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Ryan had been in Portland three days. He hadn't been sober since checking into the hotel. Luke had developed quite the tolerance for alcohol and he could drink, pretty much constantly. Ryan was learning. He'd passed out by the pool the first night. The second night, they'd gotten kicked out of a bar when he started a brawl with one of the bouncers. Tonight, they were staying in.
Ryan was relaxed. Luke wasn't a big conversationalist, unless it was about trivial things like football or video games. It was nice not to be pressured to talk about what was on his mind. Of course, the alcohol had precipitated a couple of deep conversations. Luke wanted to come back to Newport. Even with all the drama, he missed his home. He missed his mother and his brothers. He didn't like who he'd become.
Ryan had talked a little, too. He thought he loved Hailey. He didn't think Kirsten would ever forgive him. He wished he could've saved Teresa and the child. He would kill Eddie if he ever saw him again.
But basically, they drank and lounged.
The phone beside Ryan's bed rang. He glanced at it, curiously. He had his cell phone, he'd left messages for the Cohens telling them he was safe but no one should know where he was staying.
"Who's that?" Luke was staring at the phone from the couch in Ryan's room.
"Room service?" Ryan muttered. "I don't know." He smiled as he heard the slur in his own voice. He'd have a bad hangover tomorrow. But he'd drink it off. He might as well enjoy it while it lasted.
"Answer it," Luke said, his eyes closed.
"Okay." Ryan picked it up. "Can I help you?"
Luke laughed from his seat. He fell off the couch.
"Ryan?"
"Who is this?"
"It's Seth…"
"Is everything okay? How'd you get this number?"
"You haven't been answering your cell phone so I had to pump Mom and Dad for information and then I had to track down Luke's Dad…"
"What? What's so urgent?"
"I'm coming up…"
"What? You're coming up? What the fuck…" Ryan was totally confused.
"I'm downstairs. I'm coming up." The phone went dead.
"Who the fuck was that? And why do you look scared?" Luke asked from the floor.
"Seth. He says he's downstairs," Ryan stated flatly.
"What?"
Ryan didn't get up. "That's what I said."
"What the hell is Cohen doing…"
There was a knock on the door.
"Fuck. You get it," Ryan sighed.
"You're closer."
"Yeah, but you're already up."
"I'm not up…"
"You're in the floor, Luke," Ryan replied.
"Oh. Yeah." Luke scrambled to his feet and went to the door. He opened it.
"Luke. Hey…you look…wasted." Seth stepped in. "Ryan?"
"Yeah, I know…"
"You're drunk? You guys…what the hell are you guys doing?" Seth asked, his face red with confusion.
"Drinking. That's about it," Luke said, staggering to the couch and sitting down heavily.
"It's like…eleven am," Seth replied. "What happened to you guys? You both look like you've been in a war."
"Yeah? Damn, it's early," Ryan said. Ryan remembered the brawl from the previous night. Luke was bruised too and Ryan had two black eyes.
"But…"
"Everything's fine, Cohen. We're just drowning our misery for a few days. It's not a big deal. Ryan came here to relax…"
"And drinking equals relaxing?" Seth asked. "I'm calling my Dad…"
"Seth, stop it. What are you doing here?" Ryan asked.
"I came to check on you, you haven't answered your phone and Mom and Dad are really worried…"
"I'll call them…" Ryan got up slowly and started to look through the drawers. "Luke, have you seen my phone?"
"Um…didn't you break it?"
"What? When?" Ryan asked.
"At the bar last night. You threw it at that big dude and it broke. It was pretty funny…" Luke smiled.
"Oh. Yeah. Seth…"
"Here. Call Mom. Now. Tell her that you're drunk and beat up and totally out of control," Seth held out his phone.
Ryan stared at him. He didn't take the phone.
"Cohen…what are you really doing here? I mean, if Sandy and Kirsten were so worried, then…" Luke started.
"First off, they're taking care of Hailey…" Seth said, watching Ryan for a reaction. "Seems she's a little upset, too and needs a little TLC…"
"Seth…" Ryan whispered.
"Secondly, I asked to come. Ryan and I haven't exactly been on the best of terms lately and I wanted to come and make sure he was okay…"
"I'm okay…" Ryan sighed, sitting down on the bed without taking the phone.
"Man…"
"I'm going to go crash in my room. Ryan, wake me up around…dark and we'll see about that club we heard about."
"Sounds cool. Thanks, Luke," Ryan nodded. He didn't really want to face Seth in his current state but he didn't have much choice. Luke had enough on his mind without having to hear this 'family' discussion. Luke staggered out of the door.
"Man…what's going on?"
"Nothing, Seth. Luke invited me up and it seemed like a good time for me to get out of Newport," Ryan sighed honestly.
"You didn't take a plane, did you walk here?"
"Bus."
"You haven't talked to anyone in person, you've been sending your calls straight to voicemail and you…"
"I didn't think anyone would really want to talk to me…"
"You're wrong," Seth said, sitting down beside Ryan on the bed. "And you're drinking…"
"I never drink. I've never let myself drink. But I need to relax, man. The past few weeks…"
"Have been hell for you, I know. With Teresa and now Hailey…"
"I'm sorry about Hailey, Seth…"
"I'm not. I think you guys would be great together…"
"What?" Ryan thought he must be too drunk.
"You heard me. It's weird and twisted…but when you get down to basics…you guys are good together…"
"We can't be together…"
"Did you and Hailey practice that speech?" Seth smirked.
Ryan glared at him, hurt that Seth didn't see how much he was hurting. He regretted it instantly. He didn't want Seth to know. He couldn't be with Hailey and he couldn't care about her. He had to stop.
"Ryan…"
"Seth, stop. I came here so I wouldn't have to think about that…"
"You came here because you didn't want to have to deal with that. You're drinking so you don't have to think at all. Ryan, this isn't right. You'd barely talk to anyone before you left, you'd barely leave the poolhouse…what are you doing here? Can you honestly say you feel better?"
Ryan didn't answer. He wanted Seth to go. He wanted to drink.
"I'm worried that you won't come back. You made a mistake, but it's not…it's not the end of the world…"
"I'm going to come back, Seth, just…"
"Ryan, listen. Hailey, she loves you and…"
"Stop." Ryan held out his hands. "Just stop."
"Please. Just call Mom. Tell her you're okay. Listen to her."
"She doesn't want to talk to me…"
"You're wrong, they went to the airport the night you left, to try and talk to you, to tell you to stay…" Seth started.
"Seth…I think you should go home. I'm okay. I'm alive, I haven't slit my wrists or swallowed any painkillers…"
"You've just been drunk for the past three days and you spent, what, a day and a half on a bus?"
Ryan didn't mention that he was drunk on the bus, too.
"Please. Call them…just talk to Mom, talk to Hailey…"
"No, Seth! Why are you doing this?"
"Because you're in trouble…"
"I'm not in trouble. I need to get my head together, I need to give Kirsten and Sandy some space…"
"What about Hailey."
"We can't be together, Seth…"
"You love her…"
"Seth, stop it!" Ryan got up off the bed and went to the bar. He sloshed some whiskey in a glass and swallowed it in a frantic gulp. "You don't understand…"
"Then explain it to me!" Seth replied, trying to stay calm.
"I can't. I can't explain it to you, Seth…"
"Yes, you can, you just won't. Ryan, please…"
"I'm not in trouble. I don't need to be rescued, I don't need to be saved…"
"Come on...don't you see that…it's like you're sinking, man…"
"You shouldn't be here, you shouldn't have come…" Ryan muttered.
"Ryan…"
"No…"
"Ryan." Seth was standing beside him. "Please. Sit down. I won't make you talk, I won't make you argue…I just want to call my parents and tell them you're okay. Will you talk to them? Just for a minute?"
Ryan looked at Seth.
"Please."
Ryan sighed. He sat down on the bed. Seth sighed, too. He sat down and opened his phone.