Shattered Glass

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 12

Warnings: This scene contains references to child abuse and sexual activity.

“Hey” she half whispered as she sat down next to him on the sand. The moonlight shone on the dark and stormy water and for several moments they sat side by side in silence watching the waves pound against the shore.

“Jamie had a great time at the beach this morning” Aden smiled, finally breaking the peace.

“Me too” she smiled as she delved into her bag.

“Me three” Aden grinned, his face almost lighting up at the memory of spending the morning swimming and playing soccer on the beach with Belle and their son.

“He really loves you Belle”

“I really love him” she told him in hushed tones as she handed the thin packet she was clutching to him.

“I know” he nodded with a small smile dancing on his full lips. She was glad he finally seemed to trust her when she promised that she loved Jamie and wasn’t going anywhere. Because, with all her

heart, she meant it.

“The photos he took the other day” she explained the packet with a chuckle.

“They’re very blurry but I’m sure he’ll love them anyway. And the top one actually came out really well”

Aden lifted the paper flap and pulled the wad of photos from the packet. He laughed at his own face looking back at him with a cheesy grin.

“It obviously came out so well because he loves the subject so much!” he told her cheekily.

“Or the subject loves himself too much!” she mocked, poking his arm with an outstretched figure before becoming serious.

“He adores you Aden. The relationship you have with him... it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen”

He reached out and gently pushed her hair behind her ear, smoothing it down as his hand gently caressed her smooth cheek.

“I think I’ve got competition” he laughed softly before continuing with a cheeky grin.

“He never shuts up about you now. God I’m getting so sick of you!”

“Fine I’ll just leave then!” she pretended to get into a strop as she began to stand.

“As if!” he laughed grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her back down onto the sand.

“We both know you can’t get enough of me!”

“You’re right” she nodded.

“But only because you won’t give me enough”

“You wouldn’t take it anyway” he whispered, their bodies leaning so close together that he could feel the icy shiver run through her.

“Wouldn’t I?” she asked quietly as her warm brown eyes focused their gaze on his lips, fluttering intermittently back up to his baby blue eyes before crash landing on his lips once more.

He watched her intently, his hungry eyes burning her like the midday sun. She gulped in anticipation as her body yearned with desire. She’d been fighting this for days now and every day it got harder. Every minute she spent with him was a constant battle to keep her hands and her lips to herself.

Suddenly he broke away from her gaze and nodded at the photos as he placed them back in the shiny wallet.

“Are you sure you don’t want to give these to Jamie yourself?”

“No, it’s ok” she shook her head, dazed. Quickly she tried to regain her composure but her heart was still thumping rapidly and she was certain her cheeks were flushed with a bright crimson hue.

“I did bring them around to the house earlier but you and Kirsty...well it sounded like you were arguing”

“How much did you hear?” he half laughed.

“Nothing, just raised voices” she lied as she thought back to the harsh words she had heard exchanged between Aden and his wife earlier that evening.

”I don’t like this one bit Aden, I’m not going to pretend just because it’s Belle and everyone thinks she’s wonderful no matter what she does!”

“Kirsty, you’ve seen him since she’s been around. She’s all he can talk about. He loves her!” Aden insisted, frustration clearly apparent in the tone of his voice.

“Of course he likes her!” Kirsty exclaimed, her replacement of the word love with like was not lost on Aden or Belle as she eavesdropped just outside the front door.

“She comes around here and plays with him and reads to him and takes him to the beach. She does all the fun stuff whilst wicked stepmother here makes him eat veggies and tells him off for talking to

strangers!”

“It’s not like that Kirsty” Aden sighed.

“You haven’t seen them together. It’s like they’ve got a connection. I know you don’t like it but she’s his mother”

“Well I wish she wasn’t!”

“Well I don’t!” he snapped angrily, heat rising to his cheeks.

“Even though she just left him? You wouldn’t rather he had a mother who’d actually stuck around for him?”

“Kirsty, Jamie wouldn’t be Jamie if Belle wasn’t his mother. He’d be a completely different kid and I love him too much to ever wish for that! Belle was ill, that’s why she left, But she could do anything.

She could walk away again tomorrow and I still wouldn’t wish that she wasn’t his mother! He is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and Belle is part of who he is.”

“And what about you Aden?” Kirsty sighed as Belle made her way up the driveway and out of earshot.

“Is she part of who you are?”

“She wants a baby” he whispered, his words interspersed with a tiny, breathy laugh.

“What?!” Belle exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide and suddenly alert.

“Sorry” she instantly returned to her normal volume.

“It’s none of my business”

“Isn’t it?” he whispered, twisting his head to face her, his features solemn and stern.

“She wants a baby but not because she really wants a baby. She wants a baby because she thinks it the one thing that separates her from you. You gave me Jamie and she thinks if she has my baby

then that will make you equal”

“Is that what she said?!”

“No” he chuckled.

“Of course not. She said she wanted a brother or sister for Jamie and Ollie. That she wanted to make our family complete”

“Do you want a baby?” She asked hesitantly.

He reached out and found her hand, cradling it gently in his own. She rubbed her fingertips in soothing circles against his palm.

“People say that you love your kids unconditionally no matter what. And I could never imagine not loving Jamie” he told her as she winced.

“Sorry I didn’t think” he sighed at her reaction.

“It’s ok, I would never have imagined it either until it happened”

“Go on” she encouraged with a nod.

“But when I look at Jamie I don’t just love him because he’s my son. I love him because he’s your son too. And some of things he says and does they are just so completely you Belle and it makes

me love him just a tiny little smidgen more every time I look at him and I see you in his smile and hear you in his little laugh. And I can’t imagine ever feeling that way about Kirsty. I’m sure I would

love the kid but it wouldn’t be the same. And that wouldn’t be fair on them”

“So is that the only reason?”

“No” he shook his head with a smile.

“I don’t want a baby with Kirsty. Our marriage is just one big joke that neither of us dare laugh at. We don’t sleep together Belle, I don’t know how the hell she expects us to conceive a child!”

“You don’t sleep together?” she asked cautiously, feigning shock. He would never know about the conversation she had overheard between Kirsty and Leah.

“We have a couple of times but only because she pressed me and well it’s what married couples do isn’t it? It felt...obligatory and cold and...and I feel terrible even comparing it to this because it’s

nowhere near the same but that’s how I used to feel when...when....”

“Your granddad?” she finished the sentence he couldn’t complete in a whisper and he nodded slowly.

“Aden” she sighed and without hesitation inched her body across the sand, wrapping her arms around his upper body and resting her head on his shoulder.

“It’s been years, I shouldn’t still freak out about it but I felt like I had to do it, like it was some sort of duty and when I was with Kirsty I felt similar feelings and it brought it all back”

“Aden, what happened to you was not something that goes away, you’re always going to carry it with you and you’re allowed to freak out sometimes. No one will blame you for having memories”

“Kirsty doesn’t know” he explained as he rested his head against hers.

“She doesn’t?”

“She had her own problems to deal with back then, when it all came out at the trial. Why would she have had any interest in mine?”

“And you’ve never told her?”

She felt his head shake against her own.

“When I told you it was the most difficult thing I’d ever done but I loved you and I trusted you more than anyone. And when I told the courtroom that day I found the strength to do it because of you, because I didn’t want to go to jail Belle I wanted to be with you, I wanted to be with you forever. I feel like I could tell you anything and you’d still be there for me, which is ironic because you’ve left me twice” he laughed softly as she pinched his arm in annoyance.

“But I honestly have no idea how Kirsty would react if I told her that and I married her to give Jamie a family. I was worried that if I told her, she’d freak out and leave and then it would all have been for nothing”

“Aden” she told him softly, twisting her head to face him. Gently she placed her palm flat against his cheek as he looked down at her.

“I think you underestimate yourself. You are an amazing father and you are more than enough family for Jamie”

“I just want him to have everything Belle, I want things to be perfect for him. I don’t want him to suffer like I did and I don’t just mean my Granddad I mean all of it. I never want him to go through anything like that”

“Aden, he has a wonderful father there to love and protect him. What more does he need?”

“You” he whispered softly and her heart flipped at the realisation that he’d married Kirsty because she wasn’t there.

“He’s got me. He’s got me forever” she assured him.

“And so have you”

Before she could object his lips crashed into hers in a wave of reciprocated desire.

[Red Ranger 1]

Ooh...well, that's going to make things interesting.

[LAURZY!]

I cant believe he never told her!!!

That was so sweet absolutely loved it

I felt so sorry for Aden

Brilliant update, cant wait to read more

[Taniya_K]

I dunno if I should go 'Aw' or

Great chapter once again. I loved their conversation about Kirsty wanting a baby and Aden finally admitting that he only married her for a family. Their fight was intense too, and I loved how you showed Kirsty's changing from 'love' to 'like'.

The ending - I hope they don't start an affair! As much as I hate her, poor Kirsty! And Jamie too. I hope Aden tells Kirsty, and Jamie, the truth soon.

Cannot wait for more.

xoxo

[jenpen08]

Oh my I bloody loved it!!! I feel like i'm always repeating the same message after every chapter but I honestly love it!

Great chapter yet again!!!

[wrongturntaken]

*tear*

Once again, wow! How do you do it?

That conversation about Kirty and about him feeling the same was just... gut wrenching but moving... amazing!

I can't wait to see what happens next!

I hope you get the chance to update again soon!

[bailey4]

WOOHOO LOVED IT!!!!!

[HAA Girl 08]

Great update, as usual, Louise!

Like Taniya said, I really hope they don't start an affair!

As to Aden, leave Kirsty and make a family with Belle and Jamie!

Cannot wait for the next update

[KaiyaBlake]

He kissed her, he kissed her

I hope that's a good thing though and it doesn't stuff anything up

Great Chapter Update whenever you can haha

[lachsm]

absobloodylutely loved it best fan fic and best author you should be writing home and away's script

fantastic as usual