Scott looks at his colleague. Kane's face was deadly serious, his voice uncertain.
"When we met um... I told you I'd been in a bit of trouble in the past"
"Yeah - just minor stuff. I checked your record"
"Yeah... well there's something else you need to know... something that isn't on my record"
Stony silence. Kane glances around awkwardly.
"Go on"
"I was tried for... for sexual assault... rape"
Scott looked at him in alarm. He hadn't known what Kane had been like in the past but this was one thing he had least expected.
"But you weren't guilty?"
"That was the verdict"
"So... you did?"
Kane nodded, ashamed, unable to make eye contact. Scott was silent, trying to take in what he had just heard. Part of him was impressed at Kane for admitting it, aprt of him was horrified that he had gone into business with a man he hardly knew. He was curious as to why Kane was telling him anyway. Surely it would have been easier not to tell people. This way he was only going to get trouble. Kane shuffled uneasily.
"There's more..."
This was the part Kane dreaded.
The door swung open and Kane silently cursed the interruption. This was the last thing he needed. He just wanted to get everything into the open and deal with the consequences.
Dani appeared in the doorframe and their eyes met. Scott smiled welcomingly and moved towards her.
"Hi Dan... this is the guy I was telling you about - my new partner - Kane Phillips"
Stony silence told Scott all was not well.
"What's going..."
Scott began but somehow he knew the answer to his own question. The fear in Dani's eyes told him all he needed to know.
"...on?"
He looked from Dani to Kane and back again, overcome by too many feelings. Guilt, anger, confusion.
"I've got to go"
Dani's voice was weak. She backed out of the room, gasping for breath as she stumbled down onto the wharf.
Scott looked at Kane with a new loathing in his eyes. He took a threatening step towards him, opening his mouth to speak but was unable to find words to express his immense feelings. How could this have happened? The one man who he had chosen to go into business with was the one man who had hurt Dani so much. He had been warned Kane was bad news but they had got on well and he thought everyone deserved a second chance. But it was different when it was so close to home. He couldn't even bear to be in the same room as Kane now. Let alone work with him. But violence wasn't in his nature. Turning, he followed Dani out of the room. Kane sighed. The worst was over but he couldn't imagine what was to come. He couldn't work with Scott again. Not after this. Scott's reaction had been better than he expected though. He'd expected a punch at least. No less than he deserved.
Outside, Scott catches up with Dani on the wharf.
"Dani! I'm sorry... I had no idea"
She stopped, turning to face him. Tears were already crawling down her face.
"You went into business with him - how could you not have known?"
Deep down she knew he hadn't really betrayed her but just seeing Kane again had come as a shock.
"Look I... I really had no idea he was the one..."
He couldn't get his words out. There was no explanation. The truth was he had really clicked with Kane. He was finding it almost impossible to deal with all this new information.
"Dan... I'm so sorry"
He looked at his girlfriend, overcome by the fragile state she had been reduced to. Just by seeing the guy. And it was his fault. He wrapped his arms around her, not knowing quite what to do or say to comfort her.
.......................................
Kirsty walks up the path to the caravan park. Her mind was filled with Kane. He should have told Scott by now. Knowing Scott, he wouldn't have reacted violently. But what would it mean for Kane's future with the boat?
She opens the door and enters the house. Rhys and Jade look up from the sofa, as if she has interrupted a private conversation.
"Hi"
Kirsty looks at them uneasily. Guiltily.
"Where have you been?"
Rhys' voice was sharp. Determined. Kirsty can immediately sense something is wrong. Surely he couldn't know already.
"I had a headache so I went for a walk along the beach"
"See anyone?"
"No... what's with the questions?"
"Sure you didn't bump into Kane"
Kirsty's heart sank. Seb had told him.
"No"
Kirsty kept a straight face. Lying had become a second nature since she moved to Summer Bay. Rhys looked at her suspiciously as she walked through into the hall and ascended the stairs. He didn't know whether to believe her. He iked to think Kirsty wouldn't hurt the family again. Jade waited for a moment before following Kirsty up.
"Kirsty!"
They entered the bedroom
"What is it Jade?"
"Have you spoken to him?"
"Who?"
Jade glares at her, making it blatantly obvious who she was talking about. Jade wasn't fooled by Kirsty's act. She could read her twin like a book. She was only ever this snappy if she was hiding something. It wasn't hard to word out what.
"I said I hadn't"
Kirsty was becoming increasingly uneasy.
"Kirsty?"
Kirsty turned away, frustrated.
"Maybe... so what?"
"Kirsty! After all that's happened! You know what it was like last time! Do you really want to destroy Dani again?"
Kirsty didn't reply
"And what about Seb?"
"I don't know Jade! I just... I just need some time to think"
"You're not thinking about seeing him again..."
Jade paused
"...what has he been saying to you?"
Kane had only just got back and already he was having this effect on Kirsty's life.
"Jade... just... just promise me you won't mention anything to Dad until I work out what I'm going to do"
She knew what she was going to do. She just didn't want the added pressure of her family telling her she was doing the wrong thing. And she wanted to keep the truth from her Dad for as long as possible. She could only imagine what his reaction would be.
Jade nodded reluctantly.
.......................................
Dani arrives back at the caravan park. She enters, her face dull and expressionless. Just from a glance, Rhys knows what the matter is. He had seen his daughter reduced to this so many times before. It just made him hate Kane more. Dani's voice broke the silence.
"Kane's back..."
Dani slumped down on the sofa. Rhys followed. He found it hard to play the emotional father. Since Shelley left he had been forced to adopt the role of both parents. Beth helped, but essentially it was his responsibility.
"...he's working with Scott... Scott's new business partner... it's Kane"
Dani had kept running it through in her mind. Coming to terms with the fact that Kane was back in her life. Would she ever escape him?
"Scott and Kane?!"
Rhys was sounding increasingly agitated. He had always considered Scott to be a decent man.
"Scott didn't know who Kane was, Dad..."
Dani looked at her father pleading him not to get angry. She didn't need it
"...anyway he told me he'd sort it"
"How?"
Dani shrugged. Scott had only assured her that he wouldn't let Kane near her and that he'd abolish the partnership in any way he could.
.......................................
BEACH
Early morning
Kane and Kirsty meet up near the wharf.
"Everyone knows you're back..."
She had avoided Dani for the entire evening. She was scared of doing something tht would give herself away. Dani was in no mood to talk anyway. She was quiet and withdrawn. Constantly jumpy.
"What did you say?"
"That I hadn't seen you... that there was nothing going on"
Kane nods.
"And Seb?"
"I haven't seen him since yesterday morning... Kane, as soon as I split up with him everyone will guess why"
"Maybe it's for the best"
Kane no longer wanted to run around behing peoples backs. They had tried it and it had failed. They had been forced apart.
"I don't know Kane... everything's just such a mess"
Kane puts his arm around her and they stroll along the beach.
Several hundred yards away Rhys stands, his eyes focused on his daughter. His daughter and his sworn enemy.
"When we met um... I told you I'd been in a bit of trouble in the past"
"Yeah - just minor stuff. I checked your record"
"Yeah... well there's something else you need to know... something that isn't on my record"
Stony silence. Kane glances around awkwardly.
"Go on"
"I was tried for... for sexual assault... rape"
Scott looked at him in alarm. He hadn't known what Kane had been like in the past but this was one thing he had least expected.
"But you weren't guilty?"
"That was the verdict"
"So... you did?"
Kane nodded, ashamed, unable to make eye contact. Scott was silent, trying to take in what he had just heard. Part of him was impressed at Kane for admitting it, aprt of him was horrified that he had gone into business with a man he hardly knew. He was curious as to why Kane was telling him anyway. Surely it would have been easier not to tell people. This way he was only going to get trouble. Kane shuffled uneasily.
"There's more..."
This was the part Kane dreaded.
The door swung open and Kane silently cursed the interruption. This was the last thing he needed. He just wanted to get everything into the open and deal with the consequences.
Dani appeared in the doorframe and their eyes met. Scott smiled welcomingly and moved towards her.
"Hi Dan... this is the guy I was telling you about - my new partner - Kane Phillips"
Stony silence told Scott all was not well.
"What's going..."
Scott began but somehow he knew the answer to his own question. The fear in Dani's eyes told him all he needed to know.
"...on?"
He looked from Dani to Kane and back again, overcome by too many feelings. Guilt, anger, confusion.
"I've got to go"
Dani's voice was weak. She backed out of the room, gasping for breath as she stumbled down onto the wharf.
Scott looked at Kane with a new loathing in his eyes. He took a threatening step towards him, opening his mouth to speak but was unable to find words to express his immense feelings. How could this have happened? The one man who he had chosen to go into business with was the one man who had hurt Dani so much. He had been warned Kane was bad news but they had got on well and he thought everyone deserved a second chance. But it was different when it was so close to home. He couldn't even bear to be in the same room as Kane now. Let alone work with him. But violence wasn't in his nature. Turning, he followed Dani out of the room. Kane sighed. The worst was over but he couldn't imagine what was to come. He couldn't work with Scott again. Not after this. Scott's reaction had been better than he expected though. He'd expected a punch at least. No less than he deserved.
Outside, Scott catches up with Dani on the wharf.
"Dani! I'm sorry... I had no idea"
She stopped, turning to face him. Tears were already crawling down her face.
"You went into business with him - how could you not have known?"
Deep down she knew he hadn't really betrayed her but just seeing Kane again had come as a shock.
"Look I... I really had no idea he was the one..."
He couldn't get his words out. There was no explanation. The truth was he had really clicked with Kane. He was finding it almost impossible to deal with all this new information.
"Dan... I'm so sorry"
He looked at his girlfriend, overcome by the fragile state she had been reduced to. Just by seeing the guy. And it was his fault. He wrapped his arms around her, not knowing quite what to do or say to comfort her.
.......................................
Kirsty walks up the path to the caravan park. Her mind was filled with Kane. He should have told Scott by now. Knowing Scott, he wouldn't have reacted violently. But what would it mean for Kane's future with the boat?
She opens the door and enters the house. Rhys and Jade look up from the sofa, as if she has interrupted a private conversation.
"Hi"
Kirsty looks at them uneasily. Guiltily.
"Where have you been?"
Rhys' voice was sharp. Determined. Kirsty can immediately sense something is wrong. Surely he couldn't know already.
"I had a headache so I went for a walk along the beach"
"See anyone?"
"No... what's with the questions?"
"Sure you didn't bump into Kane"
Kirsty's heart sank. Seb had told him.
"No"
Kirsty kept a straight face. Lying had become a second nature since she moved to Summer Bay. Rhys looked at her suspiciously as she walked through into the hall and ascended the stairs. He didn't know whether to believe her. He iked to think Kirsty wouldn't hurt the family again. Jade waited for a moment before following Kirsty up.
"Kirsty!"
They entered the bedroom
"What is it Jade?"
"Have you spoken to him?"
"Who?"
Jade glares at her, making it blatantly obvious who she was talking about. Jade wasn't fooled by Kirsty's act. She could read her twin like a book. She was only ever this snappy if she was hiding something. It wasn't hard to word out what.
"I said I hadn't"
Kirsty was becoming increasingly uneasy.
"Kirsty?"
Kirsty turned away, frustrated.
"Maybe... so what?"
"Kirsty! After all that's happened! You know what it was like last time! Do you really want to destroy Dani again?"
Kirsty didn't reply
"And what about Seb?"
"I don't know Jade! I just... I just need some time to think"
"You're not thinking about seeing him again..."
Jade paused
"...what has he been saying to you?"
Kane had only just got back and already he was having this effect on Kirsty's life.
"Jade... just... just promise me you won't mention anything to Dad until I work out what I'm going to do"
She knew what she was going to do. She just didn't want the added pressure of her family telling her she was doing the wrong thing. And she wanted to keep the truth from her Dad for as long as possible. She could only imagine what his reaction would be.
Jade nodded reluctantly.
.......................................
Dani arrives back at the caravan park. She enters, her face dull and expressionless. Just from a glance, Rhys knows what the matter is. He had seen his daughter reduced to this so many times before. It just made him hate Kane more. Dani's voice broke the silence.
"Kane's back..."
Dani slumped down on the sofa. Rhys followed. He found it hard to play the emotional father. Since Shelley left he had been forced to adopt the role of both parents. Beth helped, but essentially it was his responsibility.
"...he's working with Scott... Scott's new business partner... it's Kane"
Dani had kept running it through in her mind. Coming to terms with the fact that Kane was back in her life. Would she ever escape him?
"Scott and Kane?!"
Rhys was sounding increasingly agitated. He had always considered Scott to be a decent man.
"Scott didn't know who Kane was, Dad..."
Dani looked at her father pleading him not to get angry. She didn't need it
"...anyway he told me he'd sort it"
"How?"
Dani shrugged. Scott had only assured her that he wouldn't let Kane near her and that he'd abolish the partnership in any way he could.
.......................................
BEACH
Early morning
Kane and Kirsty meet up near the wharf.
"Everyone knows you're back..."
She had avoided Dani for the entire evening. She was scared of doing something tht would give herself away. Dani was in no mood to talk anyway. She was quiet and withdrawn. Constantly jumpy.
"What did you say?"
"That I hadn't seen you... that there was nothing going on"
Kane nods.
"And Seb?"
"I haven't seen him since yesterday morning... Kane, as soon as I split up with him everyone will guess why"
"Maybe it's for the best"
Kane no longer wanted to run around behing peoples backs. They had tried it and it had failed. They had been forced apart.
"I don't know Kane... everything's just such a mess"
Kane puts his arm around her and they stroll along the beach.
Several hundred yards away Rhys stands, his eyes focused on his daughter. His daughter and his sworn enemy.