A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing! Here's the next chapter.
Seth was nervous. And not just your im- going-to-see-the-dentist nervous, but the really nervous kind. The Ryan- and –Marissa-meet-after-heartbreak nervous. He sipped his drink, his hand sweaty.
"Are you ok man?" Ryan asked as he saw Seth anxiously wipe his brow.
"Uh…yeah…sure. It's just rather…balmy." Seth stuttered and took off his jacket.
In fact, it was raining and 15 degrees outside so Ryan was more than a little confused. He'd been asked here today because Summer had received a work promotion, so he figured they'd be having a dinner. However when he had walked into their apartment Summer was stringing up white balloons and Seth was setting out guacamole dip. He had refrained from mentioning this out loud though.
Summer checked her watch again, Marissa should be here in any minute. She'd need Ryan not to just storm out so she spoke up, "Atwood, can you help me get something from the kitchen?"
Ryan obliged and followed Summer and Seth was left by himself. That was when the doorbell rang.
"Seth can you get that!" Summer shouted from the kitchen and Seth begrudgingly opened the door.
"Hey Seth." Marissa hugged her friend, who she noticed didn't really seem responsive. Jake then followed by shaking Seth's hand as they made their way inside.
"Ryan, can you bring these cups in?" Summer asked as she ran into the living room to greet her best friend.
"Yeah, sure." Ryan picked up the plastic cups, he was curious as to who was at the door.
"Coop!" Summer smiled as her best friend hugged her, she looked absolutely gorgeous in her white dress. "And Jake congrats." Jake hugged Summer back. In the middle of this hug however, a voice rang out.
"Marissa?!"
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Marissa FROZE. She wasn't expecting to ever hear that voice again. She noticed Jake's confused expression, Seth's anxious one and Summers' apologetic one. They'd planned this. Slowly she turned around and was confronted with the man who she had spent almost four years trying to forget.
"Ryan." She managed to squeak out, he look as confused as she felt.
Ryan just stood still, he couldn't feel anything at that moment. Even after all the disappointment and arguments she still affected him so. He had so much to say, but didn't know how to let the words come. She looked more beautiful, if that was possible, than the last time he saw her. Marissa was the only person he could see except for a man with his arm around her waist. The same man he saw in New York. Suddenly he remembered when he had visited New York and saw him with her.
"What are you doing here?" Ryan asked firmly as Seth and Summer shifted nervously.
"Me? Why are you at my engagement party?" Marissa was annoyed; she glanced angrily at Summer who avoided her gaze. She then noticed Ryan's expression change.
"En…engagement party?" She was now marrying the guy? "I thought it was Summer's work promotion thing…"
All eyes turned to Seth and Summer.
"Uh…we'll go and let you guys catch up." Summer spoke up avoiding their laser beam eyes.
Seth laughed awkwardly "Surprise…" Then quickly followed Summer to the kitchen.
"You two talk…" Jake squeezed her waist leaving his helpless fiancé.
Now nothing could've prepared Ryan and Marissa for this enormously awkward moment. They stood there, Marissa near the doorway and Ryan in the middle of the living room, still holding plastic cups. Marissa finally exhaled; she hardly noticed she hadn't really taken a deep breath since she first saw Ryan standing there. He looked just how she saw him in her dreams. Dreams, where the two of them were together and started a family.
Something wasn't the same though. He still had his tousled dirty blonde hair and stubble; he was still well built and still wore his suit as handsome as ever. But she realised it was his blue eyes. They didn't hold any joy, more like loneliness.
"Are you sure you didn't know this was my party?" Marissa choked out.
"Do you think I would've come if I did?" Ryan immediately bit his tongue when these words came out of his mouth. Bloody verbal diarrhoea, I've now caught it off Seth. He hadn't meant them at all and his his heart broke seeing Marissa's hurt expression.
This expression soon turned into anger. " Well thanks Ryan you've made this moment so much more enjoyable."
Ryan then couldn't hold back as memories were dredged up.
"Then think of it as repayment to you."
Marissa moved from the doorway and angrily continued.
"For what, Ryan Atwood? Enlighten me."
How could she possibly feel like the victim here?
Ryan also moved towards her and soon they were inches apart.
"I think you know what Marissa."
Marissa couldn't believe Ryan was actually thinking he was the victim here.
"No I don't. I think you know though."
"Ok I do. Want me to start from the beginning.?"
"Please do."
"Well it's about this girl right? I thought we were in love, that we'd have a future. She decides lets board a plane, leave my boyfriend and move across the country. Is this ringing a bell?"
"Oh and what about what said boyfriend did to his girlfriend, who he supposedly loved."
The tension in the room heightened as the former lovers stared each other down; confused, heartbroken and angry.
"Well did said girlfriend know her boyfriend spent his savings on a trip to find her only to discover she was with someone new?"
Marissa's breath hitched for a moment. She didn't know he came for her. As if on queue Jake walked into the living room.
Ryan spoke up, "So Jake becareful or she might fly away rght before you wedding to Canada."
Marissa held the tears back at Ryan's harsh words and slapped his face hard.
"Fuck you Ryan."
And stormed out of the apartment, letting the tears run freely.
A/N: Hope you like it and HAPPY Chrismukkah…..and santa better get me my gift wrapped ben mckenzie.
