Ryan finally arrived home, after having received two phone calls from Kirsten, who was extremely worried because she'd tried calling the house and Marissa hadn't picked up the phone. After parking his car in the driveway he walked up to the front door, unlocking it and letting himself in.
"Marissa?" he called out.
There was no reply.
"Marissa?" he said a little more loudly, peering into the dim living room to see if she was there. He then continued his search through the kitchen and den before deciding to check upstairs, calling out her name every few moments.
Finally he arrived at Sophia's door. He pushed it open and crept it, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in when he saw Marissa and Sophia both fast asleep on her bed. He was about to go in further when he remembered Kirsten, who he guessed was freaking out by this point.
Ryan walked back into the hallway, pulling out his cell phone and dialling Kirsten's number.
The was a click as Kirsten answered her phone, and her voice came through immediately "Ryan are they alright?"
"Yeah they're both asleep in Munch's room." Ryan informed her.
"Oh." Kirsten said with a sigh of relief. "I should've known. Sophia always wants someone to stay with her after she has a nightmare, and it's hard not to fall asleep." There was a pause as she could be heard telling Sandy what was going on. "Ryan, I'm sorry for making you deal with this. I was just-"
"It's fine." Ryan assured her. "How's it going there?"
"Well Seth and Summer left pretty soon after you did, so they should be there soon. Tia and Jordan left together a few minutes ago. You know those two are just so cute together! But now it's winding down. I think we'll be leaving soon too."
"Yes!" Sandy cheered in the background.
"Or we might stay to make sure everything is taken care of." Kirsten added.
"Kirsten!" Sandy whined.
Ryan laughed. "Hey, what should I do about Marissa?" he asked.
"Oh let her sleep. I'm sure she's had a long day."
"Should I move her to the guest room?"
"No!" Kirsten said quickly.
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise.
"I mean … the guest room is currently occupied."
"But Jimmy and Hailey aren't getting in for another week." Ryan protested.
"I know. It's full of … Chrismukkah gifts." Kirsten admitted. "But don't tell Sophia. Or Seth."
"Oh ok." Ryan smirked.
"But as for Marissa … I don't know sweetie."
"I'll figure something out. I'll see you later."
"Bye Ryan."
Ryan hung up the phone and went back into the bedroom, walking quietly over to the side of the bed Marissa was on. "Marissa." he whispered, nudging her slightly. "Marissa." He nudged her again, still getting no response. Ryan sighed. He knew what a heavy sleeper she was.
Now what to do? He could wake her up. But Ryan couldn't bear to wake her up when she looked so peaceful sleeping. He could put her on the couch downstairs. But then she'd probably be woken up when the others got home. Which left … the pool house.
Ryan scooped Marissa into his arms. It was funny – he hadn't done that in ages, yet it still felt somehow natural. He carried her out of the room and down the stairs, ready to take her to the pool house when –
"Hey man." Seth snickered. "This is very Tijuana of you."
Ryan glared at him.
"Is Coop ok?" Summer asked in concern as she pulled off her shoes.
Ryan nodded. "She's asleep." he whispered.
"Oh. No need to whisper then. When that girl falls asleep she's dead to the world. Where are you taking her?"
"Pool house."
Seth snickered again.
"Cohen!"
"I'm sorry. But you know she lives just next door."
"Are you going to carry her all the way there?" Summer questioned.
"No, but I'm sure Ryan wouldn't mind." he retorted.
"Cohen. Upstairs. Now." Summer grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the staircase.
"Dumbass!" she chastised, smacking him as soon as they were in his room.
"What? I was just making a comment." Seth replied.
"Cohen, can't you see that they're bonding?"
"She's asleep!" Seth reminded her.
Summer rolled her eyes. "You are so clueless sometimes that it's painful."
"You know Summer, if Marissa is in the pool house, that means your house is empty." Seth said suggestively. "That whole enormously hugely big house is totally empty."
"Hmm you're right. I should take advantage of that."
"Awesome! Let's-"
"Maybe I can like blast music and eat pizza and watch movies." Summer said. "It's be nice to have some time to myself."
Seth stopped, his mouth hanging open.
"Kidding! Come on Cohen, let's go!"
Ryan was sprawled comfortably on his overstuffed lounge chair in the darkened pool house, watching as Marissa slept. He had changed out of his suit and was now clad in his signature wife-beater and sweatpants. He knew he shouldn't be watching Marissa, and that it was slightly creepy, but she looked so innocent and at peace that he couldn't help himself. A part of him wanted to wake her up so he could tell her everything he wanted to say before he lost his nerve, but a bigger part of him wanted to leave her sleeping like an angel.
Ryan stood up and grabbed his car keys, knowing he had to get out of there before he woke Marissa up and creeped her out. He snatched a hoodie from his pile of clean laundry and quietly let himself out of the pool house.
Ryan knew he had to get out of there, because if he stayed he would either wake her up or keep watching her, which was creepy. He stood up, stuffed his wallet and keys into his pocket, grabbed a sweatshirt, and quietly let himself out of the pool house.
He reached the kitchen before he realized he couldn't leave the house with Sophia upstairs. So he grabbed a bottle of water and settled himself at the counter. He sat there for a while restlessly, glancing out at the pool house ever few moments and thinking about who was in there.
Finally he heard the front door creak open. Without a second thought Ryan jumped up and headed towards it.
"Hey kid." Sandy greeted. "This is nice – being greeted a the door." He paused for a beat. "What do you want?"
Kirsten laughed. "How's everything going here?"
"Good. Munch is sleeping upstairs. And Marissa is … sleeping in the pool house."
"The pool house?" Sandy repeated suggestively. "Honey!" he yelped as Kirsten carefully stepped on his foot.
"Why don't you go check on your daughter?" Kirsten suggested in her sweetest voice.
"Why is she my daughter when work in involved?" Sandy whined, nevertheless heading for the staircase.
"Are you going somewhere Ryan?" Kirsten asked, noticing the keys dangling from Ryan's fist.
"Yeah I wanted to go for a drive. Clear my head. That ok?"
"Sweetie you don't have to ask our permission to go out." Kirsten reminded him.
"Kirsten look what I found in the hallway upstairs." Sandy announced.
Kirsten and Ryan looked up to see him ushering Sophia down the stairs.
"Mommy!" Sophia exclaimed as she ran towards Kirsten.
Kirsten scooped up her daughter and kissed the top of her head. "Hi baby." she said softly as she hugged her.
"I missed you SO much Mommy!" Sophia informed her. "And I missed you too Daddy and Ryan. And Seth and Summer."
"We missed you too Soapy. But why are you still awake?" Sandy questioned.
"Daddy I was sleeping before." Sophia insisted. "When Coop was here. Where's Coop?"
"She left already. What happened to you sleeping?"
"I got bored of it." Sophia stated simply.
"I'm gonna go." Ryan cut in, gesturing towards the door.
"Ok see you sweetie." Kirsten said.
"Night Ryan!" Sophia blew him a kiss before looking at Sandy with her cutest expression. "Daddy are you mad?"
Ryan laughed to himself as he left the house, wondering if Sophia would get herself out of trouble once again. Going by her track record, his bet was on yes.
Ryan sat on the cool wooden deck of the lifeguard stand, his arms wrapped around his legs as he stared out at the massive ocean. He watched the waves lap at the shore, allowing their rhythm to lull him into a trance-like state.
How had his life become so complicated? Ryan thought about this for a moment. His life had always been complicated. But the complications were different now. Back in Chino it was all about basic survival – making sure they had food in the house, or making sure the bills were paid so that the power wouldn't get cut off. But ever since he'd moved to Newport it seemed like every complication in his life could somehow be traced back to a certain girl. Marissa Cooper.
He could think of millions of reasons why he shouldn't be with her. She attracted drama as effortlessly as pollen attracted bees. They had nothing in common. She was raised as the perfect Newport child, while he was the kid from Chino who stole cars and burned down model homes. But despite every logical reason he could think of for why they shouldn't be together, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay away from her. She'd had a mysterious hold on him since the moment they first met.
And maybe they weren't quite so different. They had both been outcasts who hadn't fit in. And they had a connection that went deeper than anything Ryan could understand. But whatever the reasoning, Marissa Cooper was stuck in his head, and she had been since the moment she'd asked him who he was.
If ten years ago someone had told Ryan that he would one day be in Newport, sitting at the beach late at night, pining over a girl, he would have laughed at them. Well actually, he probably would have punched them, because that's what he did. But either way, he wouldn't have believed them.
And now here he was. This was what it had come down to. Ryan wrinkled his nose in disgust at his situation. This was unacceptable. It didn't matter if it was Marissa Cooper. Hell, it didn't matter who it was. The fact was that Ryan was slowly becoming the type of guy he despised – the type that just pined over a girl and did absolutely nothing about it. Although, he had to admit, he had tried to do something. It just hadn't gone the way he wanted. But still, moping about it was pathetic. And if there was one thing Ryan Atwood never wanted to be, it was pathetic.
He was going back to the pool house. And when he got there he would … do something. Something which he could figure out later. He stood up purposefully and moved towards the stairs in such a rush that he almost bumped into someone on his way.
"Ryan?"