A/N: Ok, no one guessed the movie reference in the last chapter. It was a phrase from the movie 'Garden State' and it was "the endless abyss". Anyway, we're heading towards the end of this fic. I'll dedicate the next chapter to whoever can tell me what books Elspeth and Meg are from. And just to clarify, Jimmy left for Japan in the second season, not Hawaii. This chapter is dedicated to my bestest bud, Emma and JESSA for being such a great reviewer.

Disclaimer: I do not own the OC- I'm just overly obsessed and write stories about it.


"You have to tell her. If you don't, you'll break her heart,"

"It was never mine to break"

"Bullshit Ryan! It's been yours to break ever since she saw you at the end of that fucking driveway."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, all I'm going to tell you it this. Lindsay doesn't love you.

"Excuse me?"

"Chino," said Summer, "You've never had her heart because there was never enough room. Marissa loves you. With all her heart. She gave her heart to you, so you're where her heart is. And you will be for eternity. And she'll wait for you just as long. I know it was like she stopped waiting with the whole DJ thing, but she thought you'd left her for good-"

"But,"

"-To fight the dragon all by herself. So she tried to get over you. That's all it was, she was on the rebound. And then you came back and she'd built up a fortress around the void. The void where her heart used to be, before you left with it-"

"I didn't!"

"-And now there's nothing to fill the void, not even her heart. But by going on what that note said, she does have your heart, only she doesn't know it. I'm not even sure you knew you had it. And wherever your heart is, is where you want to spend eternity. Just make sure you start eternity with the right person."


Ryan called Lindsay's house.

"Hello, Renee speaking,"

"Hi, its Ryan here, could I please speak to Lindsay?"

"Sure, I'll just get her for you,"

Ryan waited nervously on the other end of the phone. He had no idea what he was doing. Was he calling to declare his everlasting love for Lindsay or break up with her?

Break up! Cha-cha-cha! Break up! Cha-cha-cha!

Shut up!

"Hello?"

What am I doing?

What are you doing? SAY SOMETHING!

I can't do this

Why not? You can't not!

Why?

You don't love her! The relationship would be hurting you and her if you kept it going.

It hasn't so far.

HA! So you admit it! I WAS RIGHT! You were in love with Marissa all along!

I thought we already established that. But I can't break up with her. She thinks I love her. You don't break up with people you love.

You have to.

I do, don't I? But I can't do it over the phone. She deserves to be told face to face.

You and your chivalry…

"Hey Lindsay, its Ryan"

"Hi Ryan! -"

"Listen I really need to talk to you. Can you meet me at the pier in an hour?"

"Ah…sure"

"Great, bye"


Why in an hour?

I need to tell Marissa

His heart gave the equivalent of and proud smile.

I'm writing her a letter she'll know is for her.

Let's get started then.

Dear Marissa, my princess,

I'm sorry I've been in such denial. I love you. So much. My love for you surpasses the size of the universe. You're my other half, my Elspeth, my Meg, my princess. Summer gave me some very good advice today, advice my heart has been trying to give me for a long time. I kept trying to have my happily ever after in the middle of the story, start my eternity with the wrong girl. You've always been stronger than me. You fought for me and kept fighting. And you loved me. Loved me enough to make sure I had happiness, even if it was at the expense of your own.

I'm braver now. Brave enough to out down in words how I feel. To tell you that I've always loved you. You are my only one, the one I live for, my soul mate. You have my heart and I want my happily ever after to be with you. I only hope I'm not too late. Not to late to be your white knight in shining armour, your prince. I love you. Forever and for eternity. You had me from hello, and you'll have me 'til goodbye.

My heart, Ryan


Ryan walked up to Seth's room and knocked on the door. He heard the muffled sounds of Seth and Summer scrambling round and finally Seth answered the door.

"Hey man,"

"Hey, is Summer there? I need to ask her something."

"Right here Chino,"

"Can you give this to Marissa? Like nowish? She really needs to read it before I get back,"

"Sure," said Summer looking curiously at the light blue envelope Ryan had given her.

"Where're you going?"

"To tell someone my heart's already taken."


It wasn't a sunny or glorious Newport day. It was one with winds that were cold, a day which promised rain in the night. It was Marissa's favourite kind of day.

Flashback

It was the day after her father had moved to Japan to be with Hailey. She sat on the couch, bagel in hand, curled up in her father's college jersey. Seth and the Cohen's had gone somewhere, she couldn't remember where. Ryan sat down next to her on the couch, throwing a blanket over both of them.

"So what do you want to watch? Moulin Rouge? The Notebook? Or do you want a funny movie? How about Monty Python and the Holy Grail?"

"I'm fine, whatever you want to watch,"

"Come on, cheer up! Now you have an excuse to go to Japan. Very good shopping I hear." Marissa smiled at Ryan's attempt to cheer her up.

"Even though I grew up in Newport I do actually like to do things besides shopping,"

"Yeah, like tanning, waxing…" He caught her very unamused look

"Right, Summer can kill me for you, got it," She managed a small smile and he grinned back. They sat in silence and Marissa's mood seemed to sink.

"Ok, I know how to cheer you up. But you cannot tell ANYONE I did this alright? I'm putting my dignity on the line for you,"

"Ok, I won't tell," Marissa promised curiously. Ryan turned on the PS2 and put in a CD. The first bars of 'Save it for a Rainy Day' by the Jayhawks floated through the speakers. And Ryan started singing.

"Pretty little hair-do don't do what it used to

Can't disguise the living

All the miles that we've been through

Looking like a train wreck

Wearing too much makeup

The burden that you carry

Is more than one soul could ever bare

Don't look so sad, Marina

There's another part to play"

He sang. She was smiling at him form the couch. A smile that lit up her whole face. He wasn't a bad singer.

"Don't look so sad, Marissa

Save it for a rainy day

Save it for a rainy day

Save it for a rainy day

You never make your mind up

Like driving with your eyes shut

Rough around the edges

Won't someone come and take you home

Waiting for a breakthrough

What will you set your mind to?

We stood outside the Chinese restaurant in the rain

Don't look so sad, Marissa

There's another part to play

Don't look so sad, Marissa

Save it for a rainy day

Save it for a rainy day

Save it for a rainy day"

They both burst out laughing as he ended the song. He pulled her up from the couch and hugged her.

"It's going to be ok,"

"I know." She whispered back

End Flashback

Someone knocked on her door, and a blue envelope was pushed under the door. Her name was scrawled across the front in very familiar writing.


The pier was almost deserted. No one in Newport liked days that didn't result in a tan. Lindsay stood at the end, tapping her foot and looking at her watch. Ryan watched her for a moment, wondering how she could be so impatient. He loved the occasional days when the sky was grey and the surf was huge, he loved to stand in the biting wind watching it. He walked towards her.

"Lindsay," she turned and threw her arms around him, pressing her lips against his. He stepped away, leaving space between them. She seemed unfazed by this cold greeting.

"Marissa dropped off the note. It was beautiful. You have my heart too,"

"No I don't,"

"What do you mean? I love you, and I'm choosing to give my heart to you," She said, her plain face wrinkling with confusion.

"You can't choose who gets your heart Lindsay. Your heart chooses that for you,"

"Mine chose you then,"

"It can't of, there was no room,"

"What? Ryan you're not making sense," she said in a tone that people used to explain things to toddlers.

"Lindsay, I'm sorry, but that note wasn't for you. You don't have my heart. You're not my princess. I'm really sorry, but I don't love you."

"Well who the hell was it for! You told me you loved me before that stupid note! You- you lied!"

"I never said I loved you, that was your assumption. The note was for the person who has my heart, my princess," said Ryan, finally admitting to himself Lindsay wasn't his princess.

"Oh. Well how could it be my bloody assumption? When someone says 'I love you' it's usually pretty safe to assume they actually do!"

"I never said 'I love you' Lindsay, and I'm really sorry I couldn't say it. But I think it's better if we don't see each other anymore," Ryan said quietly

"Goodbye." He said, turning and walking away from an annoyed looking Lindsay


Yes! Princess: a gazillion billion million trillion. Lindsay: ZERO

You're not biased at all.

You know what to do know, don't you? Because if you don't-

I know, I'm going to see her.