Pieces of Fallen Hearts

Pieces of Fallen Hearts

AN: Okay people. This is my first O.C fanfic and most of you would know I've only specialized in OTH fics. So I'm a little nervous on the response I would get on this one…that is if I get any (but I really hope I do). So Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Right…so I don't own the O.C. Wish I did though because then I wouldn't get the damn show cancelled when it was beginning to make actual sense, plus I wouldn't mind having Ben too.

Prologue

Taylor sat at the airport and tapped her legs nervously as her eyes searched every where for something or someone. Ryan would come she kept thinking.

He had to

He had smiled at her…a genuine Ryan Atwood smile when he told her he would go to France with her. Taylor had a very crazy feeling that she could have died from her own happiness after he made love to her and said he would meet her at the airport.

So here she was…waiting

She smiled when she felt those butterflies fluttering around her stomach whenever she thought of him. His smile always made her tremble…but it was his eyes and the way they looked at her.

God, how she loved him

Taylor never understood love but she believed that it was real…it was out there…somewhere. For her, it only came too early because she wasn't ready, what with dealing with her divorce with Jean Michael. But when it came in the form of Ryan Atwood, she let it consume her…her love for him was her weakness…her addiction.

In high school, she always thought he was another trouble maker brought to desecrate Newport and at the same time thought he was hot. But she finally got to know him when they met at Berkeley two years ago after he helped her with her divorce.

She stifled a giggle when a though came to her

She remembered all the crazy things she did to get him in the name of her obsession and she fell more in love when it didn't bother him…well it did but not to the point where he would actually run away. Even though he had never told her he loved her…it didn't matter because as long as she was with him…nothing else mattered.

Her eyes glassed over

But Marissa had come back and he had hesitated. It wasn't the first time because he had done it before when Marissa had left Newport to sail with her father. Ryan had been hurt and lost when she met him at school but as time went on they grew closer but that feeling never faded.

That feeling that she was second best. That Ryan would leave her whenever Marissa came back. She always tried not to blame him because no matter how she tried she could never understand his love for her but knew that Marissa was the love of his life. She was competing with Marissa Cooper and was going to lose to her every time.

She clinched her fist on her jean as she tried to keep her emotion in check

Why did Marissa have to be back a day to her vacation with Ryan? Why did it have to now? She placed her hand on her chest as her heart beat faster with fear and anxiety…she knew if she didn't get herself together…she would definitely have a panic attack. Taylor Townsend didn't have panic attacks…she'd rather die.

Then she felt her phone vibrate…and for a second her heart stopped. She took out her phone from her pocket and saw the caller id.

It was Ryan

"Taylor?" he said over the phone.

She paused for a second before she answered. She needed to sound calm. "Hi Ryan…where are you?" she could hear her heart beating so loud.

"Taylor…" she knew that tone. "I'm sorry…"

And just like that everything he said went into deaf ears as she shut her eyes and let the feeling, whatever she was feeling, wash over her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Uh huh…"she nodded. "I understand…its okay Ryan…" she really didn't know what else to say.

"Do you need me to come pick you from the airport?" it was condescending

And her eyes flashed and her voice went cold. "No that's alright Ryan…yes…well bye," and she snapped the phone shut immediately.

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She walked into her hotel room in France…the one she reserved for her and Ryan and sat down on the bed. The view was everything it was supposed to be…beautiful and she knew he would have loved it.

But he wasn't there with her

She heard foot steps outside her door and for just a moment she allowed herself to think it was him…standing outside her door. She didn't allow herself cry in the airport or on the plane…she couldn't.

Until now

When she heard the footsteps walk past her door…it all came crashing down in a heart wrenching sob that hurt physically and emotionally. She curled into her side on the bed as she wept for herself and her heart that has now realized the meaning of breaking to pieces.

She had no one to call…to tell her how to stop her heart from burning…

It was burning and burning…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

He came thirty minutes earlier before her and spent the last hour watching her looking for him and it made his heart hurt. No matter how much he thought about it…he still loved Marissa more than he loved Taylor…or so he tried to tell himself. He knew Taylor was a fighter…she never gave up or backed down but some how he knew what he was about do would break her.

But he had to

She deserved better…one day she would see

And somehow that resolution didn't help matters…but he couldn't look at her and break her heart. That was how much of a coward he was.

Ryan Atwood, the kid from Chino…a coward.

As he walked out of the airport, he thought of how much she knew about him more than anyone ever did. That was who she was…she saw and knew what others didn't. His conscience couldn't help but think that she knew he still loved Marissa when he was with her.

He got into his car and picked up his phone.

He heard her pause. "Taylor?" and he wanted to kill himself when he said "do you need me to come pick you up from the airport?" a part of him was glad to hear her cold reply before she hung up.

He placed his phone on the dashboard before staring into nothingness and allowed the tightening in his stomach…and his heart.

He placed his right hand on his chest…where his heart was…and rubbed gently…to ease the pain…

And before he could stop it…a tear slipped from his eye…

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Please review!

Steph!