*****
"At least I got off the exit," Ryan muttered to himself. It was 11:20 PM and he was still thirty minutes away from the hotel. And just his luck? The traffic was not getting any better.
So.he could look at this two ways: He wouldn't have to watch Marissa and Oliver laugh at inside jokes till midnight, which was good because Marissa never made inside jokes with him, so why should he have to listen to the ones she made with Oliver? Or, he could worry himself sick wondering if Marissa would be the one Oliver kissed at midnight instead of him. But she would never do that. Hell, she'd said "I love you", she couldn't go back on her word.
The line moved about five cars and Ryan sighed. "The first person that said 'I love you' should be shot."
*****
"She doesn't know that I love her. Yes, I love her.
Make a move on me baby. I can't be the only one Who's always taking chances."
"OLIVER!"
Oliver turned from chatting up some glam-looking girls in a corner of the room.
"Hey! Havin' a good time?"
Marissa looked around the room at all the smiling people. She'd had enough. "No, actually I'm gonna go."
"Aw, why? It's half on hour from midnight."
"Well, Ryan's not here, and I don't think he's coming. And.I don't want to spend New Year's Eve without him." She got quiet and looked down at her feet.
"Nothing I can say is gonna stop you, is it?"
She gave him a small smile. "No." Her face turned sad again. "I'm sorry." She went in search of her purse and headed out the door. In the elevator she wondered, if she went to the Cohen's, would she find Ryan there? Would he be alone? Only one way to find out.
*****
"I need the room number for Oliver Trask."
"He owns the penthouse suite sir."
Ryan thanked the woman at the desk and headed for the elevator. He knew Marissa had said this guy was rich, but damn. He got off the elevator and was almost immediately in front of the looming doors of the penthouse. He slipped through them and looked around for Marissa. When he didn't see her, he grabbed the closest person and asked if they knew Oliver and where he was. Thankfully, the person pointed out a dark haired, smug looking guy and Ryan took off toward him.
"Oliver?"
"Hey, um."
"Ryan. Is Marissa here?"
"You're Ryan? I pictured you.differently."
"Yea, I have that effect on people. Is she here?"
"Marissa? No, left about fifteen minutes ago. She thought you weren't coming."
"Well, do you know where she went?"
"She didn't say. But, you're welcome to stay here and party. It being so close to midnight and everything."
"Thanks, but.I gotta find her. There's something I have to tell her." The corner of his mouth jumped, his only form of a smile toward strangers, and he hurried out of the room. Oliver smiled after him. So his first plan had been ruined, the next one wouldn't fail, he was sure of it.
*****
Ryan put the car in park and got out. He'd called everybody. Even Seth. Who, at the time, had been tearing it up with Summer. Well, 'tearing it up' was probably taking a little far, but hey, it was improvement. With nowhere to look and no one else to call, Ryan had decided to head home. Walking through the kitchen, he slid the keys back into the dish on the island and by-passed talking to Sandy and Kirsten. It had been a long night, he was tired, and all he wanted was to be left alone. So he went straight to the pool house and went inside.
And was shocked by what he saw.
"At least I got off the exit," Ryan muttered to himself. It was 11:20 PM and he was still thirty minutes away from the hotel. And just his luck? The traffic was not getting any better.
So.he could look at this two ways: He wouldn't have to watch Marissa and Oliver laugh at inside jokes till midnight, which was good because Marissa never made inside jokes with him, so why should he have to listen to the ones she made with Oliver? Or, he could worry himself sick wondering if Marissa would be the one Oliver kissed at midnight instead of him. But she would never do that. Hell, she'd said "I love you", she couldn't go back on her word.
The line moved about five cars and Ryan sighed. "The first person that said 'I love you' should be shot."
*****
"She doesn't know that I love her. Yes, I love her.
Make a move on me baby. I can't be the only one Who's always taking chances."
"OLIVER!"
Oliver turned from chatting up some glam-looking girls in a corner of the room.
"Hey! Havin' a good time?"
Marissa looked around the room at all the smiling people. She'd had enough. "No, actually I'm gonna go."
"Aw, why? It's half on hour from midnight."
"Well, Ryan's not here, and I don't think he's coming. And.I don't want to spend New Year's Eve without him." She got quiet and looked down at her feet.
"Nothing I can say is gonna stop you, is it?"
She gave him a small smile. "No." Her face turned sad again. "I'm sorry." She went in search of her purse and headed out the door. In the elevator she wondered, if she went to the Cohen's, would she find Ryan there? Would he be alone? Only one way to find out.
*****
"I need the room number for Oliver Trask."
"He owns the penthouse suite sir."
Ryan thanked the woman at the desk and headed for the elevator. He knew Marissa had said this guy was rich, but damn. He got off the elevator and was almost immediately in front of the looming doors of the penthouse. He slipped through them and looked around for Marissa. When he didn't see her, he grabbed the closest person and asked if they knew Oliver and where he was. Thankfully, the person pointed out a dark haired, smug looking guy and Ryan took off toward him.
"Oliver?"
"Hey, um."
"Ryan. Is Marissa here?"
"You're Ryan? I pictured you.differently."
"Yea, I have that effect on people. Is she here?"
"Marissa? No, left about fifteen minutes ago. She thought you weren't coming."
"Well, do you know where she went?"
"She didn't say. But, you're welcome to stay here and party. It being so close to midnight and everything."
"Thanks, but.I gotta find her. There's something I have to tell her." The corner of his mouth jumped, his only form of a smile toward strangers, and he hurried out of the room. Oliver smiled after him. So his first plan had been ruined, the next one wouldn't fail, he was sure of it.
*****
Ryan put the car in park and got out. He'd called everybody. Even Seth. Who, at the time, had been tearing it up with Summer. Well, 'tearing it up' was probably taking a little far, but hey, it was improvement. With nowhere to look and no one else to call, Ryan had decided to head home. Walking through the kitchen, he slid the keys back into the dish on the island and by-passed talking to Sandy and Kirsten. It had been a long night, he was tired, and all he wanted was to be left alone. So he went straight to the pool house and went inside.
And was shocked by what he saw.
