his mouth and the words seemed to pour out. About working at the diner with Belle, about them getting together, and about Axel and what their father had put them through.

“Jeeze, bro, you really seem taken with this sheila.” Justin finally managed to get a word in, when Aden paused to take a breath.

“I was! I am...but then she broke it off with me.” Aden told him sullenly.

“Women, ey? Can’t live with them, can’t live without them!” Justin laughed.

“Justin...I was really getting serious with her. I opened up to her...I told her things...” Aden trailed off.

Justin’s happy demeanour disappeared, and his brow furrowed. “What do you mean...told her things?”

“Things that I’d never thought I’d be able to tell anyone.”

“What things, Aden?” Justin demanded. His voice had become cold.

“Things...about our family. About what Grandad did to us.”

“You did WHAT?” Justin was furious. He jumped up from the table. “How could you? You had no right to tell anybody about that, especially not a girl!” He spat the last word as if it was poison.

Aden jumped up from the table as well! “Justin! I was really falling for her! It was the only way I could get her to understand why I am the way I am!”

“F***, Aden, those were secrets! Big family secrets that should have never left the family! There’s a reason why I buried them! I never, ever, want to be seen as weak, and telling people those things is exactly what you’re doing!” Justin was shouting like a madman.

“For gods sake, Justin, I thought I was doing the right thing! She was helping me deal with everything, she was helping me get through all this crap, so I wouldn’t have to bury it! I never thought she would break it off with me so easily!”

Justin stood there, looking at Aden, silent and fuming.

Aden looked away, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “I was falling in love with her, Justin.”

Justin’s face finally softened at this admission from his baby brother. “Mate...”

“She was the first person that I ever completely trusted. And she took my heart and tore it to shreds.” Aden sighed, sitting back down.

“That’s what you get for trusting someone, ey?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

----

I did the right thing, didn’t I?

For about the thousandth time since her spilt from Aden, the thought wandered through Belle’s head. She’d been cleaning up her room, and amongst the mess that had gathered under her bed, she had found one of Aden’s shirts. She smiled, wondering how Aden had left her house without this vital piece of clothing. Sitting on her bed, she held the shirt in her hands, with the thought racing across her mind.

She knew Aden had been shocked by the breakup. She knew that he hadn’t been expecting it. She knew that he hadn’t been coping, from reports that Geoff gave her when he’d seen him at school. She knew he’d been upset when he heard she had quit her job at the diner to get away from him. But she had to break up with him. She had to.

Things with Aden were always so complicated. He was a mysterious and dangerous character, and Belle never knew what he was going to do next, or how he was going to react. Angelo, on the other hand...Angelo was different. Everything was simple. With Angelo, what you see is what you got. He was kind and friendly to everyone, a bit of a joker, and was much more straightedge, which was probably a good thing when you were a cop. Sure, things were a little less exciting with Angelo than they were with Aden, but sometimes you had to make sacrifices, especially if you felt you were in danger...

Not wanting to think about the real reason she had broken up with him, the reason she still felt ashamed about, Belle pushed those thoughts away. She had to return the shirt to Aden. She didn’t want to, but she knew it had been relatively expensive and Aden was probably wondering where it was.

Not to mention it gave her a good excuse to go check up on him.

----

As Aden changed into his boardies to go with his brother to the beach, there came a knock on the front door. He quickly ran downstairs and opened it, and immediately regretted the decision, heart sinking.

“What do you want?” He snarled at a nervous looking Belle.

“I...um...came to return your shirt. I found it in my room.” She held out the scrunched up ball.

“Gee, thanks.” He replied sarcastically, snatching the shirt from her and leaning against the door frame.

“That’s okay.” They stood in silence for a minute, before Belle ventured on with a further question. “How are you?”

Aden laughed. “Like you give a crap!”

“I do!” Belle protested.

“No, you don’t! You don’t care about anyone but yourself! You don’t even care how much you hurt me!”

“I had to, Aden.” Belle whispered, heart sinking as she looked into his pained and saddened eyes.

“No, you were getting tired with poor little broken Aden. You gave up on me. You moved on!”

“Aden, it wasn’t like that at all! You don’t understand!”

“You’re right, I don’t understand. Please, give me one good reason why you broke up with me. And I don’t want to hear it’s because you were falling for someone else, because I don’t believe that’s the only reason. I know you, Belle. I believe there’s another, more truthful reason.”

As Belle opened her mouth, unsure of what even she was about to say, Justin came running down the stairs. “Hey mate, I’m ready-” Seeing Aden and Belle at the door, and the looks they were giving one another, made him stop dead in his tracks. “Woah.”

“Who’s this?” Belle questioned Aden meekly.

“This is Justin. Yes, my brother Justin.” He added, seeing Belle’s eyes widen at the name. “And Justin, this is Belle. The skank I was telling you about.”

“You don’t mean that.” Belle’s voice wavered.

“Yes, I do.”

Aden’s voice was so hard and cold, that Belle just snapped. “You know what, Aden? The reason I broke up with you is as simple as it sounds- I fell for somebody else! And I’m glad I did- I’m glad I’m not wasting my time on such a heartless jerk!”

Before Aden could get another word in, she was gone. Justin stood next to his brother. “Jeeze mate, what a nutcase!”

A nutcase that I’m in love with, Aden thought bitterly as they headed down to the beach.