Later in the day, Marissa opened her eyes and saw that she was still lying in Summer's apartment. She was covered by a blanket, but her clothes were still strewn across the floor. She sat up, looking for Ryan. She called his name a few times, and came to the conclusion that he wasn't there anymore. She lay back down, eyes open, and bit her nails nervously. What was she going to do? Now that she and Ryan had finally slept together again, after all those years, were they a couple again? What would that mean for Isabella?

She quickly stood up and began to dress. She walked into Summer's bathroom, brushed her teeth and hair, and hastily put on some make-up so that she didn't look like a complete wreck. Finally, she grabbed her car keys and headed toward that house she had been stranded in front of on her first day back in Newport. She needed answers, and she couldn't wait another minute to get them.

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When Marissa arrived at Ryan's new house, she rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for someone to come to the door. It wasn't long before the door opened, revealing Isabella in a cute red sundress with a matching red bow in her hair.

"Hi Marissa!"

"Hey Isabella. How are you?"

"Good. I just beat Daddy in a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos! Do you want to come in and play?"

"I don't think Miss Marissa is staying for very long, sweetie."

Marissa looked up and saw Ryan standing right behind his daughter. She smiled and tried to hide the feelings that stirred inside her every time he was around.

"Awww, Daddy, can't she stay? Please??"

"Why don't you go back inside and set up another game while the grownups talk for a minute?"

Isabella smiled and nodded, bouncing back inside the house. Ryan walked outside and shut the door behind him. Marissa smiled, not really sure what to say. She leaned forward to give him a small peck on the lips, but he turned so that she came in contact with his cheek. She stepped back and looked at him, confused.

"What was that for?"

"I told you I can't do this anymore."

"But what about this morning?"

"This morning…this morning was a mistake, and it can't happen again. I'm sorry that I gave in, and that I have to say this to you. I just…I meant what I said last night about my daughter and our life. I think it would be best if we saw as little of each other as possible from now on. I can't afford for Izzy to get attached to you and get her heart broken when you decide to leave, which, from my experience, always seems to happen."

"I can't believe this. Don't you understand how much I love you? I would do anything for you!"

"You know, you say that, Marissa, but it never happens! How many times do you expect me to fall for your broken promises? How many times do you expect me to let Isabella go through that?"

"None! I've changed now! That's why I came back! I wanted to show everyone here that I was okay!"

"After ten years! How long are we supposed to wait the next time you run away? You can't keep acting like a child! Back in high school, I was willing to deal with it! We were crazy, hormonal teenagers. But now we're adults, and I won't let you screw with me anymore."

"That's funny because you seemed to be okay with screwing me this morning!"

"You know it's not like that!"

"Then, what's it like? Hmm, Ryan, what the fuck is it like?"

"I need you to go."

"I'm gone."

Marissa angrily brushed the tears from her eyes and stomped off to her car. Ryan walked inside the house and shut the door, not even bothering to turn around and watch her go.

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A few months later, as Summer and Seth were putting the finishing touches on their wedding, Ryan and Marissa spent the least amount of time possible together. Marissa would help Summer with bride's duties, while Ryan devoted himself to helping Seth. At the rehearsal dinner, they both sat, stiff and angry, not saying a word to each other. The night before the wedding, Ryan was sitting on his couch, reading a bedtime story to Isabella when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Ryan, it's Summer. We have a huge problem."

"What's wrong?"

She spoke carefully, afraid to upset Ryan.

"I just got off the phone with Marissa. She was drinking, worse than I've ever heard her. I could barely understand half of the things she was saying."

Ryan sighed angrily. He didn't need to deal with this. He wanted, so much, to use his daughter as an excuse to say no, but the truth was, she was the reason he said yes.

"Where is she, Summer?"

"From what I could understand, she said that she had called a cab and she was going to the airport. She told me that she hoped the wedding went well, but that I needed a new maid of honor, and a new best friend while I was at it."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No, but we hung up about ten minutes ago."

Ryan could hear Summer starting to cry on the other side of the phone. She never wanted anything bad to happen to her best friend, and now, all she could do was wait to make sure she was okay.

"I'll find her. Stay by the phone."

With those words, Ryan hung up the phone and left to save Marissa Cooper one last time.

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