Title: A Risky Evening

Summary: An evening with Ryan and family after the Pseudo-Charity Non-Yard Sale. (Missing scene / episode tag for 2.18 The Risky Business.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C. No profit is taken from this story.

Ryan sat on the lounge chair next to the pool, playing with his tie and watching Marissa through the glass doors of the pool house change into casual clothes and pack up to go home. Ryan smiled to himself briefly. Well, actually, he didn't get to watch her change. She did that out of sight in the bathroom, unfortunately.

After he had walked in on her changing her shirt on Friday evening and got a glimpse of her breasts for a split second before she covered up, he couldn't stop thinking about her out there in the pool house, right there, right within reach. And she'd been so amazing about Trey these past ten days since he got here. It wasn't just Trey's snoring that kept Ryan awake at 6 O'clock in the morning on a Saturday, and there was a reason why he slept without a shirt that night...

Ryan sighed and looked back out over the dark ocean. Trey. If his mind wasn't so preoccupied with being upset and disappointed in Trey, he might have been able to enjoy watching Marissa more. He might have even been able to be upset at Julie for interrupting his sexually charged moment with Marissa back there a few minutes ago. Ryan sighed again and stared at the ocean, lost in thought.

Before he knew it, Marissa stepped in front of him, carrying her bags, ready to go. He looked up at her. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm going to wait for my mother out front, if you want to come..." Ryan shook his head a little. "Or I can wait here with you..."

Ryan gave her a sad smile. "No, that's OK. Thanks, by the way, for today, and everything..."

Marissa smiled back. "You're welcome. Try to give Trey another chance, OK?"

Ryan just grunted noncommittally. Marissa patted him comfortingly on the shoulder, then headed into the house. Ryan turned to watch her until she was out of sight, then he looked over at the pool house.

Ryan knew that Sandy and Kirsten preferred that Trey stay in the pool house and him in the guest room, but the pool house was empty now and Trey was already upstairs in the guest room. Maybe they wouldn't be too upset if they switched, just for tonight, since Trey was leaving in the morning. Ryan wanted his pool house back and he didn't want to go inside to the guest room and run into Trey, although he had to head up there some time tonight if he wanted to get his stuff. He hadn't brought much stuff up there, most of it was still in the pool house, but some of his stuff he was going to need, like his school books. But for now, Ryan could live without them.

Ryan got up and walked into the pool house. He closed the doors and pulled down the blinds. After changing out of his suit into comfortable clothes, Ryan lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about Trey. He couldn't even enjoy the fact that he was lying on sheets that Marissa had just used for the last two days and still smelled like her. It was going to be a long night.

Ryan was roused out of his thoughts some time later by a knock on the pool house door, followed immediately by someone coming in. It was Sandy.

"Hey, kid, dinner's ready."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Ryan didn't want to go inside the house and run into Trey, if he could avoid it.

"Well, come in anyway, even if you don't each much. I'd like us all to have a family dinner. Come on, it's Trey's last night..."

Ryan hesitated. If he refused, Sandy would be more suspicious than he already was about what happened today. So far, Sandy had been content to leave it alone, with just the knowledge that he and Seth had been up to something, something having to do with Trey. He didn't want to give Sandy an excuse to give him the third degree about their activities.

Ryan signed and nodded. "Yeah, OK, I'll be in in a minute."

Sandy smiled. "Great."

Sandy started to leave.

"Um..."

Sandy stopped, turned around, and looked at Ryan expectantly.

"Is it OK if I stay here tonight and Trey takes the guest room? I know you wanted it the other way –"

"No, that's fine."

Ryan gave Sandy a little smile. "Thanks."

After Sandy left, Ryan took a moment to brace himself to face Trey across the dinner table. Well, just because they were at the same table, didn't mean that he had to talk to him...

By the time Ryan made it into the kitchen, everyone else was sitting at the kitchen table, including Trey. Luckily, the empty seat they left for Ryan wasn't next to Trey. As he sat down, Ryan wondered if Seth or Trey had arranged it that way, knowing that Ryan wouldn't want to be any closer to Trey than he had to be. Ryan avoided everyone's eyes, especially Trey's, and just started eating, or rather picking at his food.

Ryan participated as little as possible in the dinnertime conversation, and he could tell that it was strained, even among the rest of the family. A quick glimpse of Sandy and Kirsten let him know that they knew something was up between him and Trey, and Ryan was grateful when they didn't ask about it. When the dinner was finally, mercifully, over, Ryan put his dishes in the dishwasher and was about to head out to the pool house when Seth's voice stopped him.

"Hey, man, how about some playstation?"

Ryan studied Seth for a moment. He looked like he desperately wanted things to go back to normal. But they couldn't. Not yet.

"No, thanks, not tonight."

Trey jumped in. "I'll play."

Ryan looked at Trey, who was watching Seth expectantly, waiting for his answer. Trey also looked like he wanted things to go back to normal, if not with Ryan, then maybe with Seth. After a moment's hesitation, and a quick non-verbal check with Ryan that it was OK, Seth nodded to Trey, who broke out in a smile and headed over to the couch in the family room. After exchanging a final look with Ryan, Seth followed him.

Ryan sighed and watched Seth and Trey start up the game and start playing, as if nothing had happened today. After a moment, Ryan became aware of Sandy and Kirsten watching him, concerned. Before they got a chance to ask him anything, Ryan quickly left the kitchen and headed up to the guest room. Since Trey was downstairs, Ryan figured now was a good time for him to go up and get his stuff.

After getting his things together, Ryan sat down on the guest room bed. He looked at the mirror and remembered how he had helped Trey with his tie earlier that day, before the yard sale, when things were still going good between them. He should have known that it couldn't last. Trey was trouble. That's just how it was, how it had always been. He should have stuck with his first instinct when Trey had called out of the blue asking Ryan to pick him up from jail – pick him up, drop him off wherever he was staying, and then leave.

Ryan sighed. Seth and Marissa and Sandy and Kirsten just didn't get it. They didn't know Trey. Ryan did. Ryan had a lifetime of dealing with him. Trey wasn't somebody to be trusted. Ryan couldn't count all the times that Trey had let him down, betrayed his trust. All the times that Ryan had to clean up after Trey's mess.

Ryan stood up and headed out of the guest room. Well, Trey was leaving tomorrow, so, good, he'd be out of Ryan's life, just the way he liked it. Ryan walked out to the pool house through the living room, avoiding Trey who was still in the family room playing video games with Seth. If Ryan was lucky, he wouldn't have to see Trey at all before he left in the morning.

That was what was best for everyone, right?

The End