Authors Note- Sorry for the delays, but thank you for the reviews
Chapter Five- Both Their Suspicions
The two stood five feet apart in the hallway, staring at one another with the most indistinguishable looks.
" You must be Lillian". At first sight, Ryan had no idea that the tiny girl who hardly reached his knee was his daughter, but in fact Marissa and her former love's child. Her identical eyes and the same features went by him, as other thoughts occupied his mind. But he bent down to her general size and kindly smiled, " my name is Ryan". She nodded.
He couldn't tell, but she had mouthed the word ' picture' very faintly. " It must be past your bed time" another nod, " come on". He stood again and offered his hand, surprisingly, she accepted.
Quietly, he pushed open the door to the dark apartment. After taking a few slow paces, Ryan found Marissa, sound asleep on the couch in her family room. The light on the end table was on, the only light there, her fingers placed in a book she had been reading before.
Ryan had guessed Lillian's room by the wall paper, she crawled into her already disturbed bed and pulled the covers over herself, " good night Lillian, maybe I'll see you soon". Her eyes were closed before he left. He returned to the family room, watching Marissa sleep. Her deep breathing, the way her cheeks slightly twitched. His heart ached. Gently, after book marking her novel, he lifted her into his arms as he had done so many times before and carried her to her bedroom.
She sighed when he placed her atop the mattress and adjusted herself, all without waking. It took him a few minutes to remember he eventually had to leave, and it took all his will power to do so.
He returned to Seth's apartment to find him and Summer sitting on two of the beanbag chairs, snarling at one another.
" That's one big gulp of fresh air" Seth commented.
" Why didn't you tell me Marissa lived down the hall?".
Both Seth and Summer's expressions dropped in shock and panic, " uh, would you happen to believe that I didn't know?".
Ryan shook his head, " not for a second".
" Okay, I-well- we knew, yes".
Summer raised her arms in protest, " hey, I've been here for like two days, I'm not much further ahead of you Atwood, I've been living in California too. I only got a postcard saying Marissa had a baby".
Seth closed his eyes, " either go back to California or go to my room".
" Are you actually telling me to go to my room?".
" No, I'm telling you to go to my room". Groaning and swearing under her breath, she got up and stormed into the hallway. " Do you want to sit down?".
" No, I just want to know what's going on, please".
Seth sighed, " okay, I ran into Marissa, literally, about six moths after I moved out here, and I moved here to-you know, help her. But that was awhile ago, Lily was barely one".
Ryan swallowed hard, " who is Lillian's father?".
" Luke is". That was a lie, Seth lied to his best friend, and defiantly knew it. The split second before answering, he did think about whether or not to say ' Luke is' or ' you are'. But if Marissa chose to tell Ryan, ever, that Lillian was his daughter, it was her choice and not his actions.
But it seemed to be a huge relief on Ryan's part as he sat down on Summer's previous chair, which made Seth edgy. " I can't believe this, he just abandoned her like that".
Seth bit away at his bottom lip, not wanting to lie again, " uh, you know what, I don't think she actually told him about Lilly".
His eyes magically darkened, " she's been alone all this time?".
" She's doing alright, and, well, I've been here, and" he slowly trailed off, " but then again, I'm not Lilly's father".
" She's adorable, and shy".
" Don't take that personally, she doesn't talk to anyone. She hasn't said a word since birth, but Marissa has a feeling that she does know how to talk, she just doesn't want to" there was a long drawl of silence, Seth could tell Ryan was deep in thought, it showed in his eyes. " Actually, well personally, I think she's just waiting...for something. I'm not sure what exactly, but, we'll find out".
Chapter Five- Both Their Suspicions
The two stood five feet apart in the hallway, staring at one another with the most indistinguishable looks.
" You must be Lillian". At first sight, Ryan had no idea that the tiny girl who hardly reached his knee was his daughter, but in fact Marissa and her former love's child. Her identical eyes and the same features went by him, as other thoughts occupied his mind. But he bent down to her general size and kindly smiled, " my name is Ryan". She nodded.
He couldn't tell, but she had mouthed the word ' picture' very faintly. " It must be past your bed time" another nod, " come on". He stood again and offered his hand, surprisingly, she accepted.
Quietly, he pushed open the door to the dark apartment. After taking a few slow paces, Ryan found Marissa, sound asleep on the couch in her family room. The light on the end table was on, the only light there, her fingers placed in a book she had been reading before.
Ryan had guessed Lillian's room by the wall paper, she crawled into her already disturbed bed and pulled the covers over herself, " good night Lillian, maybe I'll see you soon". Her eyes were closed before he left. He returned to the family room, watching Marissa sleep. Her deep breathing, the way her cheeks slightly twitched. His heart ached. Gently, after book marking her novel, he lifted her into his arms as he had done so many times before and carried her to her bedroom.
She sighed when he placed her atop the mattress and adjusted herself, all without waking. It took him a few minutes to remember he eventually had to leave, and it took all his will power to do so.
He returned to Seth's apartment to find him and Summer sitting on two of the beanbag chairs, snarling at one another.
" That's one big gulp of fresh air" Seth commented.
" Why didn't you tell me Marissa lived down the hall?".
Both Seth and Summer's expressions dropped in shock and panic, " uh, would you happen to believe that I didn't know?".
Ryan shook his head, " not for a second".
" Okay, I-well- we knew, yes".
Summer raised her arms in protest, " hey, I've been here for like two days, I'm not much further ahead of you Atwood, I've been living in California too. I only got a postcard saying Marissa had a baby".
Seth closed his eyes, " either go back to California or go to my room".
" Are you actually telling me to go to my room?".
" No, I'm telling you to go to my room". Groaning and swearing under her breath, she got up and stormed into the hallway. " Do you want to sit down?".
" No, I just want to know what's going on, please".
Seth sighed, " okay, I ran into Marissa, literally, about six moths after I moved out here, and I moved here to-you know, help her. But that was awhile ago, Lily was barely one".
Ryan swallowed hard, " who is Lillian's father?".
" Luke is". That was a lie, Seth lied to his best friend, and defiantly knew it. The split second before answering, he did think about whether or not to say ' Luke is' or ' you are'. But if Marissa chose to tell Ryan, ever, that Lillian was his daughter, it was her choice and not his actions.
But it seemed to be a huge relief on Ryan's part as he sat down on Summer's previous chair, which made Seth edgy. " I can't believe this, he just abandoned her like that".
Seth bit away at his bottom lip, not wanting to lie again, " uh, you know what, I don't think she actually told him about Lilly".
His eyes magically darkened, " she's been alone all this time?".
" She's doing alright, and, well, I've been here, and" he slowly trailed off, " but then again, I'm not Lilly's father".
" She's adorable, and shy".
" Don't take that personally, she doesn't talk to anyone. She hasn't said a word since birth, but Marissa has a feeling that she does know how to talk, she just doesn't want to" there was a long drawl of silence, Seth could tell Ryan was deep in thought, it showed in his eyes. " Actually, well personally, I think she's just waiting...for something. I'm not sure what exactly, but, we'll find out".