A/N: There is a storyline mentioned later on in the chapter, that involves spoilers for the UK. Just warning you all :)

-x-

"Hey Mattie. Come on in! Tony, Jack and Martha have just arrived." Cassie greeted me at the front door. My hair was clipped back apart from two curls, which shaped my face. I wore a silver, knee-length dress, which showed off my long, tanned legs.

"Tilly! We're over here!" Jack waved me down to the corner of the room where every one stood. I hugged him tightly when I reached them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked softly.

"I'll tell you later," was all I said. It was all I needed to say. Jack knew about Ric and I, and by the look on his face, he knew partly what this was about too.

-x-

"Did you hear about Tessa? She left Ric, just like that!" Cassie gossiped while we were in the kitchen, preparing the salad.

"Yeah," I said quietly. It was best just to stay out of this, that way no one could get suspicious.

"It's just really strange… oh well, there's plenty more fish in the sea, eh?" I laughed nervously along with her as we brought the meals out to the table that had been specially set up from the lunch today.

-x-

Ric walked down the stairs in an open-necked white shirt with his black, suit jacket on top. I couldn't resist him in shirts like that, and he knew it all too well. This had all become a game to him, he was toying with my emotions, making me feel guilty, and he was slowly succeeding.

I gave him a small smile and a look that told him just to 'drop it'. He smiled back, warmly and I was reassured a little bit. Just a little bit.

-x-

"Do you remember him, Mattie? He was the biggest loser I think I've ever met," Cassie said. We were on the subject of Jules, the guy that came to Summer Bay and caused havoc everywhere he went. He left just before I did, and he certainly made an impression.

"Yeah, what an idiot! He hurt you and he hurt Lily. I can't even list all the bad stuff he did in the couple of months he was here!" I replied.

"He left you to die," Ric mumbled under his breath. He had been surprisingly quiet during the meal, only uttering a few words every so often.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"You weren't here, Luc. It doesn't matter. Anyway. your exaggerating Ric, you know he had reasons for what he did,," I said. Ric was trying to stir up trouble. He had changed over the past two days, I don't know if it was to do with Tessa leaving him or me rejecting him, either way it was starting to make me mad.

"He saw her drowning out in the sea, he wasn't even going to go in after her. He didn't, Lily did instead. Then I ended up saving them both." Ric said calmly. He was making my blood boil now, I tried to stay cool and collective but it wasn't working.

"I bet you thought you were such a hero, Ric. You know why Jules didn't go in after me, and you're still having a go at him!"

"That was no excuse, Mattie! You could have died."

"His girlfriend died drowning, Ric. How would you feel if you saw history repeating itself like that? Would you have still tried to help, knowing the dangers?" I raised my voice slightly.

"That's enough you two," Sally interrupted. "I don't know what's happened here but this is supposed to be about the wedding, so lets get back on the subject."

-x-

The next hour was full of discussion of outfits, the venue, flowers and music. Everything was going smoothly until the couples were paired off for the ceremony and reception.

"So it's Belle and Drew, Jack and Martha, Dad and Sal and Matilda and Ric," Lucas explained around the table.

"What?" Ric and I said in unison.

"Well, you know it's tradition for the Maid of Honour and Best Man to walk down the aisle together."

"Can't we just swap the couples about, and mix us up a bit?" I suggested.

"No Mattie! You know it's too late for that, the wedding is in two weeks!"

"Yes Cassie, I am well aware of that. But it's not that hard to do, is it?"

"No buts, Matilda. The decision is final," Lucas said firmly.

"Fine," I snapped.

-x-

The meal was finished and we were now all scattered around the room, talking and catching up, now that the wedding business was finished. I stood beside Tony, talking to Martha when I caught sight of Ric, glaring at me. I marched over to him, I was fed up. He couldn't keep intimidating me like that.

"What is your problem, Ric?" I hissed.

"Me? It's you that has the problem here, Matilda."

"I've told you not to call me that!"

"I don't care anymore, Mattie! You obviously don't seem to care about me, or feel the same way as you used to."

"I never said that and you know it."

"You may as well have. Every time I've made my feelings clear you've pushed me away. I can't cope with it anymore."

"Did it never cross your mind to think about how I've been feeling in all of this? I have my reasons for not wanting to jump into a relationship with you, Ric! I'm still not over the first time we broke up, if we went back there and broke up again, I don't think I could do it. Actually, I know I couldn't do it again!"

We were both yelling by this stage, and all eyes were on us. Thankfully, no one in the room, apart from Jack had any real idea what we were talking about.

"Oh that's right, Mattie! Make it all about you, why don't you?"

"Shut up, Ric! Just shut up! You have turned into such a jerk recently. What's gotten into you?"

"You have Mattie! YOU! Don't you get it. You mess me up so badly. All I think about now is you, I was getting over you before. I was moving on with my life. I never realised how much I missed you before. Then I saw a glimmer of hope, you said you loved me too, and I thought finally we were going somewhere! Then you rejected me after giving me all these signs that said otherwise!" He lowered his voice to a whisper, we didn't need any more people involved in this.

"I do love you, Ric! I just don't think we should go back in the past. We must have been separated for a reason, so can't we leave it like that!" I had tears pouring out of my eyes now. "We're older now, and it's all too much too soon! Something could happen in the future, but not now. It just doesn't feel right, Ric…" The last few words were less than a whisper. I made a quick exit, as I had done so many times since I had been with Ric again.

I didn't know how I would get through the wedding, especially when the man I had to spend the day with, was the one man that I couldn't stand the sight of right now.

-x-

A/N: I'm ill people! So if that chapter didn't make much sense, it's because my head is so muddled up right now! Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews you've made, they really help keep me motivated. Sorry that it has been a week since the last chapter, my concentration has left a lot to be desired this week, meaning I could only write five words at a time! Also, my parents believe that ill people do not need to use the computer, and made sure I stayed well away from it :P Please review!