The Day The World Ended

[rfran]

This was going to be two chapters but couldn’t work out where they split so it’s long. The perspective jumps about a bit I’m sorry and hope it’s not too confusing.

Warnings language, might be slightly out of charicter but given that ten years have passed and in the context I felt most people would be excused a curse!

Chapter 11

There was a dark cloud of despair hanging over the house the funeral was over the guests gone and in there place was a vacuum the two people who remained occupied, avoided each other as best they could, he crept into the bedroom whilst she fretted thought her medicated sleep, he was unable to rest a kind of panic setting in each time his eyes shut, he gathered together those things essential for his needs he could bare this no longer. He had to go somewhere; some were away from this away from anything and anyone he filled his bag placing clothes and documents hurriedly in his bag, he couldn’t tell family yet, they would try and persuade him to stay, but this future scared him so his bags packed he sat at the table one final task before he could leave. Then he walked out of the door took turned towards the centre of town and took the long coach journey north he didn’t know where he’d end up, all he knew was that when she woke Belle would find his note.

Belle,

You will hate me for this but I can’t stay I have to go I need time and space

This is not what ether of us would have planed, know I love you and Ben but

I always will but you can’t cope with me near you and I can’t make your suffering worse

I don’t know where I’m going or when I’ll be back but I hope some day we can move on from this.

Aden

The air pulsated with anger after the Belle had put down the phone; Annie had been stumped as to its cause until she had received a hurried SMS of her brother,

‘I’ve told Belle about Naomi, should have let you know first sorry’ it read

With the discover the sound of tears had returned to the house, once so familiar they had been unremarkable but these tears were different, not the sorrowful despairing weeping that had previously been heard but anguish filled painful body wracking sobs that seemed to shake the very fabric of the house.

And yet Geoff insisted this was the time to baptize Naomi, it was too soon for some members of the family to feel like a celebration but Geoff had always been determined. Annie knew she had to go but felt Irene was confused when she said she thought Belle could cope on her own while she visited her brother, but then Irene was not there, she could not understand the difference. Instead of an unending suffocating darkness there was fire and life in Belle, the anger felt somehow healthy it exhausted Belle, drove her she slept at nights and had recovered her appetite and not just for food, she was leaving the house camera in hand voluntarily for the first time and when she came back hours later she was completely spent. Belles passion transferred into the photos she took, photos Annie found to be dark and disturbing the light so eerie and dark the subjects seemed uncomfortable. But Annie thought she was functioning and for that at least she was relieved.

The trip had been mentioned and a date set, Annie had not pushed Belle for an answer, she had not really been sure that Belle had paid much attention, so she had not been surprised when she had received none. As the evening before she left for the long trip south had approached Annie had prepared herself packing things for herself and gifts for the baby unaware of the conclusions Belle was making but knowing she needed to bring the subject up again. She had told Belle she would be leaving early, she needed to get on the road, she would be driving all day as it was, and she still couldn’t work out what had stopped her flying, other than money and her need to have some time alone before re-entering a normal world.

The more Belle thought about Annie leaving the more she knew she had to go too, the anger she had felt had been useful it had brought her out from underneath the almost impenetrability smothering blanket of depression she had been unable to escape and replaced it with and anger that that burned with a fire which inspired her to activity giving her a focus again allowing her to move on to change but never to leave Ben behind. She knew now that there would be a new life for her. She didn’t sleep much the night before Annie was to leave and as the first shuffles were heard in the house she got up and the decision was made she would go with her, she rapidly grabbed a selection of stuff and hastily stuffed it into a bag, placing her worries behind her, the bag filled quickly and Belle knew that when she arrived the odd selection of clothes would cause her problems but now she just had to go. See left her room bag in hand to enter the bathroom as Annie walked passed to pick up her final things.

“Just wait a minute and I’ll be ready” Belle announced rushing at full tilt passed the shocked figure of Annie.

“O.K” Annie responded almost lost for words

“We can share the driving” Belle exclaimed excitedly as she continued.

There bags packed they set out on the long journey, there was little conversation between the pair as Belle considered the consequence of making this journey and Annie worried about what would happen when Belle met up with the baby.

They continued with out talking for several hours the cool pre dawn hours melting into the heat of the day as they travelled they reached a town on the way and stopped for some drinks, well Annie thought she better let Geoff know Belle was coming with her so as Belle went to the bathroom Annie picked up the phone and rang, Nicole answered.

“Hi Nicole, I just thought that I’d better let you know Belle did decide to come down with me” Annie let Nicole know.

“I’m really pleased she decided to come with you.” Nicole answered “There is only one problem, you better let her know, Dad just phoned me Aden is back!”

“Oh s**t” Annie cursed “Bloody typical he runs away and comes back now, I suppose I better tell her”

“Well she’ll need to know” Nicole said slightly defensively

“Sorry I know you care about him but the timing is lousy” Annie responded slightly defensively “She’s coming I better go”

The journey continued quietly Annie, driving, had a pensive look on her face, on a couple of occasions she started as if to speak but before the first word had been said she hushed herself on the third occasion Belle asked Annie to tell her what she was trying to say.

“Yes well I phoned to let them know you had decided to come with me and, ur...., well, um...., Nicole answered and well ur...., you’re not going to like it but , Aden’s home”

“Oh” Belle replied before she put her head down and silently contemplated the repercussions of the news she’d received.

Annie settled down for a long and silent journey.

[rfran]

Thankyou all for reading. I said I'd get bored with revision and I had this nearly finished and so I thought I'd put this up.

Chapter 12

As he followed Roman into the room her eyes caught him, it was as if everyone else in the room had evaporated and they were left alone, he noticed her eyes moisten and a tear collect in the inside corner of the left eye, it reluctantly freed its self from her eye and almost imperceptibly moved its way down the side of her nose across and reached the top of her lip before her tongue flicked out and caught the lone salty droplet, she tried to move her head to avoid he’s eyes but they would obey her still remained focused solely on him. The magnetism between them made it feel, for a few short moments like the last year had not happened and in those same moments like every tear, ever lonely sleepless night was there right with them.

She shifted in her chair stuck between wanting to stay silent and an urge to scream loudly the all the conflicting emotions surging through her head would cease. Instead she took control of herself and slowly stood, every pair of eves in the room watching her until she stood upright when they started to move between them with the kind of unison normally seen only in the crowds at tennis matches.

He watched with a penetrating stare as she came to her feet trying to anticipate her next move, did she need to be with him or to be alone, would she speak, gesture or leave. She started to move towards the door and as the space between them reduced he could feel the connection between them crackle like static electricity, feel a magnetic pull towards her he wanted to hold her frail body in his arms, take the weight of her pain from her and carry it for her but instead he stood stock still until she spoke.

“Follow me” she announced her voice like marble, cold and hard.

She watched as he shuffled uncomfortably yet urgently after her, this was something she had to do quickly the look on his face had become so apprehensive she felt it belonged on a condemned man and yet she also felt the penetrating eyes following them. As the door shut and they were alone she felt a palpable sense of relief, of the sort she felt she had not been able to find on her own. She knew she had to stick to her guns, she could not bend she had to keep in mind what he had done to her.

“When you left I needed you,” she began “I was hurting more than I ever thought possible and you made sure I knew what hurt was!”

He tried to interrupt her but she continued not letting him speak

“No! You left I get to speak! I was hurting more than I ever thought possible, I woke up the morning after the funeral and you were gone, you made it worse” She continued angrily this time “I didn’t know where you’d gone I had no one who understood to share the pain with and now you have the audacity to come back here and want to be part of the same family I belong too, how dare you” the volume of her voice had risen like a crescendo to a full blown yell.

His head fell as she raved at him, his yes moving down from her face quickly down her once familiar body, across the floor only stopping when they reached his own feet. The words poured at him and ceased to register as words but rather as a hail of bullets, he knew he would prefer the pain of a beating by a gang, the sting of their kicks and punches than facing this barrage. A steady flow of silent tears ran unseen down his face running to the end of his nose before merging with other to form larger droplets which progressed downwards to the floor.

He registered the change in the voice and once again it spoke words

“....but however much you have hurt me I need something from you I need someone to talk with about Ben?” she queried

The kitchen clock ticked loudly in the seconds of silence that followed.

“Um....” he started

“Ur....” he tried

“Well?” she questioned impatiently

“Yes” he answered

The tension in the room eases a fractionally, like moving from the freezer to the fridge

“We will talk” Belle insisted “but know we are here for Geoff and Nicole so I’m not going to let our problems ruin their weekend”

She turned to leave the room, opening the door she was greeted for a second by the eyes of every person sat in front of her, hurriedly they turned from her and started conversations in a way that told her that every one of them had strained to hear what had gone on beyond the door. Belle walked briskly over to Irene took and empty seat and started to talk until she felt the presence of him a Aden followed her into the room, his face pail, his eyes glazed and his nose a little red, he moved over to Nicole, Roman and the Baby looking for familiarity and reassurance but he could not keep his eyes from repeatedly drifting to Belles face and while there noticing hers settle on him.

So I'm sorry there wasnt any fluff!

[rfran]

So this is a long chapter which I left till after my course to put up to get me back into the fic. So here goes hope you like it, a lot of words and even more silence.

Chapter 13

She sat quietly in the beach watching the wave crash against the rocky out crop until the repeated crashing lulled her into a form of trance moving away from the here and now and racing through the emotions of seeing him, completely filling with emotions she had felt because of him. She sensed the draw he felt in his presence and this intermingled with the pain she had felt due to his absence, the hurt she known due to his betray the passionate inescapable love she could not escape from no matter what. The captivating magnetism she felt in his presence had not diminished with the passing months, but she was different now she would not succumb, she told herself that this time there would only be conversation, just a time to say good bye to Ben properly and then she would move on, it would be over. He would not, could not win her back this time, she told herself.

She did not trust him; he had had many chances to win her back before as teenagers here in the Bay but not this time she told herself with a determination that was much stronger than her internal conviction.

She sat there as the wave crashed, she became completely absorbed by their hypnotic beauty, there sound lulled her as she rocked slowly in time with their motion and as she did so the thoughts in her head calmed and a hush descended upon her. This place had always managed to sooth her she thought, ever since her first days in town as an angry teenager before she knew any of them, when she was just a lost soul in need a mother, and finding her she knew had been important but moving in with Irene had been more significant.

The beach had emptied as twilight fell and she knew Irene would worry just as she always had but she was completely mesmerised and left as motionless as the very rock as completely engulfed by the peace she had found. A slight shiver moved down her spine and she drew the light fabric of her T-shirt round her as the evening cold penetrated her.

Her trance was broken by a feeling of discomfort a sensation of being observed. It had to be him, she knew it had to be him; he was the only one who knew this was her spot, her refuge from the world, which it always had been. She heard the slightest of crunches a footstep on a shell or some other debris and the charge sent tingles running up and down her spine and then out the very ends of her fingers and toes it gave her a familiar warm feeling even after all these years he could still send her hart racing and her head spinning. She had always considered it a sign of the strength of their love, now she only felt of it as a sign of her own weakness. She sensed him move to sit as silently, as possible as if he was a shadow, about a meter behind her, it was familiar and uncomfortable at the same time.

Time continued on its ever proceeding race into infinity, the last vestiges of light disappeared to be replaced by the twinkling stars and the trail of lights along the opposite side of the bay looking for all the world like the fairy lights she used to have above the head bed as a teenager. She would like to say life had been simple then but honestly her life had never been simple, not until after Aden had dealt with his past before then it had been a trail of nightmares and miss adventures.

He was still sat in silence, she wondered what he was thinking, she knew she should leave that Irene would worry but she could not drag herself away. If only the world only existed in this one movement, if there was nether part to deal with or future to worry about if there was only now, she thought, just this peace in which she could reach out to him, to be happy with him and to never have to deal with their issues or the consequences. She did not trust herself but she knew she would never be able to forgive him, but that didn’t stop her from needing him.

........................................................

He had left Romans that morning trying to find a way to fill his day without pushing Belle as much as he wanted to be near her, to ask for her forgiveness, he knew he had to take things slowly carefully to wait patiently. So he had walked, his heart pounding as it remembered the feeling of her being near again, those brief minutes, the electricity that still pulsed between them had made him aware of just how much he still loved her, how far he had buried the feelings he had for his wife under the grief he had felt, was still feeling for his, no, for their son.

He had walked until the sun had moved in the sky and the heat had risen in the day making this late summer day oppressively hot not that he had noticed, he wanted quiet and had avoided the throngs of people on the own beaches and had instead headed along the bush tracks that followed the water up the inlet at the edge of town he turned his music up and submerged himself in his own private world only occasionally interrupting his thoughts to drink from the bottle of water he clutched tightly in his left hand. As he subconsciously became aware that the sun moving in the sky was indicating that the afternoon would soon be drawing to a close he headed back towards the town he was subconsciously drawn to the secluded spot that had drawn Belle earlier that same afternoon. As dusk approached he approached the place had become special to both of them. He focused out towards the horizon as he turned off the path and was about to take the uneven steps down to the beach, this was not the time of day to be doing this he thought as his head dropped.

The shrunken figure sat arms wrapped tightly round the legs, head resting on the knees staring out into horizon, she was almost as still as the nearby rocks the slight movements of her back as she slowly inhaled and exhaled hardly noticeable in the now diming light. He swallowed sharply overcome by the strength of the emotions he felt paralyzed by them he silently recollected the many times they had been here together, from those first evenings when their relationship had been an exciting secret. Those moments when after his breakdown they had been unable to resist the enticing draw between them. Later still they had visited the seclusion of this spot to deal with some of the biggest decisions they faced, the day he had received the letter accepting him into uni and Bell had finally had to decide to leave her family, those moment in the mad days running up the their wedding when they had wanted calm and stillness away from the whirling madness crated by every ones plans for their day. He approached her cautiously, silently as if she was a flighty animal liable to bolt at any moment slowly hoping not to shock her until he stood about a meter behind her, an almost insignificant inclination of her head and shrug of her told him that she knew he was there and accepted his presence. He Sat.

Her presence was like a balm to his worries, it allowed him calm and space to think of the many memories he still kept buried. His mind wandered to Ben and the good times they had shared, his family.....

.....The panic he felt when he receive the news had been immense, he rushed from the class room as if a fire had been set at his ankles, he did not stop to pick up his things instead rushing out to his car pulling the keys from his pocket he fumbled almost dropping them as he was unable to properly command his fingers to work in the desired way. He tried to slow his racing mind, he had to drive and if he crashed he would be no use to anyone and Belle would kill him. He safely arrived at the hospital and after abandoning his car he entered the hospital at a pace nearly knocking a passing nurse flying he was warned not to run, the traced the now familiar route to the department he required. Arriving at the nurse’s station he had enquired which room his wife was in before diving in through the appropriate door. The nurse in the room laughed as he entered.

“I thought it was the mother who was meant to be red faced and breathless at a birth, you wife looks much calmer than you at the moment”

It had been the most magical day he thought

His hart became swollen the moment he laid his eyes on the wrinkled pink body that the midwife placed on his wife’s chest, a shock of that white blond hair that many infants share seemed ghostly against the his wife’s dark curls. He remembered that he had wondered if he had more love to share with a baby as he had watched the second line appear on the third pregnancy test Belle had done, just to make sure, now he knew the answer, not only had he found a deep well of love for his son but the love he felt for his wife that he had thought was all consuming had been broadened now she was also the mother of his child. He had promised himself he would protect them and woe betides anyone who hurt either of them he had promised himself.

How wonderful the memory of that magical day, calm descended upon him a feeling he was unused to, the pain had dimmed, there was he realised more joy in remembering than pain caused by the recollections.

He was here for Belle whenever she was ready, he could wait, would wait as long as it took for her to be ready to talk ready to understand he hoped ready to forgive him dreamed ready to love him again.

Hope you enjoyed this now I should go to bed, I sat two written exams and took two vivas today so I'm pooped

[rfran]

So I now think that this is the penultimate chapter it's not the finish I imagined when I started, it didn't sound right when I got this far.

I might write more after Christmas but I'll let you know when I get there. So onward.

Thank You very much for reading. Writing this has been really important for me it has got over a number of my own demons.

Chapter 14.

The phone rang with a shrill tone into the empty space of the now closed diner the sole occupant quickly put down the stool he was upturning rushing to answer it: it was unusual time for the phone to ring, he concluded.

“Hello, Bayside Diner. Roman speaking”

“You haven’t seen Belle?” Irene asked anxiously

“No, no sign here, have you tried phoning her?”

“Yer, darl her phone is in her room and she’s nowhere to be seen”

“This sounds so much like a conversation from when they, I mean she was a teen doesn’t it, I know she’s not been well but she a grown woman now I’m sure you don’t need to worry”

“It’s been hours since she went for a walk and I know she’s all grown up but I worry”

“Look I’m almost finished locking up here I’ll take a look for her when I’m done. Your better staying by the phone” Roman put down the phone and as he did he realised that his house guest might just be the key to the mystery, he also realised that Irene was unlikely to have asked him.

Switching of the last of the lights, setting the alarm and locking the door behind him Roman set out into the dark. Walking along the beach in the full moon shone brightly enough to light the way clearly, he headed first towards his home, the lights were out which wasn’t a surprise knowing how Aden had been struggling to sleep before the baptism but also knowing that it didn’t mean Belle wasn’t there, anything was possible with the two of them. As he opened the door and walked into the room he sensed that something was out of place, he moved through to the kitchen where there were used breakfast dishes in the sink unwashed but no evidence of more recent occupation. It seemed as if there had been no one here all day. Roman was intrigued and slightly concerned where they both were, he grabbed a flash light as he turned and left locking the door behind him and headed out into the darkness.

As Roman walked the darkness seemed to memorise him he didn’t walk in the peace of a moonlit night often, he realised searching for the lost couple on a night like tonight would not be a chore. As he walked he tried to figure out where Belle and Aden would have taken themselves for a while then he just walked going where ever his feet took him. He was therefore surprised when he checked his watch to find out he had been walking for over an hour it occurred to him that the two of them had probably turned up by now. He switched on the flash light he was carrying and turned to head home the light he was carrying jumped in front of him out to the moving water it’s light was sent back to him like a million stars suddenly appearing on its surface as he walked following the shore line the sand crunching almost imperceptibly beneath his feet the crossed secluded coves and rounded rocky outcrops. In the quiet of the night his senses became highly tuned to the small noises of the nocturnal animals moving around but the rustlings he heard startled him turning the light towards it he noticed a figure of a woman moving quickly back towards the town after a second more he realised there was a second figure sat hunched over head in hands the curve of the back indicated the level of his frustration. Roman went over to the man; he placed a sympathetic hand on Aden’s shoulder the when he turned to look at him offered a hand to aid the young man getting up he started walking back towards town as he held his silence waiting for the younger man to speak. As they walked Aden ran over what had just happened, what meaning could be drawn from the silence he had just shared with his wife, had it been a step forward, a move towards her forgiving him? Maybe it was too soon.

As they approached the town he ready to talk to Roman.

“I just walked and she was sat there I joined her and we sat, we didn’t speak we just sat.” Aden concluded

“You could have let us know you were safe mate” Roman responded

They looked forward to see, rushing forward across the torch beam, Belle’s familiar figure hurrying towards the beach house, he moved to follow but Roman pulled at him,

“Not yet”

They stood in silence to make sure she got back safely, Roman knowing he would not leave until he knew she was safely home.

As the slight figure approached the house she considered weather to creep in through the window and avoid detection, but things had changed she was an adult and if Irene knew she was missing she would be worried.

As she approached the door light glared out of the kitchen window and in it Belle could see the pacing figure of the woman who was both her foster mother and her friend.

At the first movement of the door Irene turned and rushed to hug Belle.

“Where do you think you’ve been missy?”

Belle muttered something inaudible, in her head it was clear to Irene she was a million miles from her arms.

“Missy!” Irene called out louder this time trying to extract a response.

“Ur, yes” Belle responded, comforted by the familiarity of Irene’s voice

“You haven’t been out with that Aden again have you?” Irene realised she was only going to get a response to questions, and the silence told her everything she needed to know. “After everything he’s done to you. And you go rushing back to him, will you never learn!”

Irene thought she had perhaps gone too far, but the irony of the comment was not lost on her and she thought Belle could see it too. This was a conversation that could easily have taken place ten years ago when Belle and Aden had first started dating.

Belle moved away slowly as if moving through a dream she spoke reflectively

“I went for a walk, I found myself on the beach and I sat and watched the sea against the rocks, time just seemed to disappear”

“So you didn’t see him then?” Irene asked puzzled.

Belle moved making her way to bed, she stopped realising Irene would be cross if she found out from Roman.

“I have seen him” Belle responded without moving her gaze from the back of the bedroom door “I promise you nothing happened. We didn’t even speak.”

Belle disappeared before Irene could comment.

So one more chapter which has been my problem chapter for ages but I've found some inspiration and a few hours tomorrow (before I finish work and have to run round like a headless chicken) so I might get it done for Christmas as a present to me!

[rfran]

Thank you all so much for reading. I would like to thank Tanyia, Laurzy, Red Ranger, Naomi, jdoddy, susanf, lise and I'm sure I've missed some who have commented and stuck with this as I've taken my time writting this.

So this is it.

Chapter 15

Belle sat on the wharf waiting her frayed nerves fighting her as she sat wanting to run her legs twitching over the side. She thought back. The sun had streamed through her bedroom windows as she woke, she had sleepily turned to look at the clock, it was late much later than she had thought, the day was already half gone. This couldn’t go on, she realised they had to talk.

So here she sat, the position had been a good choice, close enough for no one to think they had disappeared but far enough away to have space to talk and there was enough chance of being over looked to strengthen her resolve not to give in to the chemistry between them, that she knew that would only make things worse in the long run, but she still struggled with the magnetic draw of his presence.

She heard footsteps approaching hurriedly she inclined her head slightly and confirmed it was him she drew in a large breath.

“I’m sorry if I’m late” the man commented, unsure he was late but trying to prevent any repercussions if he was. He sat heavily next to Belle

“Your not, I’m early.” Belle answered “Once I’d phoned I just wanted to get on with this, so I walked over slowly”

There was a pause the tension building as neither person found the words to open the conversation.

“It feels strange being back here, doesn’t it” Aden started he rushed onwards “I know this doesn’t even begin to put things right but I am….”

“Sorry” Belle interrupted sharply

“Yes sorry” Aden rushed onwards embarrassed that he hadn’t managed to say it himself “Sorry about what happened, sorry for leaving, I know how heartbroken you were.” His confidence draining from his voice as he spoke

“I know” Belle replied more emotionally “It’s all been such a mess”

“You know I miss him, don’t you” Aden’s voice cracking as he spoke, he cleared his throat and continued “I was so selfish leaving but I had to go; I couldn’t deal with your grief as well my own. I know that it was selfish.”

“We could have worked through this together;” Belle explained “we could have helped each other. Aden you were a fantastic father, you loved Ben so much I I’ve always known that, we could have helped each other.” Tears started to fall silently down her face.

“Do you really think so?” Aden asked rhetorically “We would have blamed each other, I was frightened I would deal with things the same way all my family deal with things, in the bottom of a whisky bottle, hurting any one who is near enough to get in the way. And yes that’s what I did, drank my self into oblivion, can you really tell me you could have coped with seeing me do that?”

“I could have stopped it” Belle responded

“Is that what you really think?” Aden half sneered “You couldn’t look after yourself let alone any one else. Not that I blame you” He hurriedly changed tack and tone “I was just as bad seeing you suffer made it worse for me, you had been such a wonderful mother, Ben, he was lucky to have been your son, but he was a Jeffries and I felt his death was a punishment for all the things that had gone before, but it was my punishment not yours and yet it hurt you just as much”

“I’m sorry for pushing you out I should have talked to you shared how I was feeling, but all I wanted was to go to bed never wake up and I couldn’t tell you, I didn’t want you suffer any more you were in enough pain.

Tears now fell just as quickly from his eyes towards the sea as they did from hers.

They both sat choked for a few minuets as they both thought of the gorgeous little boy they had lost.

Tourist’s footsteps approached.

The pair were suddenly drawn from there contemplation Aden swallowed hard, discreetly trying to wipe the teats from his face, a matter of seconds later Belle repeated the same motion.

The strangers passed them by.

“But you’re well now?” Aden struggled to restart the conversation “Nicole said you’ve been ill.”

“Yes, I’m um…. well I’m better, not great but better” Belle concluded realising just how far she had come from those first painful days through the numb times when there was no feeling just an emptiness that was impenetrable when it seemed there was no point in carrying one. Now she noticed little things had started to make her smile again, this morning for example the sun shining through her window had made her feel special, made her smile, she felt now that somewhere out there was a new beginning a world worth starting again for. Belle became wrapped back in her own thoughts, thoughts she would once have wanted to share with Aden but know was happy to keep to herself.

The footsteps passed them again leaving them completely alone and breaking Belle’s train of thought.

“And you, how are you now?” Belle asked after a time

“Well I suppose I’m ok, I was running and now I’m here and I’m dealing with it all, it’s slow but I’m getting somewhere now, it helps having everyone’s support here, I’m having to face up to what happened, Roman has been trying to convince me to get some counselling, I think it’s the right thing.”

He looked at her as he finished speaking unsure how much he should reveal; as he paused she remained silent so he decided to continue.

“I shouldn’t have left you, I am so sorry you were so devastated, we both were, I wasn’t thinking straight, I thought you might feel it was my fault in some way and that you would push me away, I was scared that if I became angry, like I used to, I would take that anger out on you and the idea of hurting you more scared me”

Silence descended upon them again.

“You know I’ve always loved you, don’t you, that will never change whatever happens, but I’m not a fool, we aren’t teenagers anymore it’s not enough I can’t ask you to forgive me, I don’t forgive myself” Aden’s voice broke, a new well of tears was breached his head dropped into his hands and he let go of his emotions again.

Belle broke her silence she cleared the lump that stubbornly stuck in her throat and said two simple words

“Thank you”

Aden turned his head to look at her and placed his hand on the wharf between them as he did.

Belle instinctively placed her hand over his in a gesture of support, the sensation was powerful, safe and familiar and at the same time frightening and unnerving after a matter of seconds she moved her hand and raised herself to a standing position she left hurriedly. This was the end, it was the beginning it was the time for the resolution of the past and for moving onward to a new future, a new start.

Thank you again for reading, I'm sure it's not the ending that some of you would have liked, it's not what I had in mind when I started writing but when I got into it, it would have felt like a betrayal of all they have been through for them to have got back together this seemed more honest.

Comments