A/N Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read these stories and / or reviewed. I appreciate all your kind and encouraging words. I hope you enjoy this update and it doesn't disappointed anyone. As promised I included a flashback from their night together and that will be signaled by italics. I would love to hear what you think...good or bad. Thank you for taking the time to read once again. I know who busy life can be.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and all mistakes are completely mine!

Seth entered the pool house just as Ryan walked out of his bathroom fresh from a shower in the middle of the pulling on a clean tee shirt

Seth entered the pool house just as Ryan walked out of his bathroom in the middle of pulling on a clean tee shirt fresh from a recent shower. Ryan immediately noticed Seth's movements were slower than normal and he was still dressed in his pajamas complete with his flannel robe.

Ryan was surprised it had taken Seth this long to appear. He had spent the whole ride from Taylor's mentally preparing himself for his friend to be waiting on the front steps ready to bombard him with questions.

"Dude was it awkward this morning? And please tell me you video taped it all. Or at the very least you documented this momentous occasion with photographs. Not that I would necessarily want to see it or anything but this is a moment that should be remembered."

"What momentous occasion?" Usually Ryan had an inkling of what his brother was talking about but he was completely lost in their current exchange already.

"Do you think you could give me some pointers on how you talked the two of them into it? I am sure your advice will come in handy now that I am single."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Ryan growled.

"I broke up with Summer last night."

"We'll go back to that once you explain your earlier remarks."

Seth paused and considered for all of five seconds before replying, "I don't know, you can't hold me accountable when I am in this much pain, man."

"Oh I am going to hold you more than accountable" he threatened, annoyed with the shift in conversation though he shouldn't expect less from Seth, "if you don't explain what I am supposed to have video taped or taken pictures of." He was functioning on way too little sleep to possess the patience it required to deal with Seth.

"You're threesome with Sadie and Taylor Townsend."

"My what!"

"Well yeah, unless," his mouth dropped opened in disbelief then closed and Ryan watched him repeat the process several times dreading what came next. He had spent enough time with Seth to read his expressions and he knew that another idea took was taking root in that twisted head of curly brown hair. "Dude you cheated on Sadie with Taylor Townsend?"

"What? No! I didn't cheat on Sadie."

"I don't think she is going to see it that way, with the two of you moving to Berkeley together this fall."

"We're not."

"Huh? You're not? Since when?"

"Last night, you and Summer were not the only ones who broke up on the beach."

"Apparently not." Seth sighed. "Oh Ryan it was so awful! I haven't slept at all really between the excitement of your threesome and –"

"There wasn't any threesome!" Ryan interrupted, trying to focus on the punching bag hanging in the corner of the pool house as a reminder that he didn't pound on people anymore the way he was tempted to do to Seth right now.

"But I didn't know that." Seth protested logically before his eyes grew bigger.

Ryan knew his brother was about the test his patience once more with his next theory. He took several deep breaths in an effort to control himself as he waited for Seth to share his thoughts. It was taking all of his self-control not to throw something at his head.

"So you rebounded with Taylor Townsend, who happens to be used goods by Dean Hess!"

"I didn't sleep with Taylor!" Ryan snapped knowing he was probably over reacting but the reminder of that bastard and his association with Taylor just pissed him off. Now that he knew her a little better he suddenly felt protective of her. He wasn't quite comfortable with this but he accepted it, as he had always been drawn to those who needed his help.

"Yeah, I am not surprised. She probably pulled out her kauma sutra and the two of you went at it all night like bunnies. No wonder you look so tired man. You should really get some sleep. And I will let you as soon as you tell me how to fix this thing with Summer. I can't handle this kind of pain Ryan." Seth whined.

It would be a miracle if he didn't commit murder before the Cohen's returned or before he left to pick Taylor up. "Listen to me, Taylor and I did not have sex last night or this morning." He picked up his keys off the nightstand by the bed knowing he needed to get out of there quickly before he gave in to the violence boiling beneath the surface. "I already told you how to fix it. My answer is the same as it was yesterday, stop lying and tell Summer the truth."

"I can't do that." Seth flung his head back against the chair. "She will throw her whole future away for me."

Ryan shrugged, knowing he wasn't being a good friend however he was unable to feel any sympathy for him at the moment. "Summer's a big girl Seth, which means she is capable of making her own decisions. Give her a chance, she may surprise you. After she goes rage blackout on your ass for this latest stunt."

Seth picked up his head and shook it. "I can't."

"Then you have to find a way to deal with the situation you have created. I will call your parents and check in. See you later."

"Wait, you're going out? Again! I figured we could have some Seth / Ryan time today."

"We just did. Now I have something I need to do."

"Something, or someone, like say, hmm, I don't know, Taylor Townsend."

At those words an image of Taylor dressed in her sexy black lingerie invaded Ryan's mind which only added to his current frustration. Of course Seth was totally oblivious and continued on wallowing in his own misery.

Rather than speaking Ryan gave Seth his fiercest glare before storming out of the pool house.

He tried really hard not to think about the encounter with Seth on his way to pick up Taylor but the image that haunted him from this morning made that task rather difficult. He wasn't sure he liked this new found awareness of Taylor Townsend! It wasn't like he was going to do anything about it in this case either. It had nothing to do with her, he was just going to take a break from girls for awhile. After his last attempts at romance Ryan had come to the conclusions during his walk on the beach that it might be best for him to finish out the school year completely free of any girl drama and maybe start fresh in the fall, in new surroundings, far away from Newport.

He was very tempted to call and tell Taylor that he was just going to fix the car by himself but the memory of the hope he saw reflected in her hazel eyes prevented him from actually picking up the phone. He didn't want to be the one responsible for extinguishing the hope and replacing it with disappointment. He was quite familiar with both emotions and he didn't want to inflict that on someone who was treated so carelessly by many. Spending a few more hours in her company wasn't going to derail him off the new course he had set for himself last night, which consisted of no more girl drama until college. He hoped that if he kept repeating it enough, it would actually happen. Besides hanging out with Taylor was the least he could do after she had listened to him talk most of the night, even if he had been reluctant to initially. Recalling how it had all come about last night caused Ryan to smile for the first time since leaving her house.

"So Ryan, are you going to tell me about it? Or do I have to guess?" She asked as they settled back against the sofa, each cradling their mugs of the steaming drink topped with whipped cream.him all figured out! Since it suited his mood to be a smartass he replied, "guess."

"If you think you already know what happened, why bother talking about it?" He retorted sarcastically.

His response inspired a smile from her as she answered "because you don't talk enough."

"I talk when I need to." He answered defensively. Who was this girl? They had engaged in a handful of conversations over the past few months and here she was thinking she had

"Hmmm. After you and Marissa barely broke up for who knows how many times, the rumor mill has lost count at this point, but I am getting off track, anyway after your break up with Marissa you rebound with the mysterious Sadie. You get caught up in the excitement of being with someone new and invite her to accompany you to Berkley before you actually think it through. However you are not an impulsive guy at all Ryan Atwood and you began to seriously consider the situation. You knew when you picked her up tonight, and you would pick her up because you are such a gentleman and that trait alone may actually work against you in some situations but again I digress from the real subject, although maybe that is part of the problem too. You knew when you picked her up that it wasn't going to work out, that is why you spent most of the night socializing with classmates whom you see everyday in favor of your lovely girlfriend. How am I doing?" She finished with a triumphant smile.

Ryan ignored the question and asked one of his own, "how did you get Sadie to tell you all of this after the two of you just met tonight? I figured you would be too busy flirting with your Asian friend to be concerned this much with my love life."

"She didn't tell me anything. You could see the tension between the two of you."

"Bullshit! Seth and Summer must have told you then."

"I didn't see either of them after you all first arrived."

"How could you possibly know all of this?" He wondered aloud more to himself than her. He refused to be impressed with her perception of the situation.

She was all too happy to provide an answer for his confused state. "It really wasn't that hard to figure out Ryan. As I said, your body language gave a lot away and you kept your distance from her which spoke volumes for you. Not to mention your track record wi-"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He interrupted her. "My track record?"

"I just meant that when you factor in your past relationships, especially girls who are not Marissa Cooper."

"Now what in the hell are you talking about? Marissa has nothing to do with this."

"Oh Ryan, of course she does."

"Okay, you don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. You are barely even friends with her."

"It is true Marissa and I have had our differences and we're certainly not friendly enough to confide in one another; however that doesn't mean I am not aware of your history. I may be invisible to the student body of Harbor but that doesn't mean I am oblivious to my peers. I have watched the two of you." She admitted.

"Sounds like you have way too much time on your hands if you think you know about strangers just by watching them. And don't you think that is just a little perverted?"

Taylor rolled her eyes at the implication. "Oh I don't mean that I have watched you in a creepy, psycho stalker sort of way. It's just that human behavior has always fascinated me and Newport has provided me with the most interesting subjects."

"Maybe we should explore some of your issues. We wouldn't want history to repeat itself and ruin your chances at a fresh start." He said reaching over to give her green sweatshirt a tug on the arm.

"You're concern is touching but we are not talking about me."

"Why not? By your own admission you haven't had much experience conversing with your peers. This will be good practice for college."

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."

"What am I doing?"

"Deflecting your problems by focusing on mine in the hopes that I will become so self-involved I will forget the reason I invited you inside in the first place. I am not like the other people you spend your time with, Ryan. Besides I know you are annoyed with my dead on accuracy."

"You should know by now that no one likes a know-it-all Taylor!" He muttered because she was right on ALL counts, well except for the Marissa part of her analysis.

Apparently she didn't take offense to his comment as he watched her suppress the beginnings of a smile. Good call, he thought, hating that she was amused at his expense. "So noted even though that is not what I was going for. I am sorry if I came across that way."

Ryan nodded his acceptance of her apology even though it was unnecessary.

"Let's try this again, would you like to talk about it?"

"Why bother when you already know what happened?" He insisted.

"Sure I know the highlights but I am interested in hearing the behind the scenes story Ryan. If you are willing to talk about it, that is. I honestly think it would help if you talked about it." She added quietly.

Ryan paused to consider the offer. He had finished his hot chocolate and could technically leave whenever he wanted to. He wasn't being kept here against his will. He was in full possession of his keys and knew the direction to the front door from the living room if he wanted to avoid her in-depth interpretation of his current circumstances. Despite his recent claims to her being a know-it-all, he was impressed with her discernment and intuition. The way he saw it, he had two choices; he could go home and deal with Seth's whiny ass and then spend the remainder of the night brooding. Or he could share detailed parts of his life with Taylor fulfilling his curiosity about her insights.

He stared into the bottom of his empty cup as he weighed his options. "I could probably be persuaded to talk with another cup of hot chocolate."

"Normally I am above this kind of extortion."

He snorted, "says the girl who conspired with the Dirty Dean of Discipline for Social Chair and had said ass blackmail Seth and Summer to do your biding."

"A mistake for which I have apologized for. May I remind you that I have also reformed from my evil ways!" She exclaimed with a mischievous smile and a sparkle in her eyes to match. "However I am going to make an exception and make a brief return to my darker days by giving in to your outrageous demands since you have something I really want."

"I think that is wise since you seem to be getting the better end of this bargain."

"Oh I think you may be surprised at how therapeutic talking about your problems can be."

"I don't have any problems now."

"Whatever you say."

He watched her rise from the couch, grateful to have bought himself some extra time to decide if he could actually go through with it and open up to her or get the hell out of dodge before she dissected pieces of his life for intense examination. This girl was nothing if not intense, that much he had figured out about her. Her perception was quite terrifying, which didn't sooth him any.

He practically jumped up when he felt her breath drift over his ear as she leaned over the back of the couch to say, "you're gonna be here when I get back, right? This demand for more hot chocolate wouldn't be some sort of ploy to distract me while you make your great escape, now would it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about?"

"Uh-huh, so you keep saying."

"Paranoid much." Ryan taunted refusing to turn his gaze to meet hers for fear she would see the guilt.

"Just checking," she purred, patting his shoulder as she straightened. "I'ill be right back."

Ryan sighed as she really left the room this time, even though the scent of her lingered in the air around him from her being in such close proximity. All thoughts of fleeing for safety were erased as he realized she might just come after him, if she believed that fiercely in the power of talking. If Seth ever needed a new comic book character he could use Taylor Townsend and her terrifying ability to read minds, though Ryan would strongly recommend she be an ally rather than a villainess. She was someone who would be an asset to the fab four rather than a force to be reckoned with. There were few women he had met in his life that truly frightened him. Kirsten, Summer and now Taylor all came to mind and he acknowledged that she could do worse joining their status considering how amazing he thought both Kirsten and Summer were. They were all terrifying for their own reasons, Summer with her rage blackouts and Kirsten with her calm serenity until you pushed her over the edge, and unleashed the Caleb Nichol side of her personality. He didn't know what it was about the women of Newport but they were not to be underestimated as he could testify to from past experiences. Rather than test his theory of Taylor following him home or not, regardless of the fact that her car was currently deserted in a parking lot, he knew she was resourceful enough to come up with another way of transportation, he sat on the couch thinking up ways to gloss over the upcoming conversation. He had control of how much he was willing to reveal, he reminded himself. With that false sense of security he was ready to take on Taylor Townsend.

It was only now as he pulled up into her driveway once again that he realized just how wrong he had been. He was still in awe at the amount of information he had given her in just a few short hours. The most astounding fact of all though was that he didn't regret it and he had faith that his secrets would be safe with her. There was no denying she knew how to play the Newport game, hiding her flaws and pain behind the fake smiles by presenting a perfect picture with her perfectly pressed clothes, perfectly accessorized for the rest of the world to see. But there the resemblance ended because Taylor possessed a strong sense of loyalty and would never betray the confidence of a friend to impress their superficial peers by supplying the vicious Harbor gossip mill with details of his life that he had divulged to her. Trust didn't come easily for him but his instincts kept reassuring him he could trust her.

Ryan put the car in park and exited the vehicle. That was as far as he got though as the opening of the front door caught his attention. Taylor emerged from the house and practically bounced down the steps in her excitement. Once again Ryan found himself smiling, amused by her enthusiasm and her attire.

"Hello Ryan!" Taylor greeted as she joined him in front of the Cohen's SUV.

"Taylor, um I think we have a problem."

"What would that be?"

"You can't go dressed like that."

"Well why not?"

"Not that it isn't, I mean you look," he searched his brain to come up with the appropriate description for how she looked in her short plaid skirt, an article of clothing she usually wore to school. However one that presently brought to mind visions of a naughty catholic school girl uniform, which he really didn't need given how his morning had gone already. Damn Seth! It wasn't like he needed any more ammunition to fuel his mind, he didn't need to see her long legs exposed to his view all day long. It was bad enough he was struggling not to imagine what sexy lingerie she was wearing underneath her skirt and matching polo shirt.

"Good," Taylor finally supplied an adjective for his wandering mind after several seconds of silence.

At least he hoped it was only a couple seconds lapse. "Yeah, you look good." He could have sworn she blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you."

"But a skirt isn't exactly the most practical thing to wear while working on a car."

"Oh I know that silly." She hit him playfully on the arm. "But I don't have anything appropriate so that is why we are going to make a quick trip to the mall first."

"Just throw on a pair of jeans or something."

"I don't own any jeans. My mom has forbidden me from wearing denim." She explained.

"Are you kidding me?"

Taylor shook her head, "no."

"But why?"

"She thinks they are tacky and therefore not fit for a Townsend woman, no matter what designer name is on the pocket."

"So you've never even worn a pair of jeans before?"

"No."

"You're mother is crazy!"

"Pretty much." Taylor agreed.

"Let's go to the mall then." Ryan said as he opened her car door.

He heard her exclaim "yay!" as she got into the vehicle. Ryan smiled as he rounded the to the drivers side door. He was suddenly looking forward to the adventures of the day because it certainly wasn't going to be boring, not around this girl, who seemed to be full of surprises and contagious charm.

TBC…