Aidan was having a hard time dealing with his conscience. After several dives, he felt drained of energy but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Kate. And he wanted some time to think. Thank God the island was the perfect sanctuary for such situations; it was very peaceful and refreshing which gave him ample time to face the questions flowing in his mind. How could he have behaved in such a wanton way? What would Kate think of him? That he was hitting on her even if she was getting married to someone else?

Irrespective of how the fiancé was, Aidan knew damned well it was not fair to cheat on him like that. What kind of man that made him? A bastard? And Jennifer? She believed that there was a chance they might come together again. Hell, what a mess!

Not feeling very proud of himself, he made up his mind to make it clear to Jennifer and explain to her that he did not love her anymore. But what would he say? That he loved Kate instead. He was not sounding credible even to himself. Damn he was in such a bad position.

But he had to clear the air with Jennifer before thinking what to do about Kate. It was better if he talked to Jen when they were away from the house so that they could avoid any dramatic scenes. He sincerely hoped it was not going to turn out ugly but from what he had gathered even if Jennifer seemed to be wary of him, she was treating him like a friend and nothing more.

When he joined the others, he immediately saw something was wrong with Kate. Her eyes were unfocused and her face had lost all its color. Undecided, he wondered whether he should talk to her first; she must be worried about his momentary relapse and must want to confront him soon. But before that, he wanted a word with Jennifer first. He had to at least handle of the understanding with Jennifer; he didn't want to end being a two-timing bastard.

"Jen, can I have a word, please?" he said and immediately the precarious peace that had settled within the group broke. Tension filled the atmosphere as both Ryce and Kate stared at him looking as if their heads would snap.

Despite the apprehensive look Jennifer was throwing his way, she followed him without a word. When they reached a secluded place where they could talk privately, he took her hand and she seemed to hesitate before letting her hand rest in the palm of his hand.

"Jen..." he began and watched their enclosed hands and he could feel her nervousness by the erratic beating of her pulse.

"Aidan, please I need to tell you something first," she stopped him biting her lower lips, a habit she had when she had difficulty expressing herself.

"No, let me go first. Please," he insisted squeezing her hand. It was important he told her everything he had just realized. And no matter how painful, he had to get it out of his system. And then he would know how Jen felt about him. If she still loved him, he would deal with the situation somehow. But it was easier said than done.

"Jen, I...I... look," he stammered not knowing how to get the words out feeling like suddenly there was cotton in his mouth.

"Would it help if I go first?" she suggested gently and he nodded filled with despair as he did not want to hurt his dearest friend.

"Me and you was such a mistake. I don't think I ever loved you or you ever loved me. What happened between us was..."

Before she could say a word, Aidan hugged her and she stopped talking her words frozen on her lips. "Oh, Jen! I was not very sure how to break that news to you."

Jennifer drew back and looked at him in the eyes and then her face holding a puzzled expression as if she had not been expecting him to agree with her. "You agree with me?" she queried amazed and when Aidan nodded, the puzzled expression transformed into a grin.

 "Oh God! We were such fools. I mean I was attracted to you the moment I saw you but even during our dating period, I used to feel like something was wrong between us. Don't get me wrong. It was good while it lasted but..." she said letting the word hanging in the air.

Aidan felt glad that she was thinking along the same lines as he was. He knew what she was talking about now. It had felt wrong between them; he had always put Kate first even when he had been dating her and she must have felt really bad. He knew now it was because he loved her but had not guessed it right back then.

"I know," he confessed. "I always put Kate first and...". He stopped when he caught her frown at his sentence.

"No, I mean I understood how precious your friendship was. It had nothing to do with her. I mean Ryce used to put her first too and I never minded. Not one bit. Don't blame everything on Kate."

"I'm not. I'm just trying to tell you something else," he said his voice loaded with meaning and he knew the exact moment Jennifer understood what he was saying. Her blue eyes widened so much that her pupils dilated almost to a small dot.

"Aidan? Are you saying what I'm thinking?!!" she yelped and at his nod, she shrieked even more and kissed him on his cheek. Aidan rolled his eyes. What was it with girls screaming when they were excited? he wondered but got no further as he felt something hard hit his face.

"What the hell?!!" he shouted staggering under the force and he felt himself pinned to the ground with somebody on top of him. As he regained his vision, he saw that his attacker was Ryce. Ryce?!! Why the hell was he beating him?

"You stay away from my wife!!!" he warned him landing another punch on his face and Aidan was too stunned to react or even feel the pain.

Wife?!! Jennifer was his wife?! He must have heard wrong. When did that happen? Aidan could not utter another word and as Ryce lifted his wrist to punch him again and Jennifer who had been frantically waving at Ryce to no avail stopped him by shaking him violently.

"Ryyyyyyyce!! Will you stop behaving like a bloody Neanderthal? Stop!" she cried and Ryce finally seemed to be listening and stood up leaving a still stunned Aidan to the ground.

"Aidan, are you alright?" Jennifer asked worriedly as she helped him get up. Swaying, he felt his head spin at the impact of the blows he had just received.

"Ryce Vin Connor!! How dare you behave so childishly? I've warned you before that I won't tolerate this kind of behavior from you," Jennifer shouted angrily at him even menacing him with her right finger.

"He was kissing you Jen," Ryce defended himself looking somewhat chastised and Aidan snapped out of his shock. Ryce and Jennifer were husband and wife. Of course. It made perfect sense. They were so perfect for each other and had loved each other ever since the beginning. That was why they had kissed on that day, they had never set out to betray him.

"No! I was kissing him!" Jennifer told him and Aidan having recovered from the shock crossed his arms to watch the quarrel between husband and wife enjoying the show.

"Why the hell you were kissing him for? So you still love him. You've been feeding me lies all those years?"

"Ryce, if you don't stop right now, I will punch you! I was kissing his cheek for Heaven's sake."

"I don't' care. Nobody touches my wife."

And Aidan suddenly understood. That was the way he should have reacted when he had seen Ryce kissing Jennifer in graduation night. If he had truly loved her then. And that was the way he had wanted to behave when that stupid guy had pawned Kate in the gymnasium. Now he understood clearly the difference between what he had felt for Jennifer and what he felt for Kate.

Unfortunately for him, he had realized it a tad too late. Three weeks before the love of his life was getting married. And he doubted he would find someone else to love as profoundly as he loved Kate. He should have listened to his mother those years ago when she used to see something more than friendship between them.

His shoulders sagged in defeat; there was absolutely no hope for him. "I'm sorry," he said gruffly and both stopped fighting to look in his direction. They looked surprised as if they had forgotten about him having realized now that he was still here. "I had no intention of causing trouble between the two of you. I wanted to tell Jen that I have no feelings for her."

Ryce relaxed his stance and gulped down whatever he was going to say to his wife and stared at his friend. "Aidan? What are you saying?"

"The truth," Jennifer confirmed. "And I would have told you earlier if you had wanted to listen. You asshole. You were so ready to believe that I would run back to him, weren't you? Is that all you've learnt about me? About us? We've been together for three years and I thought you knew me better than that!"

"Jen," Ryce said lifting his hand apologetically. "I'm sorry but I was so jealous of him. I mean you only had eyes for him back then. And when he came back, I could do nothing but watch you two trying to get back together. We said nothing because we did not want to aggravate the situation any further. It was so hard to sit back and watch my wife with someone else," he admitted and looked apologetically in Aidan's direction.

"I understand," Aidan told him.

"Are you okay?" his friend asked worried now that their relationship was still going to get back to where it had been.

"Yah. I'm glad you got together. At least one of us had a happy ending," he said dimly and Ryce frowned.

"What's with him?" he asked Jennifer quite puzzled with his attitude.

"He's finally realized that he loves Kate," Jennifer told him and Aidan scanned the area in case Kate was around but found her nowhere.

"Don't worry she's gone for a walk, I think to visit the park," Ryce told him guessing he was looking for her. "So you finally realized that you love her?"

"What do you mean finally? Did you know it all along?"

"Of course. It was so obvious. You lived for her, Aidan."

Aidan frowned. "So did you."

"Yes but not as passionately as you. I always knew there was something more between the two of you. But I never expressed it because it was up to you to find out."

Ryce looked at them both before going on. "That was why I felt so shocked when you started dating Jen. I swear to you that before while she was your girlfriend, I have never looked at her in that way. But when you chose Kate over Jen on that day, I felt sorry for Jen and did not think it fair. Of course I had no idea of Kate's drunken state at that time when I went after Jen only to comfort her, but when she threw herself in my arms, I could not push her away. She was in too delicate situation and I feared if I rejected her, she would have broken down."

He took a deep breath after his long speech and confirmed that he still had the undivided attention of both his friends. And when he found it the case, he went on. "I fell in love with Jennifer only after you left. Months after you left. We were both lonely and blamed ourselves for what happened. Finally, we found solace in each other's company when we realized that you were never going to forgive us."

"We got married only last year when Flint was two," said Jennifer with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Flint? Who's Flint?" queried Aidan puzzled.

"Our son. Flint Ethan Connor," Jennifer told him and Aidan felt both shocked at the news and flattered that they had named their son after him.

"You named him Flint? After me?" he asked his pleasure obvious in his voice as he looked at Ryce for confirmation.

"Yes, you were still an integral part of our life. But I was always insecure if Jennifer loved me for myself or on rebound because of what had happened between you and Kate," Ryce confided in a small voice sounding almost subdued as he poured out his feelings. And Jennifer seemed to be listening carefully too like she had never had that explanation before.

"Even if we were together, you were always in our relationship. Jennifer was always worried that she had betrayed you and we were never quite happy. Not until Flint came along. He made us forget part of our mistakes and when we named him after you it was some kind of repentance."

"Oh, Ryce. You never told me about your insecurities. I never knew you felt that way honey. Of course I love you," Jennifer professed looking at her husband with misty eyes so full of love that Aidan felt a pang of envy. "But I was never quite sure whether you were with me because you loved me or because you felt guilty," she added obviously wanting her feelings out too.

"Oh baby, you never talked about it. Of course I love you. I think I fell in love with you on our first night together," Ryce delivered in an emotional voice and kissed his wife playfully before hugging her.

Aidan did not feel left out as he listened to both stories. It was supposed to be that way between husband and wife; oblivious to the world. He was somewhat sat that he had unknowingly been the cause of their unhappiness for far too long now. They deserved to be happy. At least two persons of their groups were getting married to the person of their choice. Three persons. He should not forget that Kate had chosen to get married to bigfoot as well. And the only one who was doomed to love unrequitedly was himself.

"I think it's time to let go of the past," he said finally and Jennifer beamed at him hugging him tightly in turn.

Suddenly, everything felt right. Even if their relationships had gone wrong, they still loved him. They had not shunned him like he had initially thought but had still thought of him during the birth of their child. The reason behind six years of silence had not been indifference but shame and lack of courage to face him. And he no longer blamed them since it was not a mistake. He finally understood that fate had intervened that night when he had been too foolish to acknowledge the truth.

Ryce cleared his throat and both looked at him apprehensively fearing another burst of jealousy. But this time he grinned and included himself in the hug.

Aidan was happy that his friend had finally overcome his insecurity and could accept his past relationship with Jennifer. "I so wish you had brought Flint along," he said eager to meet the child.

"Oh, I wanted to. But it was hard enough hiding our relationship and if I brought him along, you would have known instantly. He's the prefect replica of his daddy," Jennifer informed him. "I miss him so much; my mother's looking after him."

"He would have loved to meet you as well," Ryce added. "He already knows about his uncle Aidan already, don't worry. We show him your pictures daily. And Aunt Kate is his favourite. I think he fell in love with her picture," Ryce said without thinking and watched as Aidan's eyes darken.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly and Aidan tried to wave it off casually but he knew he could not hide his feelings any longer. "It must be painful for you now that Kate is getting married. What do you intend to do?" Ryce asked him the question which had been tormenting him since yesterday.

"I think I will go back home tomorrow," he said taking the decision on the spot. It was better because the more he stayed the more he will not be able to resist her. "I can't watch her marry someone else."

"What?!" exclaimed Jennifer and Ryce in unison.

"Will you let her marry that loser?" Ryce grated angrily. "Never! Don't tell me you believe that bullshit about her loving that guy, Please Aidan. You have to fight for her."

But Kate did not love him back. Aidan was not a big fan of romance his father having taught him what love was all about when he had left his mother. Even back on those days he had not believed in love too much. He remembered how he had actually fallen in love with Jennifer. When he had found the love letter addressed to him in her ethics book. It had been so touching and sincere that the words have affected him directly to his heart. How could someone love him that much?

"I think I need to write her a love letter like the one you wrote me," he told Jennifer in a self-deprecatory way and wished he could be as romantic as his girlfriend had been.

"Love-letter? I don't remember having written any love-letter," said Jennifer puzzled.

"Awwww, my wounded heart," cried Ryce dramatically clutching the left part of his chest in an over dramatic way. "How come you never wrote me a love-letter, sweetie?"

"Oh, shut up, Ryce. I've never written a love letter. I'm not good in writing; be it love-letters or anything else. Aidan, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, Jen. It was actually a poem. So touching that I don't think you could forget it. Not ever. I found it in your ethics book or something," Aidan told her trying hard to remember anything else that would jog her memory.

He still had the poem safely tucked in one of his boxes of his attic. Of course he had not thought of bringing it along. And it had been so long ago that he did not memorize the wordings by heart. Frowning in concentration, he tried to remember a few lines of the poem which had touched his heart so much.

After having read it, he had felt happy and had ran to Jennifer who had been in the parking lot. And had hugged her and confessed his love to her. It had been an avalanche that her love had triggered in him. Love was contagious after all, that was what he had believed long ago not having understood the real meaning of love. But the poem had contained so much emotions and passion and he had been humbled that they had all been for him. That was why he was so  surprised that Jennifer was behaving as if she had never heard of it.

"It started with something like "I hate being helpless or something," he said trying to remember the second line but he could not recall anything further. Even if he could not remember the exact words, he still knew it had been something so profound which had moved his heart enough to find a place for Jennifer.

"Definitely not me," she assured him in an assertive way and Aidan frowned bewildered. If Jennifer was not the author of the love-letter, who could it be?