Ryan stood in his kitchen, pouring two glasses of white wine. Placing the bottle gently on the counter, he picked up the two glasses and brought them into the living room with him. He looked around at the empty room, and sighed. He never realized how much of a lonely life he had been living until now.
He awoke to a phone call this morning. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus on the voice on the other end of the line. It was female; Her soft voice spoke only in a whisper, although it was strong and forward, knowing exactly what she had called for. Ryan was taken aback by her, feeling almost comforted by the unknown voice, and agreed to talk in person that very evening.
His head stirred with confusion and excitement. He felt like he knew this woman, but couldn't figure out from where. After spending so many years in Orange County, he finally decided that it was time to move, and some how found himself in New Orleans. He built a career for himself, but spent so much time working, he often forgot about the most important things in life. His friends.
His hands shook, staring up at the clock hanging over the stone fire place. His company would be arriving in 10 minutes. He quickly ran to the bathroom, and splashed his face with cold water. His stomach churned with nervousness. Pulling a white towel from the shelf beside the sink, he wiped his face dry, and stared at his reflection for a moment. His dirty blonde hair was getting longer than usual. He brushed his cheek with the back of his hand, feeling the five o'clock shadow beginning to appear. He placed the towel in the laundry hamper, and walked back out into the wide living room. The pale plush carpet softened his footsteps as he walked and sat down on the brown leather sofa. Just as he began to take a sip of his wine, the phone rang.
"Hello?" he answered. For a second he felt as if no one would answer, as if this was all just a prank. But he was wrong.
"Hi. Can I come in?" A young female voice responded. Ryan swallowed his nerves down.
"Oh, yeah, come on up." He pressed and held the number 9, and then hung up. He began to pace the kitchen, wringing his hands nervously. After what felt like an eternity, there was a knock at the door. He took a deep breathe, and slowly turned the door knob. Carefully pulling open the door, he stared at the female before him.
The sight took his breathe away. Her curves had stayed the same, and her face was flawless. Her soft wavy hair lay longer than it had many years ago, but her smile still captivated him all the same. He smiled, unsure how to great the young beauty. Her smile was the only answer he was looking for.
"Come in." He ushered, moving back from the door to give her room. She took a few steps in, and then took a quick glance around. Her eyes glistened in amazement. The room was truly amazing, especially for a condo. The view was magnificent, and the room was filled with modern furniture and classic pieces of art. She would have never thought this would be how Ryan would have turned out in a million years.
While she was busy removing her coat, Ryan took his chance to get a full glance at her figure. Her height was the same, as well as her slim waist line. Her arms were perfectly tanned, matching with her white summer dress. As if she knew he was watching, she glanced his way, catching the corner of his eyes. Trying to avoid from blushing, he offered her one of the glasses of wine, sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room. She nodded and followed him forward.
"This place is amazing." her voice spoke up through the silence. He cleared his throat and replied, "Thank you." The both sat down in the quite for a few minutes, just feeling the comfort of being in each others presence. Finally, Ryan felt that he should take this chance to speak up.
"So, what brings you here?" His voice still quiet, as not to surprise her. She slowly pulled the wine glass from her lips, and smiled.
"Well, I realized that so much time had gone by, I figured that I should try and find out what's happened to Ryan Atwood." She chuckled. A smile followed her laugh, and he couldn't help but laugh himself a little as well.
"Has it really been that long?" He questioned. She nodded. He wish he could tell her everything that he had wanted to say so long ago, but the timing wasn't right. He had become such a perfectionist now, it was unbearable at times.
"I do have a reason for coming here though." She spoke. His eyes quickly glanced at her, making sure he was hearing her right.
"Alright, go ahead." He replied, barely holding his patience. He was careful not to so too much anticipation, but the wait was driving him crazy.
"I know that it has been so long since we last talked, and I'm sure that you have no doubt moved on, but the past few months, I couldn't keep my mind from thinking of you. The feelings for you never left, and in all honesty, I still love you." She spoke, then stared at the ground in embarrassment. Ryan was taken aback.
"I still love you too. I never stopped." Ryan kept his eyes focused to her eyes. She quickly looked up, her eyes glistened with fresh tears and she couldn't help but smile. Ryan placed his glass on the table and brushed a tear away from her cheek with his thumb. Moving closely, he softly moved in for a kiss, hoping he would no be rejected. But he wasn't. Their lips met, and suddenly, the entire world had gone silent. The only sound to be heard was their soft breathing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling deeper into the kiss. Ryan couldn't hold back and began to run his fingers through her hair. Both consumed in each other, that when they finally let go for a breathe, they blushed furiously at each other, curious as to what the other one was feeling.
"Please tell me that you aren't married to some one." Her voice shook.
"I never even thought of getting married to some one else." He replied, "How about you?"
"You're the only one I think about." She smiled. Shifting in her seat, she cuddled in closer, until they were face to face. Glancing between her lips and her eyes, Ryan finally moved in for another kiss, happy to not be denied. They became more and more intense as the night drove on, time flying by although they felt as though they had been standing still for so long.
"Will you stay with me? I mean, a little while longer at least?" Ryan asked, knowing that it was growing darker, but he felt as though time meant nothing to him right now. She pushed a stray hair from her face, and smiled.
"I never want to leave." She replied, and once more they we're consumed in each others kisses.
"I love you, Ryan Atwood." She spoke softly, running her finger tips gently through his hair.
"I love you too, Marissa Cooper." And as the sun began to fade far out in the horizon, they both fell asleep soundly in each others arms, knowing that they would never be apart again.