The alarm clock in the pool house had just started to sing its song. Ryan was awoken form his dream and slightly irritated. He was having a dream about Marissa, a very, very good dream about Marissa. When he officially woke up he could still she the imprints Marissa's body left in the bed. Ryan smiled to himself. When Marissa was forced to stay at her mom's house she would always sneak into the pool house at night. Come to think of it, she did that when she was at her dad's too. Ryan loved it. She fit perfectly between his arms, they learned that earlier that year in Tijuana. Marissa really couldn't sleep anymore without Ryan next to her. He always had this way of making her feel safe. Since the night that Luke had tried to force himself on her she hated being alone.
On that night Marissa and Luke had been broken up for 2months and Ryan and her had been together for about a month. Summer wanted a girls night out. They hadn't seen much of each other lately, Marissa being with Ryan and Summer with Seth. They to had been dating for about a month. Seth decided that he and Ryan should have a guy's night out as well. "I'm not sure we should Seth, I have a bad feeling about it." "O, c'mon Ryan it's not like you or I have anything or one better to do." Ryan gave him a small sideways smile. "I mean, dude, Sum and Marissa are going out tonight and Summer made if very clear that us boys weren't allowed." "And as you may recall, my darling Summer tends to suffer from rage black outs, we wouldn't want that now would we?" "Well…..okay I guess we could I mean I can always spend time with Marissa later tonight." "See Ryan that's exactly what I was thinking."
"I don't know Summer, maybe we should go with the boys tonight, something feels not right about this." "Coop!, Chino and Seth have decided to have a boys night out, Which Seth has explained to me means ..wWe're not invited." "Besides we can always catch them later." "Well…..ok I guess we should go then." Marissa decided.
The whole time Ryan couldn't help but think about Marissa, something told him tonight was a bad night to be so far apart.
"Wow buddy, tonight was definitely on my top ten list." "Yea, umm, I'm gonna go check on Marissa, she's at her dad's and he's not home yet." "Ok Ryan, you go ahead and check on Marissa." Seth said making a thrusting movement with his pelvic area and winking at Ryan. Ryan just gave him the stare.
When Ryan got to the house all the lights were off and the back screen door was flinging open in the wind. "Uh oh." "Marissa?, hello, are you here?" He heard a small-terrified groan coming from her room. The sound made every bone in his body tense. "What are you doing?!" He walked in to find Luke on top of her. "Uh, hey Ryan, me and Marissa were just catching up." Ryan didn't believe him as he could tell by the horrified look in Marissa's eyes that Luke's visit was unplanned and unwanted. "Luke you should go, now." Ryan demanded. "What if I don't want to?" "Oh you want to, if you don't I'll call the cops ..or even worse Donnie, I'm sure he wouldn't mind finishing what he started." Ryan said this sarcastically, but of course Luke didn't take it that way. "Ok Ok, I'm leaving." "Ryan, One more thing." Luke turned toward Ryan and swung at him. Ryan caught his fist in mid air and threw him out of the door. He crawled away accepting defeat. "Marissa," Ryan said, in a sad and scared voice. She ran to him and he wrapped his arms around her and wished he'd never have to let her go ever again. "Ryan if you hadn't have been here…" She trailed off and began to cry harder. "Shh…It's ok, I'm here now and I promise you I will never let him touch or try to hurt you ever again." Ryan thought back on that night and his body trembled with anger and sadness.
"Hey sleepy head, whatcha doing?" Marissa came out of the bathroom and smiled at him. He just looked at her he was amazed by her. "I never want us to not be together, Marissa, if you ever need anything, I will be there, don't ever think for one minute you can't count on me cuz' you can. I will never let you experience pain ever." "I know, Ryan." She said smiling at him. Marissa knew that he had been thinking about that night again. She went over and kissed his lips softly, all we wanted was to hold her there forever. "Marissa, I love you." She looked at him in shock, It too Luke 3 years to say that and It had only took Ryan 1 month. Luke normally only had ever said that when he wanted something sexual from her. "Ryan, What do you want?" She said to him. "Huh?!" "Well we've only been dating for a short time, so you must only want something from me." Ryan just looked dumbfounded. Did she really think he said that to get something from her? He grabbed her arms softly and looked her straight in the eye. "Marissa Elizabeth Cooper, I love you with all my heart, I have from the first cigarette we shared until our last breath that we share." Marissa breathed deeply, she just realized that she had stopped breathing and her body began to tremble. She knew he meant it, there was no way he didn't. "Ryan Thomas Atwood, I love you too."