Long ago, reason, time and space had pulled them apart. Today, undeniable love brought them back together, the marriage of their best friends, Seth and Summer.
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Ryan excelled at Berkeley and became a successful foreman for Pacific construction in Berkeley. He traded his wife-beaters for crisp, clean Oxfords and Dockers. He'd come so far from the troubles of his youth. As he watched the ceremony unfold, a wave of memories rushed over him, that first night in Newport, all the days after, and how he could scarcely remember life without The Cohen's. They'd accepted him as their own. Most important of all, he'd gained a brother. Seth, now a long way from the dorky teenager he was that bright afternoon on "The Summer Breeze", Ryan found himself with an odd sense of overwhelming pride. These wedding vows stood in stark contrast to the days in which Summer Roberts wouldn't have dreamed of even being seen with Seth Cohen. In some ways, he felt responsible for that change.
Taylor spent four years in Paris. Not once had she seen Henri-Michael. Paris was lovely, but her mind wandered occasionally to California, and to Ryan. She'd considered dropping everything and transferring to Berkeley, but she knew that was the wrong move. Paris was her calling for the time and she had to be true to that. She believed in her heart that if they were meant to be together, they would find each other again. Now here she was, watching her best friend pledge love and devotion to the man who'd waited as she followed her dreams of saving the world, one sea otter at a time. Tears welled up in her eyes.
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They never really lost touch with one another; they simply decided that a long distance relationship would not work. Though they were free to, neither pursued other relationships. It was unspoken, but they both hoped that a time would come when it would be right to be together again.
As Ryan surveyed the wedding party, he felt a longing to be a part of love again. A love he knew he had with Taylor. He saw the glimmer in his brother's eyes as he gazed at his bride to be. Seth's lips spoke an eternal promise, and Summer's repeated it. Ryan looked at Sandy, Kirsten and Sophie; they were the family he had grown to cherish and depend on. A good, solid place to come home to. He admired the kind of intense love – despite all circumstances – that his parents shared. Finally, he looked across and saw Summer's maid of honor, the woman he'd longed for these years, Taylor Townsend. She couldn't have looked more beautiful that day. He'd missed everything about her; the feel of her skin, the smoothness of her hair, the warmth of her lips, her sweet demeanor, and most of all, the way she always knew how he felt. She looked up to see him watching her. His glance asked, "I'm ready, now. Are you?" Then, as a smile widened across her porcelain complexion, she answered, "Yes."
When the cake was cut, the bouquet thrown, and the guests sufficiently socializing, Taylor stood and walked across the soft green grass. Ryan was with Seth; glass in hand, looking at the photos from so many years ago. She gently tapped his broad, Armani covered shoulder. He turned and their eyes met once more.
"Hi," she whispered, reaching for his hand. A gentle tug requested his presence with her on the dance floor. Seth grabbed the glass from Ryan's hand with a knowing smirk on his face. In a manner so familiar, Ryan took her right hand in his and placed his left on the small of her back. This felt good, right.
She closed her eyes for a moment, drinking in the sensation of being with him again. Then she laid her head on his shoulder. Music played and they danced slow and close, their bodies keeping time with one another. What seemed like hours later, she looked up at him and smiled once more. His honest, piercing blue eyes made her remember their time together like it was yesterday and not almost five years ago.
"Hi," he replied. He leaned in and their lips touched, engaging in a delicate tango, of which, only true love can know. He held her tighter, never wanting to lose her again. When it got cool, he placed his jacket around her tiny frame. They danced until the only illumination left was starlight, only then, did they stop. The rest of the guests had gone home hours ago. Taylor sat on a stray folding chair, somehow left behind in the hustle of cleanup. Ryan retrieved her purse from where she had left it. When he returned, she was curled up, asleep inside his jacket.
He smiled and breathed in deeply. She was the missing piece in his life, so vulnerable, so beautiful, and so perfect. He loved her and he wanted to keep this moment forever. Gently, he lifted her from the chair and carried her to his car.
Being together was finally right; they had found each other once more. The exchange of two small gold rings made their love a formal commitment in front of God and family. And for the rest of his years, Ryan cherished Taylor.