"Well if there's drinking, crying, cops, well then it must be Christmas."

Marissa couldn't see him very well, but she could see the moon's glow reflecting off the tears in Ryan's eyes. And it killed her. The ache she felt in her heart sunk to her feet, and she felt like the lowest person on earth.

Then she woke up.

She was in her own bed, at her dad's, not with Ryan, and not on Christmas.

"I love you."

The words just echoed hollowly throughout her head and her cheeks flamed. Had she really said that? Had she really embarrassed herself like that, thinking that it wouldn't freak Ryan out so much he wouldn't say it back? Because surely he would have said it back had it not been so sudden. Right?

*****

"Well would you have said it back?"

"Yes! I mean, maybe. No, I mean, yes-oh I don't even know." Ryan sighed in frustration.

"Ok, easy question to solve this whole thing. Do you love her?" Ryan gave Seth a sideways glare. "Well, I think we have your answer."

"Well, how can I make things right now?" Seth gave him a look. "Right, wrong person to ask. I'm gonna go try and find her."

"Good luck!" Seth called as Ryan disappeared through the foyer.

*****

Halfway out the driveway, Ryan remembered Marissa was in one of her therapy meetings. Deciding to swing by and pick her up, he put the car back in drive and crept into the afternoon traffic.

*****

"Well, I see we have much progress yet, but we'll get through it. I believe in you."

'There's no way she doesn't get paid to say that,' Marissa thought as she gave a fake smile to her therapist and swept up her things, slinking out of the office as fast as she could.

She was almost to the door when a voice stopped her.

"Leaving in a flurry Ms. Social Chair?" It was Oliver. Yay. "Thought you'd have a ton of things to do. What've you got planned for this 03 New Years?"

"Uh, nothing." Oliver raised an eyebrow. "My boyfriend and I are staying in, renting some movies."

"Well, if you want to have some fun, I'm throwing a party."

Marissa smiled. Genuinely this time. "I'll think about it. I mean, I may be social chair, but my boyfriend's not. I could coax him into it I guess."

Oliver smiled right back with a sort of conniving smile. "Hope to see you there." There was a pause between the two. Until Marissa heard a car horn and turned to see Ryan outside, sitting in the Range Rover, waving for her to get in.

"See ya," she said, and hurried off.

"See ya," Oliver replied, though after she'd exited through the door and Ryan had pulled out. He planned to see Marissa at his party, without Ryan.