I do not own the O.C.

Thanks for reading and all that stuff.

--&&&&&&--

Anna POV

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I said, sliding into the car. He waited for me to snap on my seat belt before he started the car. "Ryan, did you hear me? I said I can't believe I'm doing this."

"What?" he asked, turning to me at the stoplight.

"I can't believe that you're driving me to the airport just so that I can drive your car back to your apartment."

"What's unbelievable about that?" he said, stepping on the gas and watching the road.

"You could have just taken a cab."

"Why pay like seventy bucks when I can drive over there? After how much I have to pay for parking? You want me to explain it all again?"

I sighed, increasing the volume on his CD player. "Whatever, Ryan. I just can't believe that you're making me take time out of my Sunday to drive your car back to your house. Then, I'll have to take the subway home today. I could be sleeping or something, you know?"

He turned to me and lightly touched my arm. "And I appreciate it."

"Whatever." I bumped my head to the music and watched all the passing cars. If Ryan drove any slower, I was sure we'd get to the airport in about a week.

I listened to the music for a bit more, then spun my head around when I realized what it was. "Ryan, what are you listening to?"

He turned down the volume and shrugged. "Just some CD."

"No," I said, shaking my head vehemently. "That's not just some CD, that's Justin Timberlake!"

He looked at me incredulously. "What? Of course it isn't. Lisa gave me a bunch of stuff to listen to on Friday. Just some new artists that we're thinking of signing."

"No. No," I disagreed laughingly. "This is freaking Justin Timberlake."

"No, it isn't," he replied a little less confidently.

I waited for the song to change then howled. "No, Ryan, this isn't just Justin Timberlake, this is Justin Timberlake's greatest hits." I really couldn't control my laughter. "Ryan Atwood loves Justin Timberlake," I chanted, drumming on the dashboard.

Frowning, he pulled out the CD and showed it to me. "See? It's just a plain CD. When we get to the airport, I'll find the case and tell you who it is... although I expected the person's name to be on it," he said flipping the disc.

I wasn't buying it. "Ryan, any idiot can burn a CD. I bet you're one of those people who gets a CD and makes a copy for the car, another for the bedroom, one for the bathroom..."

"Lisa's in trouble," he interrupted. He was chuckling at this point.

"No, no... you're not blaming this on Lisa. Just admit it, Ryan. You love Justin Timberlake! Just admit it."

"I admit no such thing," he said, turning into the highway. "What I want to know is how you recognized the CD so easily. And how you know so much about people who burn a CD for their room, one for the bathroom and so on..."

Oh shit. I suddenly noticed that the nail polish on my fingernails were chipped and decided to pay attention to them.

"Anna, I'm waiting."

I giggled. "Whatever, Ryan. When I come up with a good explanation, you'll be the first to know."

--&&&&&&--

"So you're coming back in January?" I asked him as we walked to the security check point.

"Hopefully. Unless we get delayed or something." He reached into his pockets, pulled out his keys and handed them to me. "Take care of my baby for me," he said softly.

"Men and their cars," I tsked. I didn't even want to think of the possible double meaning. Besides, I was sure there wasn't a double meaning – Ryan just didn't talk like that.

I put them into my purse and opened my arms to give him a hug. "Take care of yourself... and stay away from the silicone – I know how much you like them."

He laughed, pulling me to him. "You've gotta love the silicone."

When we separated, his hands moved from my back and rest on my hands. I swallowed hard, staring at his open collar, distinctly aware of his skin on mine when he moved closer and attempted to kiss me.

"Ryan, no," I pleaded through the lips that were against his chin.

He stepped back. "What?"

"You were about to kiss me."

He frowned. "On the cheek. Or is it a crime for me to kiss you on the cheek?"

I looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, I thought you were..."

"I was what?" He wasn't even bothering to mask his irritation.

"You know."

"No, I don't know." He dropped his bag to the floor and folded his arms. "Tell me about it, Anna. Just tell me."

"Ryan, I don't want to do this. Have a safe trip."

He grabbed hold of my shoulder to stop me. "No, Anna. Tell me what would have been so bad if I kissed you."

"Ryan... nothing. It was my fault – I misinterpreted things. Let's just forget it."

"No, we are not forgetting anything. What the fuck is this about?"

I looked at my watch. "Ryan, you're going to miss your flight."

"No, I'm not. Just answer my question. And while you're at it," he said, grabbing my right hand and pulling it up to my face, "tell me why the fuck you're wearing this."

I took my hand back and fingered the stone. "It's just a reminder."

"Reminder of what?" he sneered.

I shrugged. "Of, you know..."

"No, I don't. Why the fuck are you wearing that shit? How long ago was it? Why can't you just leave the past alone?" How did his voice manage to stay calm and yet so judgemental?

"Exactly!" I said, louder than I'd intended to. "Exactly, Ryan. I'm trying to leave the past alone."

"And how the fuck..." He waved his arms for emphasis. "How the fuck is wearing that ring leaving the past alone? That relationship ended like three years ago." He raised his brow.

"And so what? Besides, it reminds me of what happens when I don't listen to my instincts."

"What do you mean?" His voice dropped a million decibels -I practically had to strain my ears to hear him. His cold eyes were staring intently into mine.

"I mean, look at what happened with Seth. We dated in high school and that should have been it. I didn't leave the past alone and see what happened." Disbelievingly, he shook his head and looked away from me. "And now... and now... and now..." I was trembling so hard I held on to the wall to steady myself.

"Just spit it out, Anna!"

"And now, I can't do that with us." I shut my eyes – fuck I was losing my mind. Having him back in my life was turning me into a lunatic. How could I want something so much, knowing it had the potential to destroy me? I wasn't going to let myself go through Alex part II which was why being with Seth had been so easy - he was so easy to read. But Ryan... I never knew what he was thinking and that scared me shitless. What if I got blind sighted again? Funny how I hadn't realized how much I needed him till he came back into my life. And when I felt myself falling for him again, I knew I couldn't let it go too far. If there was anything I'd learned in my life, it was not letting things get too far. But from the look in his eyes, I knew he wasn't pleased. "I'm sorry, Ryan."

He picked up his bag, crinkled his nose and shook his head. "Anna, you're always sorry. You're always so damn sorry. When are you going to start taking responsibility for your actions?"

What the hell did that mean?

Without a word, he walked towards the checkpoint. I followed him. "Ryan, please, I'm sorry, please don't get mad," I begged, tugging his sleeve.

He turned to me, the ice still very much in his eyes. "So I'm supposed to be happy just because you ask me to? If things worked like that, we wouldn't be in this shit."

"Huh?"

"If all it took was asking someone to not be mad, to open up to you, to believe you, to trust you, we wouldn't be in this shit, right? Not that I'm particularly surprised by this crap. One kiss on the cheek turns into this," he said looking around. "Back to square one as usual. Anna, are we ever going to get anywhere?"

He looked pissed and fed up and frankly speaking, I didn't think he had the right to be, considering he was the one who broke up with me. "Ryan, I don't know what you were expecting. We are just friends, remember?"

He laughed without humor. "As if we could even call us that. Anyway, Anna, as you said, I'll miss my flight. Goodbye." He pulled my hand off his sleeve and without looking back once, walked away from me.

---&&&&&&--

A/N: Is 'tsked' a word?