Okay so it's a long time coming but I finally updated! I'm making my way through al my unfinished fics just now so bear with me. Hope you like.
Chapter 8Sandy watched as Ryan and Seth spooned mushy cornflakes into their mouths. They had been brooding ever since the girls left the day before. "So you guys up for the beach or just hanging by the pool?" he asked brightly. Neither of them looked up.
"I don't know." Ryan answered.
"Whatever." Seth said in monotone. Sandy frowned.
"Hey you know what I was thinking? We could go away on a trip."
"Sandy we're on a trip." Ryan pointed out.
"No I mean we could hire a boat. Go fishing for a couple of days." Sandy saw Seth's expression brighten slightly. Ryan wrinkled his nose.
"Nah I mean I'm not really into… the sea and the water and staying overnight on a boat." Ryan said, "And what about Kirsten?"
"What about me?" Kirsten had just got back from the supermarket and was struggling with the groceries. Sandy took them from her and placed them on the counter.
"I was just asking the boys if they wanted to go on a fishing trip."
"Sandy, you know I don't like the ocean. But hey you guys should go. It'll be fun."
"Yeah but mom. You'd be alone on vacation for like a day." Seth pointed out.
"I think I'd survive." She said smiling. Ryan tilted his head.
"I don't really wanna go so I could stay here with you and Seth and Sandy could go. If that's okay with you." He suggested. Seth frowned.
"Mother? Father?" Kirsten and Sandy stared at each other for a moment before Sandy turned to the boys and nodded.
"That's that settled then."
Kirsten walked around the tiny boat and frowned, "Lifejackets?" she asked turning to her husband. As she turned around she saw he was holding two in his hand. She turned back and looked around again, "You're sure it's safe? It looks kinda… old and well… old."
"Honey it is old but it's safe. Don't worry please." Sandy said while tugging on a rope that hung above his head, "I wonder what this does?" he asked thoughtfully as he pulled hard.
"Sandy! Stop it. Are you sure you guys will be okay?"
"We'll be fine. SETH! LET'S GO!" he yelled to his son who was talking to Ryan. Kirsten wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Promise you'll come back? You won't run away with a young girl you picked up at the port?"
"Nah. I mean she could only keep me occupied for a while… hey! Sorry!" Sandy apologized as his wife slapped him hard on the shoulder.
"I'll miss you, honey." He said as he stooped down and kissed her gently on the lips.
"You too." She replied accepting the kiss with a smile. Kirsten climbed off the boat and onto the pier with Ryan after saying goodbye to Seth, "Have fun, guys." She yelled as they sailed out of the harbour.
Ryan and Kirsten both walked down the pier not quite sure of what to do next. "So…" Ryan began. Kirsten looked up and waited for him to go on.
"What?" she asked.
"What do you wanna do?" he asked looking around in search of something to kill the awkward silence. Kirsten squinted her eyes in the light as she watched someone parasailing in the distance.
"What about that?" she asked pointing to the blue and red parachute. Ryan stared open mouthed at Kirsten. He didn't like saying no to her.
"Well if you wanted to that'd be…" he tried to make up and excuse but when he noticed Kirsten grinning he stopped, "What?" he asked.
"Nothing. It's just funny watching you try to squirm your way out of things."
"Okay that's kinda evil."
"Sorry. Why are you so afraid of heights anyway?" Kirsten asked as she headed to an ice-cream stand, "One chocolate chip and one pistachio." She turned and waited for his answer while Ryan stood wondering how she knew his favourite ice cream was pistachio. "Ryan? Did you want something else?"
"No uh that's great thanks," he answered as he licked his ice cream appreciatively.
"So. The heights thing. Where'd that come from?"
"I don't really know. We used to have bunk beds. My mom would make me sit up on the top bunk when I was bad… maybe that's it." Kirsten nodded and looked straight ahead. "So do you have any phobias?" he asked turning the attention to Kirsten. She continued to walk along the shore.
"I don't like the ocean. Deep water just freaks me out. You don't know what's underneath and it's just… I hate it. I used to always play at the beach but now whenever something grazes my leg I think it's a fish or something and freak out." She said laughing. Ryan smirked. He wasn't surprised at Kirsten's feelings on the sea. She always refused Sandy's offers of surfing lessons, she never went to the beach at home and she hadn't been in the water since they'd been here except for the pool.
"That's like Marissa. I mean she'll be fine playing around but as soon as the tiniest bit of seaweed touches her she's outta there." They walked in silence for a while eating their ice cream watching the sun go down.
"I hope they're okay." Kirsten mused as she stared out at the high waves.
"They'll be fine. Seth's been sailing since he was like eight and Sandy… has he ever even been on a boat before?"
"Uh he's been on a yacht." She admitted smiling slightly, "They'll be back tomorrow night." She reasoned. She stood frowning at waves as the rose higher and higher. Ryan could feel her tense up.
"So what about tonight? We could go out for dinner, have some drinks. Non-alcoholic of course. What do you say?" Kirsten looked up surprised that he was suggesting they go out. Ryan waited hoping she'd accept. He found himself feeling uncomfortable whenever they were alone.
"Uh. Sure but we better change first though."
Ryan sat on the couch leafing through an old comic book waiting for Kirsten to get ready. "Come on Kirsten it's eight thirty."
"I'm coming." She replied as she appeared in the doorway wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dainty green top.
"You look pretty." Ryan said smiling.
"Why thank you Mr Atwood," Kirsten said as she curtseyed giggling slightly. Ryan got up and grabbed his wallet. Kirsten took it from him and placed it on the coffee table.
"You don't need it." She reasoned, "And there's no reason to take it and risk losing it if you don't have to." Ryan rolled his eyes and followed Kirsten out the door but not before sliding his wallet into his back pocket.
"So where would you like to eat?" Kirsten asked brightly. Ryan shrugged.
"You choose since apparently you're paying." He answered smiling. Kirsten frowned.
"How about… Italian?" Ryan scrunched up his nose, "Chinese?" she tried again, "Indian?" Ryan shook his head, "Well where do you wanna go?" she asked frustrated.
"Hey how about Mexican?" he asked spotting a Mexican restaurant on the corner. He heard a Mariachi band playing faintly in the distance. Kirsten smirked.
"Burritos and Tequila? Unbeatable combination."
Kirsten sat staring down at the menu. "Enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, tacos…" she went over in her head. She saw Ryan staring at her searchingly.
"What?" she asked.
"Did you know you make faces when you're concentrating?"
"I don't make faces!" she defended.
"Yeah you do. You scrunch up your nose and frown."
"I do not." She said laughing. Ryan saw that a waiter was headed for their table.
"What are you having?" he asked.
"Uh I think the tacos." She said closing her menu.
When they exited the restaurant they began to head for the nearest bar, "Yours will be virgin of course." Kirsten said already giddy from the tequila she had earlier. Ryan nodded innocently and offered to buy the first drinks. "Here get me a blue lagoon." Kirsten said holding out money to him. Ryan smiled refusing the money and went over to the bar pushing through the crowd. Kirsten perched herself on a high stool waiting for Ryan to come back. She was pleased with how the night was going. It was rather strange for a mother and son to be out drinking together but it was either this or sitting bored in their apartment. Just then Kirsten noticed a familiar head of blonde dreadlocks headed for her.
"Sugar mama! It's you!" The man Kirsten recognised Jake, the juice guy, pushing through the thick crowd toward her.
"Hey Jake. How are you?" she asked forcing a smile.
"Darlin' I am jammin' Now girl are you tired cause you been running through my head all day." Kirsten stared back open mouthed unable to believe he was using such an old line.
"Wow that's funny because when my husband gets back you'll be running in the opposite direction." Jake simply laughed and placed his hands on her hips.
"Girl you know I'm just playin' with ya."
"Yeah well why don't you go home and play with yourself and leave me alone." She said trying to pull his hands from her.
"Come on girl dance with me." He said pulling Kirsten close. He began to sway her to the side. Kirsten pushed herself away from him but his grip tightened. "Jake I have to go." She yelled but he simply smiled.
Ryan handed over a twenty to the barman and turned to look for Kirsten. He saw her at the side talking to someone but he couldn't see who it was. He squeezed through the crowd on the dance floor trying not to spill the drinks. He looked up and saw Jake laughing at something Kirsten had said. He saw Kirsten frown and roll her eyes. Ryan sighed realising he was gonna have to hurry to get her away from that creep. Just as he looked up he saw Jake pull Kirsten to her feet and try to spin her on the spot. He pulled her close and Kirsten tried to lean away. Ryan discarded his drink on a nearby table and pushed random people out of his path. As he got nearer he heard Kirsten yelling, "Jake let me go!" Ryan saw another guy around his age pulling Jake away from Kirsten.
"The lady said let go ass!" Jake laughed and turned to Kirsten again.
"Hey she's just kiddin right darlin?" he said rounding on her again. But Ryan reached him before he got near her. He placed his hand on Jake's shoulder and spun him to face him. He brought his fist down hard on Jake's cheekbone and watched him fall to the floor.
"Go near her again and I'll kill you." He threatened as he felt Kirsten tugging on his arm.
"Ryan, leave it." She looked up and saw the man who had helped her with Jake, "Thanks, for that." She said smiling appreciatively. The man nodded and turned away but Ryan grabbed his arm.
"Hey man. Seriously thanks." He said shaking the man's hand.
"That guy's an asshole. You better watch your girl around him. He's a creep." Ryan nodded and turned to Kirsten who had gone red from the man calling her "his girl" Ryan placed his hand on her back and led her out of the club before wrapping his arms around her.
"Are you okay?" Kirsten nodded and pulled away.
"Thanks." She answered, "But you didn't have to hit him. He could've had a gun or a knife."
"Yeah and where did he keep it? In his short shorts or his tank top?"
"Hey you can't say anything about tank tops, Mr Wifebeater." She laughed. Ryan and Kirsten walked down the boardwalk toward their apartment.
As Kirsten and Ryan made their way into the living room they found two people lying face down on the couches snoring loudly.
"Well, well, well…" Kirsten began.
Please leave a review to inspire me to write more chapters and finish this off or it'll be ANOTHER month before I update again!