"Surprise!"

Everyone started clapping as Hunter led his future bride into the room. She gasped as she looked around the room. Hunter wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled. Stephanie and Chris were in the forefront, clapping, as Stephanie had a huge grin, delighting in the girl's face. Her mouth was wide open as she took in everything.

"Hunter, what did you do?" she asked.

"Stephanie helped me plan you an engagement party, I want everyone to see the girl I'm marrying," Hunter told her softly.

"You ass, you kept this from me," she joked, hugging him around the waist. "I can't believe you did this for me. And everyone knew, how did they all keep it a secret?"

"Look at me, I threatened them," Hunter joked.

She laughed and looked at the back wall, "What's that?"

"Pictures…of us," Hunter told her. "We'll look at them later…I think everyone wants you to say a few words." He gestured towards the small stage.

"Oh, I couldn't."

"Sure you could, come on, this is all for you anyways," he said, leading her over. She looked at the stage where a large banner was hanging. She wiped at her damp eyes and sniffled a little bit. She walked up the stage, still sniffling a little bit, under the banner that said:

Congratulations Hunter and Ashley!

"Okay, I don't know why my fiancé would do this and embarrass me," Ashley said tearfully, "I mean, he could've at least waited until my emotions evened out, but wow, this is…I didn't expect this at all, and to think that everyone knew about it. Some of you are going to get a punch in the face for this, you know who you are…but thank you so much. Hunter, I love you, thank you so much, and Stephanie apparently you planned this out, so thank you, it's really lovely in here, and thanks to everyone for coming…this sounds really lame, but I don't know what to say!" she said blushing. "Is this like a dinner or something?"

Hunter nodded, "Yeah."

"Oh, well then stay for the food," she laughed as she hurriedly got off stage. Hunter laughed and looked around.

"Every table has a name-card, so find yours and sit since dinner is like coming soon," Hunter said. "Then after that, we have some toasts and then you know, party time."

Trish gazed at the happy couple before John led her to their table, which he had found earlier. It was near the front since she was one of the bridesmaids. Stephanie and Chris were one of the other couples, since Chris was the best man and the other couple was one of Hunter's childhood friends and his wife, who seemed to know Stephanie pretty well, probably because Chris was best friends with Hunter and Stephanie had grown up in Greenwich too so they knew a lot of the same people.

Trish looked at John for a moment as he greeted Stephanie and Chris. She wondered what was going on in his head. She knew that the appearance of Christian was unsettling to him as well. She said hello to Chris and Stephanie too before they entered a discussion with the other couple at the table. She looked at John and he didn't look back at her. He was staring off into space it seemed, but he had that look of concentration on his face where she knew he was deep in thought.

She wrapped her arms around his left arm and leaned her chin on his shoulder. "Hey."

"Hi," he said shortly, grabbing his champagne glass to get another swig. "I wish the waiters would come by to get drink orders already, I need something a little stronger than this pansy-ass champagne."

She giggled breathily. "They'll be by soon, be patient."

"It's hard," he told her.

"Johnny, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Trish whispered to him. "I should've told you."

"Yeah, you shoulda, but what are we going to do about it now?" John told her. "There's no way to just change it back so we just gotta forget about it."

"But you obviously haven't," she hissed.

"Let it go," John said, turning away from him. She sighed a little as he turned away from her again. He was so tense and as she just lay her chin there, studying his profile, she knew that she had made a mistake in not telling him. He probably already thought that she was distant and then to keep this a secret, it didn't bode well for his trust in her. She wanted John to trust her because she trusted him so much.

She let her gaze fall across the room where Lita and Edge were sitting at the same table as Christian. She didn't let her eyes go to Christian though, but she just wanted to observe the others around him. Lita and Edge were laughing about something as Lita slapped Edge lightly in the arm. She let her gaze fall back to her own table, where Chris and Stephanie were flirting about something. She rolled her eyes at him, and went to turn away when his lips caught her mouth in a loving kiss.

"Johnny?"

"What?" he asked.

"Are you going to act like this the entire evening?"

"I'm not acting like anything."

"Yes you are. You're mad at me," Trish said sadly. "Johnny, I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would get angry with me and I didn't want you to get angry with me. I was trying to protect you."

"Trish, this isn't the place to be talking about this okay?"

"Johnny, please," she whispered.

While Trish and John were speaking, Christian had his chin in his hand, watching the two of them. He was jealous, that much he knew. He had seen Trish embrace John's arm with hers and lean her gorgeous chin on his shoulder and he would give anything to be John right now. John looked a little pissed off though, and he briefly wondered if it had anything to do with him. Trish was looking so pretty tonight, and he remembered the times when she would look pretty just for him. The waiter came around to get drink orders and he was glad for the distraction of alcohol into his system.

"That should loosen you up bro," Edge said with a pat to the shoulder.

"Christian, you've got to stop looking at her," Lita said gently to her boyfriend's brother. "It's not going to make your life any easier."

"So? It's not exactly easy now is it?" Christian told her sarcastically.

"No, but whose fault is that?" Edge interjected. "You're the one who left her, you can't fault her for moving on. And John sure did jump in quick."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You were barely out the door when he was swooping in playing the hero," Edge informed him.

"So you're saying he's just a rebound?" Christian asked hopefully.

"At first, I think that's what everyone thought," Lita said, glancing over at them. "But he really does make her happy, and sometimes, I think that he makes her forget about you. I know you hate hearing that Christian, and no, she's not completely the same, but he does help her, and he's there for her."

"So you're saying I have no chance?"

"You mean, you actually want to try and get her back?" Edge asked incredulously. "Seriously?"

"I was thinking that maybe it was worth the shot. Everyone keeps telling me she's not the same without me, that she misses me, that I did something to her, but she's actually happy with this John guy."

"He's not 'this John guy,' you know him Christian," Lita responded.

"So really, everyone just wants me to talk to her so that she can get over me?" Christian asked, starting to get a little upset and pouty. "You just want me to talk to her so that she won't be zoned out."

"Christian, understand that we all love you, but come on, don't you think Trish deserves to move on if she wants to move on. You can't just play with her emotions like that."

"I wasn't going to, not this time," he sulked as he sat back in his chair and went back to staring at Trish and John.

Trish could feel Christian's eyes on her. They had this connection that was strange and couldn't just be broken. She knew that he was watching her, watching her with John, but she didn't dare look in his direction. She just scooted her chair over so she could hang off of John's shoulders and wait for the food to be served. Drinks had been coming around and she watched as her martini was placed in front of her. She took it and took a long sip, letting the hard alcohol slip down her throat. There was something very comforting about that first sip.

"What I wouldn't give to get my hands on what you're drinking Trish," Stephanie said as she took a sip of her iced tea.

Trish looked over at her friend and smiled a little bit, "Sorry Steph, not going to happen."

"But alcohol is really the only way that I can deal with this guy," she said, throwing her thumb over at Chris.

"I resent that," Chris said with a laugh. "Trish, you're giving a speech right?"

"Yeah, I'm giving a speech," Trish said. "Are we doing those after dinner?"

"Yeah, those are after dinner," Stephanie told her. "I hope it's good because I'm cringing about what Chris is going to say in his."

"Don't worry, it'll be great, not as good as the one I'm giving at the wedding, but it'll be great."

"Yeah, and I was a virgin when you met me," Stephanie said with an eye-roll.

"Honey, don't make laugh, we both know that you couldn't keep your legs shut before you met me, hell, I don't think you do now either, I think I might have to find out if I'm the father of our children."

Stephanie laughed and eased herself into Chris's side. Trish liked the ease at which they could talk. That's what she had with Christian, and it's what she wanted with John. If she could just get past Christian, then maybe she would have a real future with John. Maybe she could have everything that she wanted and craved, and maybe it was all in front of her.

"Excuse me," John said before getting up, Trish almost collapsing on his chair as she had been leaning on his body. She looked to Chris and Stephanie, who looked confused before she got up and followed him out of the ballroom. He was standing there, hands in pockets, staring down at the ground and seemingly taking some deep breaths. Trish walked over to him and placed her right hand on his back and the left one on his stomach.

"Is everything okay Johnny?" Trish said softly. "Are you sick? Do you feel nauseous or something?"

"No, I just couldn't be around anyone right now."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong! What's wrong is that my girlfriend failed to let me know that her ex-boyfriend, who she still LOVES was going to be here tonight."

"What? I don't still love Christian," Trish protested weakly.

"Oh come on Trish, you know I care about you babe, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking you're completely over him. You can treat me with respect and at least tell the truth okay? I know about it all, the zoning out, the constant thinking, I know!"

Trish took a step back, "I never have been that great an actress."

"I took in stride, I did, because you were slowly but surely coming out of it. But then here he is tonight, and you're going to go backwards Trish, we're going to go backwards, and I'm tired of pretending this doesn't hurt me!"

"I know it hurts you," Trish said sadly. "Why do you think I never told you, I was so scared you'd leave and I don't want you to leave, John."

"Trish, I'm not the same guy around you that I am around anyone else and I like that, I can't leave you if I tried, I don't know though, this is really not fun for me."

"I know, I know," she repeated as she clung to herself. "I'm sorry Johnny, I'm sorry for the way I've acted towards you. I thought that I was being considerate, but I wasn't, I was just hurting you more. I'll be better, I promise. Please, just come inside with me and let's try to be happy for our friends. Hunter and Ashley deserve that at least, don't you think?"

"Yeah, they do," he nodded.

"Please come back inside." She held out her hand to him and he looked at it for a moment. He looked like he was contemplating. He looked up into her brown eyes and sighed at her face. He didn't like seeing her like this. He cared so much about her.

He took her hand, and with it, gave her his trust.