No Regrets
Disclaimer- -sighs- People, I am not Josh Schwartz, but if he was my relative, I would follow him around constantly.
A/N- So...the cliffhanger ends in this one. I'm not sure how long this chapter would be, I guess you'll find out at the end. Thanks to TheOCisMe for the suggestion. I hope it has a little bit of what everyone wants. It is just so funny for me to write Theresa, with her designer clothes, and palm pilots, just too great! Oh, and if Maddy does walk in on them, she won't be scarred forever; Marissa does have her tank top on. And SS will have a little more active role in probably the next chapter, as you'll find out, with all my twists and all. ;)
On with the story...
Marissa finally got Ryan off the couch as they made their way to the bedroom, still holding onto each other tightly; his hands up her shirt, her tank top still in tact as well as Ryan's. "Come on," she said huskily as their feet tangled into one another, and Ryan fell on the woodened floor, bringing Marissa down with him.
He started laughing and Marissa joined him, still in the same position when Maddy came in.
She started hearing voices, and barged in to see what it was all about. "What's going on?" she asked. Ryan froze and quickly got up, his hands still up Marissa's shirt. Maddy noticed his hands move swiftly but had no idea where they moved to and from. For the first time in a long time, she noticed her father's tattoo on his left arm. She hadn't seen it for the longest time, and almost forgot that he had it. She knew Theresa had always made a big deal about it, saying it wasn't a good example for her, so he had always kept it hidden with his long button down shirts or t-shirts that just barely covered it. But now, he was in a wifebeater, and it was clearly visible and when he was standing to Marissa, guilt washing over their faces. "What's going on?" she asked again, still holding on to the doorknob.
"Maddy, sweetie...don't make...don't make me skip so...many steps," Theresa called out in between deep breaths. 'Damn personal trainer', she thought as she clutched her knee, walking in the frame of the door.
She looked at the scene before her, and snorted, and looked at them expectantly. "Uh..." "Um..." were all Ryan and Marissa could say. "I fell..." he started.
"And I helped him up," Marissa finished. Theresa gave them a 'right' look, but kept her mouth shut. "What are you doing back?" Ryan asked, trying to ease up the tension, and change the subject.
"I forgot my backpack," Maddy explained, still eyeing them suspiciously.
Ryan eyed the living room and spotted the pinkest thing in the room and went over there and picked it up, and walked over to Maddy and handed it to her. Kneeling down in front of her, he looked her in the eye, he started to speak. "Are you okay?"
"Can I stay with you?" she asked hopefully. Ryan looked up at Theresa, who bent down and picked her up. "No, we should just leave your Daddy and Marissa..." she said with a smirk, "to catch up." Ryan and Marissa both glared daggers her way.
"I'll see you later, okay?" he confirmed and took Madison from Theresa's arms and hugged her. "Don't cry, you're a big girl," he comforted. She sniffled a few more times, but hugged Ryan back, and wriggled out of his arms and ran down the stairs.
"Well, get back to whatever you were doing," Theresa said sarcastically.
"Theresa..." Ryan warned.
"No, really, I mean it Ryan, excuse me while I go take care of 'my' daughter"," she added evilly. Ryan was pissed now, "Theresa..." he trembled.
"Whatever Ryan, I'll see you today," and turned around, but than turned back, "Don't be late, 'cuz I'm not gonna do it if you're not there," and than chased after Maddy.
Ryan went and slammed the door, scaring Marissa. "Damn it!" he yelled as he pounded his fist against the door. Marissa flinched from the noise and moved for the first time during the conversation, and slowly walked up to Ryan, who was cursing the door. She was afraid, but knew he would soften up eventually, but could never be too cautious. "Hey, hey," she said soothingly, "It's okay," and winded her arms around his neck and pulled him back from the door and into her arms. He didn't cry, but hugged her tightly.
"Why does this always happen?" he choked out.
"Why does what always happen?"
"Nothing ever goes right in my life."
Marissa's comforting frown turned into a sad frown, and she fought to keep her tears back. "I'm gonna go get dressed," he told her, leavingher embrace, and went into the bedroom to go get dressed. Marissa sighed and sadly followed.
--
The car ride to Chino had been very silent for Ryan and Marissa. She had her legs crossed, looking distantly out the window, while Ryan looked over at her constantly. He knew what he had said earlier had hurt her, but there was no way to make up for it. "Hey," he said softly, trying to get her attention.
"Hmm?" she replied, still looking out the window. He swallowed as the 'Welcome to Chino' sign came up, as did she. She waited for him to say something, but he looked intently at the road, watching for any speed bumps or pedestrians. Once they were 'safely' in some of the more secluded roads, Ryan took his gaze off the road and focused it on Marissa. "Hey," he said once again.
"Hmm?" she repeated, her attention still out the window.
He took his hand away from the stick shift and reached over to her hand and grabbed hers in his own, slowly at first, but than tightly as he moved it back on top of stick shift. "I didn't mean what I said today," he started out.
She twisted her head so she was facing him, her elbow leaning on the window rest, and her head in her palm. "Don't regret anything, okay?" she told him.
"But that's-" his voice rose, and than he softened up a little, "but that's just the thing, I do."
Marissa cut him off, "Do you regret sleeping with me?" Ryan took his focus from the road, and let it rest on hers. "No," he shook his head. "Than why do you regret this?"
"Because I didn't mean it."
"But you did mean to sleep with me?" she questioned.
"Yes, I mean no, now I'm confused," he admitted.
"Ryan, I regret a lot of things in my life, small things, when I was younger, being friends with certain people, things like that, and than when I was older, I regretted more mature things, but the thing I regret most was losing you," she told him.
"You didn't lose me," he defended.
"Yes, I did. I distanced myself from you, and now look where that got you."
"Marissa..." he started, "don't blame yourself."
"I don't. I blame you."
Ryan looked surprised, and shocked by her words.
"I'm not the one who slept with Theresa. I, for one can control my raging hormones, and not sleep with the first thing that pops out," she continued. Ryan looked even more surprised. "But like you said that day to me, you wish you could take it back, and I wish I could take it back, so let's just leave the past behind us," she finished.
"A few hours ago was not the past!" he yelled, pulling over to a small brick house.
"The past was a minute ago!" she yelled back.
He sighed before continuing, "Look," he stated and looked her in the eye. "I didn't mean what I said," he defended.
"Than why did you say it?"
"It was just a spur of the moment thing." Pause. "I love you!" he said bluntly.
"What?" asked a confused Marissa. "That makes absolutely no sense!"
"It was just spur of the moment!" he explained.
"Did you mean it?" she challenged.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it!" he explained, still yelling.
"Exactly!" Marissa pointed out. He rolled his eyes and put the car back in drive, and started driving again. "Why does everything become so complicated for us?" he questioned Marissa. She shrugged her shoulders and crept her hand over to his, which was lying on the stick shift and lay smoothly on top of his. He let out a small smile and intertwined their fingers. "I love you too," she told him.
"Spur of the moment?" he asked with a grin. She grinned back. "I love you too," he said, "I didn't mean what--" Marissa cut him off, "I know"; she said sweetly and leaned on him.
Ryan finally pulled up to a small house, but definitely the best kept house on the block, it had a presentable look with a well kept roof, and lawn, and even stained glass windows. Stained glass windows? Eddie? They both thought. They already saw silver Mercedes parked in the driveway, so Ryan pulled up behind it.
"Ready?" he asked. Marissa nodded and let go of his hand and opened the door, as Ryan got out as well, and went over to her side, escorting her out with his hand. She squeezed his hand as they made their way to the door, and Ryan hesitantly rang the doorbell and flattened out his shirt as Marissa did the same with her skirt. Ryan wore khaki pants and a navy blue button down with his black boots, while Marissa wore another knee length black skirt with some sort of white appliqué and a matching white sweater and sandals.
Eddie came to the door; obviously confused of what was going on. "Hey Ryan, Marissa," he greeted.
"Hi Eddie," Ryan greeted, shaking his hand, as did Marissa. He welcomed them in, as they looked around the place, admiring Eddie's sense of style.
He had to be living with his mom. T
heresa stood up, as Maddy greeted Ryan with a hug. "You're here!" she yelled happily. "I told you I would," he told her.
"Hi Marissa!" she greeted. Marissa smiled at the little girl's excitement, "Hey Maddy," she greeted back.
"Ryan," Theresa greeted coldly,
"Theresa," he greeted back.
"Marissa," she acknowledged.
"Theresa," Marissa acknowledged her.
"Eddie! Okay, Eddie here and would really like to know what's going on," Eddie explained as he pointed to himself.
"Eddie? Honey? What are two Mercedes doing in our driveway, did you win the lottery?" a woman's voice called out as she came into view into the living room and hugged Eddie from behind; once she noticed 4 other people staring at her, she pulled back. She had fiery red hair, pale skin, and a doctor's smock on that fit her small body perfectly.
"Uh, everyone? This is my wife, Allison. Allison, this is Theresa, Maddy, Ryan and Marissa," he introduced everyone.
Different versions of 'hi' were heard as they looked around awkwardly. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you guys doing here?" Eddie asked. The other 3 adults looked at each other than back at Eddie.
Theresa sighed, and picked up Maddy, who was playing with the coaster on the wooden coffee table, and held her in her arms. "Maddy..." she hesitated, "Maddy is your daughter".
"What?!" he practically screamed.
"What?!" a surprised Allison asked.
Maddy dropped the coaster she was playing with, as the words replayed in her head over and over again. Once they made sense, "What?!" she screamed, clueless as Eddie and Allison.
A/N- Well my lovely reviewers, I leave you with yet another cliffhanger. Fun! Fun! Fun! It wasn't really an eventful chapter, except the ending, but next chapter will be longer, this one is particularly short. I might have some SS, but you'll see how I incorporate everyone into it. So, next...Reactions! Any ideas? Let me know...