Chapter 3- The morning after

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Ric's POV

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I rubbed the back of my neck as I gently stepped over Matilda and Cassie, who had now manage to move from the couch onto the mattress with Matilda. I slowly and cautiously walked over to the kitchen table where Luke, Belle and Henry were sitting sipping on water or coffee, depending on what the parties needed to wake up, and sat on the free seat.

"When should we wake them?" I asked Belle

"Well, I thought they were dead cute but Robbie insisted that while they were under his and Kit's watch, they had to learn the hard way" she laughed as she nodded towards the kitchen where Robbie and Kit were filling up glasses of water.

"Go guys!" Henry whispered as they sneakily walked over to the mattress and stood over Matilda, when they were both ready, Robbie mouthed 1...2...3 and they poured the glass over Matilda.

And then we heard the high pitched scream.

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Matilda's POV

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I suddenly felt the cold water hit my knees and face and let out a loud scream as I jumped up to see to very blurry figures standing above me. I groaned as the room was filled with laughter, as the figures became clearer Kit and Robbie. 'Why wasn't I surprised?' I questioned myself and then the answer came 'Cause it was Kit and Robbie' I moaned as I lay myself back down holding my forehead.

"Learned yet sis?" Robbie sat down next to me, still laughing at my misfortune.

Suddenly we heard footsteps run up the porch steps.

"Is everything okay?" Jack said breathlessly from the door as Martha entered the house.

"We heard screaming." Martha said

"We were just teaching Matilda the downs of having a hangover" Kit said as she helped Robbie pull me up from my lying position "We should have a before and after picture, would make a rocking school presentation" she joked

"Kit you laugh at my misfortunes one more time and I'll go throw up on your favourite shoes" I sniped back "I'm going to get a shower, I smell like a brewery" I finished slowly walking past Jack and Martha, who were both silently laughing at me, towards the bathroom when I felt hands grab my shoulders and push me in the opposite direction.

"Bathrooms that way" Henry said as Cas finally woke up.

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Ric's POV

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I gently chapped the door of Matilda's door; I opened the door slowly when I heard a faint 'Come in'.

"Hi, Belle and Cassie said Bye. They had to go home." I said as she nodded trying to put on her necklace, I walked over to where she was sitting in front of her dressing table mirror and took the two separated clips off of her when I had successfully secured the necklace I ran his hand sensually down her neck as she sighed heavily and put her hand over mine.

"I need to ask this" she stuttered slightly breathless "Did anything happen last night, between us?"

"Well, we went down to the beach and you decided you wanted to swim but when I stopped you we kind of kissed, and it was good until you pulled away to throw up" I answered as she buried her face in her hands as I continued "And when I carried you back up to the house you started going on about how hot in a geeky kind of way Lucas was."

"No! I'm so sorry"

"It's okay, I mean at least you didn't throw up on me" I joked trying to reassure her, she let go of my hand as I knelt down beside her and looked into her eyes, "I've never understood why you always get so drunk." I stated, looking for an answer.

"Because it lets me numb the pain of my life." She said bluntly as she turned back and began brushing her long hair, she gently put down the hair brush and looked me straight in the eye. And suddenly I saw all the fear, hurt and pain that had built up inside her, surface, in that one look I saw years of anger over her fathers death, that had manage to stay with her and turn her fragile heart into stone.

It was true, Matilda was a bitch, and the only people she truly cared about were her family and Belle and Cassie. She could make someone feel bad about themselves with one look and could make the strongest person in the world putty in her hands. Belle and Cassie were much the same although Matilda had an innocence about her that sometimes I thought I was the only one who noticed. She was unbreakable and nothing I or anyone else could say would change that. Until she spoke.

"I don't want you to carry my baggage" she said with a tear in her eye "I don't want you to watch me… do this to myself" she said hanging her head.

I gently cupped her cheek in my hand and wiped the tears away with my thumb, she lifted her head up slightly as she opened her mouth to speak I gently placed a kiss n her lips.

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Matilda's POV

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'Why was I doing this?' I screamed inside my head, I was revealing all to my brother's best friend, instead of mine. I looked him straight in the eye and I realised that it wasn't my brother's best friend anymore; it was Ric, the guy who right now I was completely smitten with.

"I don't want you to carry my baggage" I came out with "I don't want you to watch me… do this to myself" I said as I bowed my head in shame.

I felt his hand gently cupped my cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb, I lifted her head up slightly as I opened my mouth to speak, and Ric gently placed a kiss on my lips.

As the kiss deepened I felt a sudden relief wash over me, just like it had last night. All my hurt and pain disappeared in that one moment as I let his tongue slip into my mouth, I groaned slightly as I began to become more relaxed and came back to this world, where I realised that this was wrong. I pulled away and stood up.

"What's wrong?" he asked me as I rush towards the door grabbing my bag on the way.

"I can't do this, it's not right. I'm sorry" I run out leaving him kneeling on my bedroom floor.

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