Disclaimer - I do not own The O.C. or any of the characters. I also do not own the song 'The West Coast' by Coconut Records
Taylor sighed - the slow, long releasing kind - and pressed her cheek as hard against his chest as she could. She could smell the fabric softener Kirsten used and the unmistakable scent of a man. That was the one thing that drove her crazy the most, his smell. It was the perfect mix between boy and man.
"I'm not ready for this to be over, Ry," she mumbled as he lead her to the bed. They both fell onto it, still holding each other, and laid in silence for a moment.
"Stop saying that. It's not over."
"Yeah... I know it's not," Taylor paused. "But this is. I mean, the past six months are, and now we're going to opposite ends of the world. We'll be on two different freakin' continents and it's never gonna be the same. We're never going to have time to talk- like actually have any meaningful conversations. This was probably as good as it's ever gonna get, even if it was a little fucked up at times."
Ryan cringed. He hated when she cursed. She didn't really care.
"Stop, Taylor. God, just shut up," Ryan whispered. "You're leaving tomorrow, so lets just enjoy what we have and not waste it talking about the inevitable. It might be hard but everything will work out, alright? I promise."
Taylor had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Six months ago, Ryan probably wouldn't have even been able to tell her she was pretty.
"You're right," she answered, twisting so they were face to face.
"Always am." Ryan smiled smugly down at her. She rolled her eyes before bringing her lips up to meet his, and for a few seconds, everything in the world seemed right.
-- -- --
Ryan had his face buried in her hair. The endless pit in Taylor's stomach just kept growing and she could feel the tears forming but she stopped them from falling. She promised herself last night she was not going to cry until aftershe got on the plane.
After watching all of her favorite television characters go through their graduations, she knew it was a very bittersweet time. It was a moment in one's life that was full of joy, pride, and accomplishments, but at the same time full of heartbreak and absolute pain. Taylor always figured she would only experience the joy, though, of finally getting away from Newport and all the Newpsies, especially her own mother. But now it was different. Ryan came along, and Summer, and then Seth, too. Julie and Kaitlin, Kirsten and Sandy, and eventually her mother. She had a family now, albeit a strange one, and she was not completely ready to let them go.
"Well, I guess I better get going," Taylor whispered once she heard the final call for her flight. She pushed herself away from Ryan's body and looked straight up into his eyes. "I love you."
Ryan let out a big breath of air and pulled her in once more with a tight squeeze. Her hands found their usual place around his neck. "Yeah," he said in monotone. "I love you, too."
He let his lips crash onto hers one last time with urgency and she pushed back, hard. After a bit she pulled away, dazed and breathless.
"I'll... I'll see you in a few months for Christmas," Taylor said, hoping to sound nonchalant. "I mean, a few months isn't that far away, right?"
Ryan shook his head, his forehead still pressed against hers.
"Well," she said. "Bye..."
"Bye," he whispered roughly. "Call me as soon as you land. I don't care if it's late."
Nodding, Taylor stepped back and shifted her bag onto a different shoulder. She turned and walked in the direction of her flight. Ryan watched her go, his heart sinking into his stomach. After handing the attendent her ticket and turning towards Ryan for one more wave, she disappeared through the doors.
After everything he had gone through in his life, Ryan never would have thought that watching Taylor Townsend get on a plane would be so freaking hard.