DISCLAIMER: I own nobody you wouldn't assume I'd own…please R&R! Did I
mention this is my first attempt and I would love ANY feedback, even if
it's horrible??? ( Thanks!
Chapter 2: Of Tiffany's Bracelets and Shrimp Cocktail
Tristan Hayden slipped quietly into Reilly's immaculate room and smiled at the blue and yellow patchwork quilt pulled neatly over the queen-sized bed. Only Ri would make her bed in the middle of summer. He glanced wistfully at the pile neat pile of black American Tourister luggage sitting by the bay window. He was happy for Reilly, he really was…he knew how much studying abroad meant to her and how much she was looking forward to it…but…sighing, he sat down on the bed and smiled as he picked up a silver-framed photo of the two of them at Reilly's sailing team cocktail last spring. It was a candid, the kind of pictures Reilly always liked best. They had been dancing, and were still on the floor surrounded by people, but whoever had taken the photo had caught a private moment. Reilly was leaning toward him, her hand in his, and looking up at him with bright eyes and that smile that always made people wonder what she was thinking, and he was looking back at her like there was no one else in the room…or on the planet, for that matter. That's how it always was with Reilly…you could lose yourself in her…she was…captivating. And beautiful, Tristan thought to himself. God she was so beautiful that night. He ran his thumb over the photo and could practically feel her silky hair. She had worn a pale blue dress, floor- length with thin straps, that cut straight across her chest and had a few carefully placed sparkles covering the length of it. It was just like Ri…classic, elegant, and absolutely breathtaking. And speaking of breathtaking…
"Tris!" Reilly exclaimed, walking out of her steamy bathroom and almost falling over when she saw her boyfriend of just under a year sitting on her bed. "I thought you wouldn't be able to make it down tonight! I…did mum send you up? Didn't she know I was in the shower?" Reilly rambled on as Trist stood up to his full height of 6'2" (he had an entire foot on her!) and walked toward her, quieting her with a soft kiss. Reilly smiled. "I'm glad you're early" She said, a little breathlessly. "Me too." Trist agreed, breathing in the strong scent of Herbal Essence and taking the sight before him in appreciatively. Reilly was clad only in her (very short) thick white towel, and drops of water clung to her skin like little jewels. She was very tanned, and he could see the thin lines around her neck where her bikini halter tied. Her hair was longer too…last time he had visited from his home in New York, about a month ago, she had mentioned that it was getting to be obnoxious and she was thinking about cutting it, but she clearly hadn't, as it cascaded, heavy and dark in it's wet state, down her back. Trist suppressed a desire to reach out and pull her toward him as he let his eyes travel from her French-manicured toes upward. Reilly was a small girl, but by no means a helpless little waif-type. She was an athlete, and ran and went to the gym regularly, and it showed. The small towel was pulled tight around her, showing off her curves nicely. His eyes traveled up her sculpted calves and thighs and over her tight butt that she hated because she said it was too big and he loved because he thought it was just perfect, up over her defined arms and firm breasts…
"Trist!" Reilly giggled modestly and tried to pull her towel around her more tightly. "Oh sure Ri, like you've ever been the shy one…" Tristed mumbled teasingly as he bent to brush her collarbone with his lips. She let out an involuntary sigh, and he moved his hands down her back, drawing her to him. "Trist, you'll get all wet!" she protested weakly. "Mmmm, I almost care…" he continued dropping soft kisses all over her neck and shoulders. "I missed you." He whispered quietly as he met her dark blue eyes, and she felt herself melt as she saw the sadness behind his brown ones. "I missed you too, sweetie," she responded before he placed his lips on hers and pulled her toward her bed.
"No, no, no! We are NOT going over there, because you know what we'll do if we go over there and we have to be downstairs in exactly, oh, 17 minutes, and speaking of which it would probably make good impression if we didn't appear together as mum is most likely telling everyone I'm not down yet cause I'm in the shower, so, out you…out!" Trist protested as Reilly pushed him toward the door, but couldn't help laughing at her usual rapid- fire, breathless style of speaking. " You sure, Ri?" He winked mischeviously and gave her towel a quick tug and winked as it fell around her ankles before laughing and stepping into the hallway. Laughing, Reilly, shrieked at half-volume and slapped his ass, then shut the door behind him.
Still giggling, Reilly picked up her towel and headed over to her closet. "Oh what to wear, what to wear…" she sighed and looked helplessly at what clothes she hadn't packed. She settled on a knee-length black skirt and a light blue sleeveless cowlneck top, and one of her three pairs of Reef flip-flops, which she wore under all circumstances unless it was snowing or she was wearing a ball gown. She didn't bother drying her long, golden-brown hair. Generally thick and straight, she knew the August night's humidity would have it's way with it anyway, and she pulled it half up with a tortoise-shell clip , a few loose waves hanging around her face. She perched her tortoise-shell sunglasses on top of her head and added a touch of mascara to her navy eyes and gloss to her lips and was about to head downstairs, but…"oooh, can't forget…" she muttered to herself, and dug through her jewelry box, pulling out a silver Tiffany's bracelet, the circular charm engraved with Trist's initials and her own. Sighing once again, she clipped it on and stared at it momentarily. She hadn't packed it, which Trist would have found normal if he knew, because he would have assumed she would be wearing it over to London. The truth was, Reilly only wore the bracelet at school, or when Trist was around. It made her uncomfortable to have received such an extravagant gift while knowing how much more invested Trist was in the relationship than she was.
Trist had been the first friend other than her roommate that Reilly had made at college. They clicked instantly. Trist was extremely smart and opinionated, exactly the type pf person that Reilly loved to talk to. He was also gorgeous…he had a sort of Josh Hartnett thing going on, what with the lanky 6'2" frame, floppy brown hair, chiseled features and intense brown eyes. But it wasn't about attraction at first. They were just friends…Reilly trusted him, she told him everything, and always in the back of her mind she knew that he would make a great boyfriend…but, Reilly had been in a relationship all four years of high school. Kyle had been wonderful…they had grown up together, gone through everything…he was her first love, her first everything…the breakup had been hard but inevitable when they decided on different colleges, and she just wasn't all that eager to jump into another one right away. Of course, life likes to work out exactly opposite however you plan it, and so Reilly soon found herself being pursued romantically by Tristan…and she found herself falling for him. Only problem was now she was going away, and she knew it was tearing him apart to say goodbye to her…and she felt nothing. She knew he loved her…and she loved him too…but not in the same way. He loved her like a soul mate. She loved him like a friend…that she loved having sex with. Standing, Reilly smoothed her skirt and hurried downstairs and out into the back yard.
"Well hello Cape Cod!" Reilly smirked brattily as she took in the crowd around the pool. "Now sweetie, don't be rude! Everyone just wants to see you off!" Gracie Scott reprimanded her daughter and glanced disdainfully down at her flip-flops. "Don't you have any dress sandals?" She inquired. Reilly grinned triumphantly, "Nope, packed!", and dashed across the yard, throwing herself into a lawn chair beside her best friend Emma. Dramatically placing the back of her hand against her forehead and leaning back in her seat, Reilly adopted her best southern belle accent: "Oh mah, I don't know how ahm goina mahke it ovah theyah in London without all of Cape Cod too look aftah me!" Emma laughed, as Reilly's two other closest friends, Hannah and Julie, sat across from them. "Shrimp cocktail?" Hannah held out her plate in mock servant mode. "Oh man," Reilly rolled her eyes before grabbing a few off the plate. "So where's Tristan?" Hannah asked, licking cocktail sauce off her fingers. Reilly shrugged noncommittally and avoided the inquisitive look Emma threw her. Thankfully Jules changed the subject. "What I want to know is where's your hottie brother?" She looked around hopefully. Reilly shrugged again, reaching for a bottle of pink champagne. "I'm sure he's around." Jules and Hannah were college Freshmen, a year below Reilly and Emma, and Drew's year, and the latest summer-fling-to-be was rumored to be Jules and Drew. Reilly wasn't exactly sure what she thought about her brother hooking it up with one of her best friends, but…well I wont have to see it anyway…I wont be here! She thought to herself, her excitement growing again.
The party was a success, and Reilly had a wonderful time, despite still hating her mother's alterior motives for throwing it. Everyone danced underneath the moon, Drew finally appearing to sweep Jules off her feet. Emma danced with Eric, whom she was almost as close to as Reilly, and Hannah, a wild and beautiful popularity queen, had her pick of the town. Tristan and Reilly slipped away from the crowd and made their way down to the little strip of private beach. Trist sat down in the sand, his back to a small stone wall, and Reilly curled herself against him, listening to his soft breathing. He slipped his hand under her sweater and gently stroked the bare skin of her lower back as he spoke. "You know Ri…I really don't know what I'm going to do without you. Nothing's going to be the same. I mean, I'm not saying I can't wait for you, don't worry about that…I'll be here for you forever…it's just…it's going to be hard…without you…" his voice broke a little, and Reilly closed her eyes, silently praying, don't cry Trist, don't cry. She didn't do well with heavy emotion…and plus, she knew that if he cried, it would only be right for her to cry too…and she somehow didn't think she'd find any tears tonight.
*AN: so? What do you think? Dom shows up next chapter, and Orli shortly after that! Sorry this really has nothing to do w/LOTR, but there was nowhere else to put it! But I promise, the actors will play big roles!
Chapter 2: Of Tiffany's Bracelets and Shrimp Cocktail
Tristan Hayden slipped quietly into Reilly's immaculate room and smiled at the blue and yellow patchwork quilt pulled neatly over the queen-sized bed. Only Ri would make her bed in the middle of summer. He glanced wistfully at the pile neat pile of black American Tourister luggage sitting by the bay window. He was happy for Reilly, he really was…he knew how much studying abroad meant to her and how much she was looking forward to it…but…sighing, he sat down on the bed and smiled as he picked up a silver-framed photo of the two of them at Reilly's sailing team cocktail last spring. It was a candid, the kind of pictures Reilly always liked best. They had been dancing, and were still on the floor surrounded by people, but whoever had taken the photo had caught a private moment. Reilly was leaning toward him, her hand in his, and looking up at him with bright eyes and that smile that always made people wonder what she was thinking, and he was looking back at her like there was no one else in the room…or on the planet, for that matter. That's how it always was with Reilly…you could lose yourself in her…she was…captivating. And beautiful, Tristan thought to himself. God she was so beautiful that night. He ran his thumb over the photo and could practically feel her silky hair. She had worn a pale blue dress, floor- length with thin straps, that cut straight across her chest and had a few carefully placed sparkles covering the length of it. It was just like Ri…classic, elegant, and absolutely breathtaking. And speaking of breathtaking…
"Tris!" Reilly exclaimed, walking out of her steamy bathroom and almost falling over when she saw her boyfriend of just under a year sitting on her bed. "I thought you wouldn't be able to make it down tonight! I…did mum send you up? Didn't she know I was in the shower?" Reilly rambled on as Trist stood up to his full height of 6'2" (he had an entire foot on her!) and walked toward her, quieting her with a soft kiss. Reilly smiled. "I'm glad you're early" She said, a little breathlessly. "Me too." Trist agreed, breathing in the strong scent of Herbal Essence and taking the sight before him in appreciatively. Reilly was clad only in her (very short) thick white towel, and drops of water clung to her skin like little jewels. She was very tanned, and he could see the thin lines around her neck where her bikini halter tied. Her hair was longer too…last time he had visited from his home in New York, about a month ago, she had mentioned that it was getting to be obnoxious and she was thinking about cutting it, but she clearly hadn't, as it cascaded, heavy and dark in it's wet state, down her back. Trist suppressed a desire to reach out and pull her toward him as he let his eyes travel from her French-manicured toes upward. Reilly was a small girl, but by no means a helpless little waif-type. She was an athlete, and ran and went to the gym regularly, and it showed. The small towel was pulled tight around her, showing off her curves nicely. His eyes traveled up her sculpted calves and thighs and over her tight butt that she hated because she said it was too big and he loved because he thought it was just perfect, up over her defined arms and firm breasts…
"Trist!" Reilly giggled modestly and tried to pull her towel around her more tightly. "Oh sure Ri, like you've ever been the shy one…" Tristed mumbled teasingly as he bent to brush her collarbone with his lips. She let out an involuntary sigh, and he moved his hands down her back, drawing her to him. "Trist, you'll get all wet!" she protested weakly. "Mmmm, I almost care…" he continued dropping soft kisses all over her neck and shoulders. "I missed you." He whispered quietly as he met her dark blue eyes, and she felt herself melt as she saw the sadness behind his brown ones. "I missed you too, sweetie," she responded before he placed his lips on hers and pulled her toward her bed.
"No, no, no! We are NOT going over there, because you know what we'll do if we go over there and we have to be downstairs in exactly, oh, 17 minutes, and speaking of which it would probably make good impression if we didn't appear together as mum is most likely telling everyone I'm not down yet cause I'm in the shower, so, out you…out!" Trist protested as Reilly pushed him toward the door, but couldn't help laughing at her usual rapid- fire, breathless style of speaking. " You sure, Ri?" He winked mischeviously and gave her towel a quick tug and winked as it fell around her ankles before laughing and stepping into the hallway. Laughing, Reilly, shrieked at half-volume and slapped his ass, then shut the door behind him.
Still giggling, Reilly picked up her towel and headed over to her closet. "Oh what to wear, what to wear…" she sighed and looked helplessly at what clothes she hadn't packed. She settled on a knee-length black skirt and a light blue sleeveless cowlneck top, and one of her three pairs of Reef flip-flops, which she wore under all circumstances unless it was snowing or she was wearing a ball gown. She didn't bother drying her long, golden-brown hair. Generally thick and straight, she knew the August night's humidity would have it's way with it anyway, and she pulled it half up with a tortoise-shell clip , a few loose waves hanging around her face. She perched her tortoise-shell sunglasses on top of her head and added a touch of mascara to her navy eyes and gloss to her lips and was about to head downstairs, but…"oooh, can't forget…" she muttered to herself, and dug through her jewelry box, pulling out a silver Tiffany's bracelet, the circular charm engraved with Trist's initials and her own. Sighing once again, she clipped it on and stared at it momentarily. She hadn't packed it, which Trist would have found normal if he knew, because he would have assumed she would be wearing it over to London. The truth was, Reilly only wore the bracelet at school, or when Trist was around. It made her uncomfortable to have received such an extravagant gift while knowing how much more invested Trist was in the relationship than she was.
Trist had been the first friend other than her roommate that Reilly had made at college. They clicked instantly. Trist was extremely smart and opinionated, exactly the type pf person that Reilly loved to talk to. He was also gorgeous…he had a sort of Josh Hartnett thing going on, what with the lanky 6'2" frame, floppy brown hair, chiseled features and intense brown eyes. But it wasn't about attraction at first. They were just friends…Reilly trusted him, she told him everything, and always in the back of her mind she knew that he would make a great boyfriend…but, Reilly had been in a relationship all four years of high school. Kyle had been wonderful…they had grown up together, gone through everything…he was her first love, her first everything…the breakup had been hard but inevitable when they decided on different colleges, and she just wasn't all that eager to jump into another one right away. Of course, life likes to work out exactly opposite however you plan it, and so Reilly soon found herself being pursued romantically by Tristan…and she found herself falling for him. Only problem was now she was going away, and she knew it was tearing him apart to say goodbye to her…and she felt nothing. She knew he loved her…and she loved him too…but not in the same way. He loved her like a soul mate. She loved him like a friend…that she loved having sex with. Standing, Reilly smoothed her skirt and hurried downstairs and out into the back yard.
"Well hello Cape Cod!" Reilly smirked brattily as she took in the crowd around the pool. "Now sweetie, don't be rude! Everyone just wants to see you off!" Gracie Scott reprimanded her daughter and glanced disdainfully down at her flip-flops. "Don't you have any dress sandals?" She inquired. Reilly grinned triumphantly, "Nope, packed!", and dashed across the yard, throwing herself into a lawn chair beside her best friend Emma. Dramatically placing the back of her hand against her forehead and leaning back in her seat, Reilly adopted her best southern belle accent: "Oh mah, I don't know how ahm goina mahke it ovah theyah in London without all of Cape Cod too look aftah me!" Emma laughed, as Reilly's two other closest friends, Hannah and Julie, sat across from them. "Shrimp cocktail?" Hannah held out her plate in mock servant mode. "Oh man," Reilly rolled her eyes before grabbing a few off the plate. "So where's Tristan?" Hannah asked, licking cocktail sauce off her fingers. Reilly shrugged noncommittally and avoided the inquisitive look Emma threw her. Thankfully Jules changed the subject. "What I want to know is where's your hottie brother?" She looked around hopefully. Reilly shrugged again, reaching for a bottle of pink champagne. "I'm sure he's around." Jules and Hannah were college Freshmen, a year below Reilly and Emma, and Drew's year, and the latest summer-fling-to-be was rumored to be Jules and Drew. Reilly wasn't exactly sure what she thought about her brother hooking it up with one of her best friends, but…well I wont have to see it anyway…I wont be here! She thought to herself, her excitement growing again.
The party was a success, and Reilly had a wonderful time, despite still hating her mother's alterior motives for throwing it. Everyone danced underneath the moon, Drew finally appearing to sweep Jules off her feet. Emma danced with Eric, whom she was almost as close to as Reilly, and Hannah, a wild and beautiful popularity queen, had her pick of the town. Tristan and Reilly slipped away from the crowd and made their way down to the little strip of private beach. Trist sat down in the sand, his back to a small stone wall, and Reilly curled herself against him, listening to his soft breathing. He slipped his hand under her sweater and gently stroked the bare skin of her lower back as he spoke. "You know Ri…I really don't know what I'm going to do without you. Nothing's going to be the same. I mean, I'm not saying I can't wait for you, don't worry about that…I'll be here for you forever…it's just…it's going to be hard…without you…" his voice broke a little, and Reilly closed her eyes, silently praying, don't cry Trist, don't cry. She didn't do well with heavy emotion…and plus, she knew that if he cried, it would only be right for her to cry too…and she somehow didn't think she'd find any tears tonight.
*AN: so? What do you think? Dom shows up next chapter, and Orli shortly after that! Sorry this really has nothing to do w/LOTR, but there was nowhere else to put it! But I promise, the actors will play big roles!