Chapter 2: Ryan
Anna looked herself over as the plane began its descent. Sneakers, jeans, black sweater, no make-up. She winced at the last. Not wearing make- up made her feel naked, but she has been in a rush to leave Pittsburgh.
Anna's parents had been surprisingly okay with the random late night I'm-coming-back-to-Newport-for-I-don't-know-how-long-but-my-flight-leaves- in-twenty-minutes phone call. There would probably be a talk when she got in, but Anna could live with that.
Anna surveyed the nearly empty early-morning airport and realized she had no idea how to get home. It hadn't seemed right to ask her parents for a ride after such an abrupt announcement of her arrival, but now... How did one catch a cab in Newport?
"Anna!" Someone called out and she turned to see Ryan waiting for her.
"How'd you know when I was getting in?" Anna wondered.
"Your parents." Anna felt Ryan look her over, head to toe. "You look good. Different, but good."
"Thanks, Pittsburgh's different than Newport. I'm different there," and then, remembering her lack of cosmetics, Anna put her hands to her face. "I was in a hurry. I didn't feel like taking the time for make-up."
"I'm glad. It's nice to see what you look like in the morning," and for half a second Anna wondered if Ryan was in fact coming on to her. "I'm so glad you came."
Saying that, Ryan looked so broken that Anna instinctively wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
"You came, thank god you came," Ryan mumbled into her shoulder before starting to cry. Anna ruffled his hair affectionately.
"It's okay, it's okay. I've got you," Anna soothed. "Just let it out."
Feeling protective of Ryan, a wave of anger at the Cohen's rolled over her. How dare they become so self-involved that Ryan has to seek comfort from an acquaintance in the middle of an airport. Anna felt Ryan pull away.
"What's wrong?" She wondered.
"You got all tense. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, I never want to make you uncomfortable," Ryan's eyes seemed loaded with double meanings.
"I'm sorry," Anna again pulled Ryan into her embrace, "I wasn't uncomfortable, I was mad. Not at you," she hastened to add. Anna nuzzled the boy in her arms, trying to give him as much comfort as she could.
Eventually Ryan pulled away again. "Home or hospital?"
"Hospital," Anna answered, slipping her hand into Ryan's, unwilling to allow the connection between them to be severed. "I'll go home later."
The silence between them was vaguely uncomfortable, though Ryan continued to hold her hand as they walked through the airport and parking garage. Anna glanced at Ryan, his expression full of sorrow. The moment he noticed her watching, he became stoic.
"Don't!" Anna stopped walking and turned to face Ryan, her hand still in his. "You don't have to be strong for me. Save it for someone who needs it."
Anna reached up to touch the side of Ryan's face. He leaned into her touch, and Anna realized suddenly that she didn't know if Ryan had a girlfriend. She pulled away slowly, regretfully, though Ryan's hand tightened around hers. She followed him to the car.
"I guess I should probably warn you about Seth," to Anna it seemed as if Ryan knew that the moment for whatever had almost happened between them was over.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Anna blurted. She knew she deserved the sideways glance the comment had earned her.
"Marissa's around sometimes," Ryan shrugged, "but she hasn't been around lately. There's nothing official between she and I anyway."
"Oh. So, tell me about Seth, what to expect," Anna requested as the car pulled into Hoag hospital's main parking lot.
"Um. He looks normal, for Seth, except for lots of tubes and machines attatched to him. It looks like he's sleeping. The doctors say he's fine physically, he just won't wake up!" Ryan smacked the steering wheel in frustration. Anna put a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay."
Ryan got out of the car first, and when Anna joined him she was pleasantly surprised when he took her hand. The long journey in silence to Seth's room gave Anna plenty of time to ponder what all this hand-holding and touching between her and Ryan meant. But even if it did mean something, and Anna hoped it did, she still had no idea how long she'd be in Newport.
"Summer's in there now," Ryan noted as they peered into Seth's room. "She doesn't know you're coming."
"Oh," Anna's confidence faltered. Dealing with an angry Summer wasn't something she looked forward to.
"She'll be happy to see you," the squeeze Ryan gave her hand flooded Anna with reassurance, "Go on in."
Anna looked herself over as the plane began its descent. Sneakers, jeans, black sweater, no make-up. She winced at the last. Not wearing make- up made her feel naked, but she has been in a rush to leave Pittsburgh.
Anna's parents had been surprisingly okay with the random late night I'm-coming-back-to-Newport-for-I-don't-know-how-long-but-my-flight-leaves- in-twenty-minutes phone call. There would probably be a talk when she got in, but Anna could live with that.
Anna surveyed the nearly empty early-morning airport and realized she had no idea how to get home. It hadn't seemed right to ask her parents for a ride after such an abrupt announcement of her arrival, but now... How did one catch a cab in Newport?
"Anna!" Someone called out and she turned to see Ryan waiting for her.
"How'd you know when I was getting in?" Anna wondered.
"Your parents." Anna felt Ryan look her over, head to toe. "You look good. Different, but good."
"Thanks, Pittsburgh's different than Newport. I'm different there," and then, remembering her lack of cosmetics, Anna put her hands to her face. "I was in a hurry. I didn't feel like taking the time for make-up."
"I'm glad. It's nice to see what you look like in the morning," and for half a second Anna wondered if Ryan was in fact coming on to her. "I'm so glad you came."
Saying that, Ryan looked so broken that Anna instinctively wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
"You came, thank god you came," Ryan mumbled into her shoulder before starting to cry. Anna ruffled his hair affectionately.
"It's okay, it's okay. I've got you," Anna soothed. "Just let it out."
Feeling protective of Ryan, a wave of anger at the Cohen's rolled over her. How dare they become so self-involved that Ryan has to seek comfort from an acquaintance in the middle of an airport. Anna felt Ryan pull away.
"What's wrong?" She wondered.
"You got all tense. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, I never want to make you uncomfortable," Ryan's eyes seemed loaded with double meanings.
"I'm sorry," Anna again pulled Ryan into her embrace, "I wasn't uncomfortable, I was mad. Not at you," she hastened to add. Anna nuzzled the boy in her arms, trying to give him as much comfort as she could.
Eventually Ryan pulled away again. "Home or hospital?"
"Hospital," Anna answered, slipping her hand into Ryan's, unwilling to allow the connection between them to be severed. "I'll go home later."
The silence between them was vaguely uncomfortable, though Ryan continued to hold her hand as they walked through the airport and parking garage. Anna glanced at Ryan, his expression full of sorrow. The moment he noticed her watching, he became stoic.
"Don't!" Anna stopped walking and turned to face Ryan, her hand still in his. "You don't have to be strong for me. Save it for someone who needs it."
Anna reached up to touch the side of Ryan's face. He leaned into her touch, and Anna realized suddenly that she didn't know if Ryan had a girlfriend. She pulled away slowly, regretfully, though Ryan's hand tightened around hers. She followed him to the car.
"I guess I should probably warn you about Seth," to Anna it seemed as if Ryan knew that the moment for whatever had almost happened between them was over.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Anna blurted. She knew she deserved the sideways glance the comment had earned her.
"Marissa's around sometimes," Ryan shrugged, "but she hasn't been around lately. There's nothing official between she and I anyway."
"Oh. So, tell me about Seth, what to expect," Anna requested as the car pulled into Hoag hospital's main parking lot.
"Um. He looks normal, for Seth, except for lots of tubes and machines attatched to him. It looks like he's sleeping. The doctors say he's fine physically, he just won't wake up!" Ryan smacked the steering wheel in frustration. Anna put a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay."
Ryan got out of the car first, and when Anna joined him she was pleasantly surprised when he took her hand. The long journey in silence to Seth's room gave Anna plenty of time to ponder what all this hand-holding and touching between her and Ryan meant. But even if it did mean something, and Anna hoped it did, she still had no idea how long she'd be in Newport.
"Summer's in there now," Ryan noted as they peered into Seth's room. "She doesn't know you're coming."
"Oh," Anna's confidence faltered. Dealing with an angry Summer wasn't something she looked forward to.
"She'll be happy to see you," the squeeze Ryan gave her hand flooded Anna with reassurance, "Go on in."