Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the drama and tension I'm going to cause. Enjoy.

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Chapter Eight

"Most of the sex I've had in my life was not as personal as that kiss."

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Cold water lapped around me as I sat on my board, heavy eyed, heavy hearted, as the sun rose over the horizon. After lying in bed for hours, I'd decided that sleep was not going to come, not while that kiss kept replaying itself over and over, and so I'd decided to come out here, to where the water was calming, and my body would hopefully find an inner peace. And finally let me think things through clearly.

Only, every time I closed my eyes, every time I breathed in the soft ocean breeze that was cooling my body as the heat from the early morning sun hugged my body, she was there, in my mind, her smell, her taste, her kiss. It was always there. And it wasn't going to go away any time soon.

Looking down the long stretch of empty beach, a lone figure appeared on the sand. Turning towards the surf, they waved at me briefly before stepping into the water, and paddling out to me. I wasn't surprised when Luke joined me, shivering a little as his body adjusted to the cool water.

We sat in a content silence, watching the sun work its way towards the sky. This is what I'd missed most about Summer Bay. The mornings when the world stood still, and it felt as if you were the only people in the world. That was the magic that Summer Bay held.

"Little early for a surf, isn't it?" Luke asked me finally, and I laughed, before replying, "You can talk."

"Couldn't sleep." He said, his fingers dangling down into the water.

"Why is that?" I asked, glad to have my mind taken off the kiss for at least five seconds.

He sighed sadly, as he looked down at his board. "This place, its just getting to me. Being here, being home, being with her," He said, "It's like things never changed. But then, everything has changed, because Sara is here, and its just, messing with me, you know?" He finished, and I chuckled sarcastically.

"You have no idea." I said, shaking my head, as Luke turned to look at me.

"Spoken like a man who has done something wrong." He said, his eyes critical, as I looked away from his knowing gaze.

"Well, I…" I began, but couldn't manage to get it out. How do you confess to your best friend that you kissed your ex-girlfriend while your new girlfriend was bonding with your best friends new girlfriend? Even thinking about it gave me a headache. Not to mention that there is this tension full of unresolved feelings that go deeper than you ever imagined… How do you say all of that without sounding like a) a girl, and b) a pussy?

You don't. You just tell the straight up truth, stick to the facts, and keep it short.

"I kissed Cassie." I said bluntly, and, not surprisingly, Luke didn't react. "And it was this amazing, sensual, all feeling, all loving kiss, and I can't remember the last time I kissed someone like that… except for all the kisses I've shared with her." I admitted.

So much for the guy way.

"And it made me realise just how important she was in my life. So my head's been swirling with all these memories, and that kiss has been on constant replay. I know cheating on Parker was wrong, and I know that I need to tell her, but that 'what if' scenario is always there. What if giving up on Cassie was the wrong thing? What if I moved on with Parker before I was ready? What if Cassie is my one, and being with Parker, I've thrown away that chance of having the girl of my dreams be mine forever?" I asked, turning to Luke, who shrugged his shoulder, contemplating the situation momentarily.

"Do you love Parker?" He asked finally.

"How can you ask that after that spiel?" I asked, gob smacked.

"Its easy. If you love Parker, you'll know you and Cassie only being friends is the right thing. If you don't love Parker, then chances are you're still in love with Cassie." He stated simply. "And after you figure out who you're in love with, the rest is easy." He continued, "I mean, all you have to do is tell the truth."

"And Obi Wan, how does this knowledge come to you?" I asked, trying to figure out how Luke had suddenly become this fountain of knowledge for relationships.

"Oh, you know, from places." He said vaguely, and I had to wonder if something was really up with Luke.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a flirty little thing? Blonde hair, tall, skinny, likes to get drunk and confess what could be misconstrued as declarations of love, goes by the name of Matilda Hunter?" I asked, smirking, as Luke looked uncomfortable for a moment.

"Mattie? No. I mean, Sara and I are great. She's perfect, and Beth and Dad love her to bits, not to mention Martha and Tasha." He said, beginning to ramble.

"But what about Matilda?" I asked, as he shot me a look. "Ah, the eternal question." I said, "What about Matilda?"

"Matilda," He mocked "Doesn't seem to be around much. Its like she's avoiding something… or me. But, this thing…" He said, before pausing.

"What thing?" I said, wanting him to open up.

"On Christmas, she said some stuff to me, about how we've changed, about moving on." He said sadly "She's been so withdrawn whenever she's around me. So, unwilling to bother. And she just shrugs it off, in true Mattie style." He continued "And every time I'm with her, all these memories from high school, they all come back. And I have to wonder. Because, you aren't human unless you do, right?" He asked pleadingly, and I nodded in response.

"Are we living in the past?" Luke asked finally, "Are we holding onto something we thought we'd let go? Are we trying to resurrect something that has been dead for a long time?"

"And why are we being so philosophical about it?" I replied, causing Luke to laugh a little.

"I'm serious man." Luke said to me.

"So am I." I replied, feigning hurt that he'd think I was anything other. "You and I, we're not thinkers. That was the girls. They were the ones who always thought everything through, came up with all plausible situations and had all the answers. And we were the doers. So why are we sitting in the surf obsessively comparing our present relationships to our past ones?" I rambled, until I realised I'd finally lost the plot.

"Did they always spin us about like this?" I asked Luke finally, and he laughed a little spitefully before nodding his head.

"Were we always this wimpy when it came to them?" I continued, as Luke nodded his head once more.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" I asked, as Luke laughed shortly, before sending me a look.

"I am not going to do anything. I did not kiss my ex-girlfriend. You, on the other hand," He said, smiling a little as two familiar figures appeared on the shore, "You are going to surf in there and deal with it." He finished, nodding towards the shore, where I saw Cassie and Mattie sitting on the sand.

"I hate that they are there." I muttered spitefully under my breath, as Luke laughed at me.

"I hate that they know we're out here." He replied, throwing me a quick grin before paddling towards the wave that had been growing behind us.

I hated everything about this situation that I was in. But most of all, I hated that I knew, that I had always known, where my heart was. Resigning myself to my fate, I lay down and kicked the water, knowing that I was about to face my toughest challenge yet.

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She smiled at me as we approached them. Smiled shyly, and then looked away. Lose strands of hair flicked around her face, and her smile grew as Mattie leant over and gently whispered something in her ear. She nodded a little, as a pale red blush crept across the back of her neck towards her face.

Her eyes flicked towards me again, and my stomach began to dance. That was all I needed to know, to feel, to make my mind up.

"You think, maybe, you and I could talk?" I asked finally, as she nodded, suddenly uncharacteristically quiet.

But it was okay; because she'd said everything she needed to. Now it was my time.

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AN: Thanks to Jade for proof reading, you're great. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and forgave Ric for everything. I know I did. Reviews are love!