A Place In the Sun
22
Ryan walked into SOS and went straight for the bar, ordered himself a drink and stared into it.
''Life treating you that bad?'' Hayley asked, sitting next to him.
''Hey Hayley, how're you doing?''
''I'm doing great.''
''Things with you and Mateo?''
''Better than ever. Ryan, he went to visit Joanna. We had a great talk about it all the other day.''
''Really? Wow, that's great for you two.''
''Now back to you since you're avoiding the subject a little.''
''Nothing's going on.''
''Which is probably the main problem.''
''How'd you guess?''
''Let me take another guess: Gillian.''
''You got it,'' he said, turning the other direction.
Hayley got out of her seat and walked behind Ryan, sitting in the seat on the other side of him.
''Do you want to talk about it?''
''Not really.''
''Well I figured as much. You're not involved at all with Tracy anymore, are you?''
''No, haven't spoken to her in weeks. Don't care to either, the only woman I want to be with is Gillian.''
''But she doesn't want to be with you? That's crazy, Ryan. She's holding back, she has to be.''
''What do you know?'' he asked her.
''I was over at Wildwind the other day, taking Sam home, she was there and she was talking with Dimitri. I didn't hear their whole conversation or anything, but I heard your name.''
''Doesn't mean anything,'' he said, flatly.
''Ryan, what happened? Didn't you see her a couple of nights ago?''
''Yeah, I did.''
''So?''
''I don't understand her, Hayley. I don't get it.''
''Get what?''
''I used to know her inside out, now I don't know what she's going to do from one second to the next.''
''What'd she do?''
''Hayley, we spent all night together, all night. Then when we woke up in the morning, she flipped out. She said she couldn't do it and she wanted me to leave.''
''Wow…''
''So the past few days I've been just driving and walking around trying to make sense of it.''
''Look who just walked in…''
Gillian crossed to a table and looked over a menu.
She looked up to see that Ryan had taken the seat across from her.
''I've been wanting to talk to you,'' he said.
''Ry-Ryan, I can explain.''
''No, it's okay.''
''No, it is all my fault.''
''What do you mean?''
''I haven't been honest with you…the reason I acted the way I did is because I have been keeping something from you.''
''What, Princess?''
''Ryan, we have a daughter.''
''Hi, my name is Tracy, what can I get for you today?'' Tracy asked her.
Gillian sat up straight, startled, realizing that she was in fact alone at the table.
''I'll just have a coke.''
Tracy wrote down her order and looked around before going back to the back room.
She picked up the phone and dialed quickly.
''Hey, I just thought you'd like to know she's here at SOS.''
Tyler walked into the ER with a pained look on his face, his hands crossed holding his chest.
Julia, who was at the computer, saw him and rushed to his side.
''What's wrong? What happened?'' she asked.
''Well, Nurse, I've got this pain in my chest and it's just not going away,'' he smiled.
''Then we better take a look at you right away!'' she said, catching on, guiding him to an exam room.
He lay down on the bed and looked up at her with wide eyes.
''What is the pain like?''
''It's this empty ache.''
''And when did the symptoms begin?''
''I guess a few days ago. At first it only hurt a little bit, and it just got worse and worse.''
''Have you been under the influence of any drugs?''
''Only love,'' he smiled.
She put on a stethoscope and listened to his chest. ''Wow, your heart is racing.''
''It does tend to do that at certain times.''
''Like when?''
''When I'm in the presence of a certain person. Do you think the pain has to do with her?''
''Well, when's the last time you've seen her?''
''Three days or so?''
''About the time the symptoms began?''
''As a matter of fact, yes.''
''Hmmm…''
''So what's the bottom line, am I going to live?''
''I think so. And the treatment is very very simple.''
''Yeah?''
''I think you just need one of these,'' she said, kissing him.
''Wow, I think it's working.''
''Maybe another,'' she kissed him again.
''One more?''
She smiled and did as he asked.
''Where have you been?'' Anita asked as Bobby walked into the apartment.
''Work,'' he said, hanging his coat in the closet.
''You didn't tell me you had to go in today.''
''Yes, I did tell you. Last night at dinner.''
''I don't remember that.''
''Well, I did tell you.''
''What are we going to do tonight?''
''We are not going to do anything. At least until I'm finished all the work I brought home.''
''Can't it wait?''
''No, Anita.''
''All you ever do practically is work.''
''One of us has to make some money to support us.''
''What are you trying to say?''
''What I'm trying to say is that if you're going to spend money the way you do, you should find yourself a job.''
Anita gave him a pouty look. ''What about this weekend?''
''I thought we were going to your sister's engagement party.''
''Oh, you're actually going to go?''
''Why wouldn't I?''
''You're not staying with Kelsey to watch Sam and Maddie or something like that that you're always doing?''
''Geez, Anita, you act like I spend every waking moment with her, you know that we're just friends. And yes, Kelsey is going to be at the party, which I know was going to be your next question.''
''Why? What interest does she have in being there?''
''Rosa invited her. Sounds like a good enough reason to me.''
''You would think that with everything she did to this family that they'd want nothing to do with her.''
''She's changed, Anita, and you just refuse to see that. Kelsey's grown up a lot since we graduated high school; maybe you should do the same.''
Anita stared at him in shock.
''I've gotta go.''
''You just got home. You said you have work to do.''
''I just remembered that I told Opal I'd go visit her tonight.''
''Well I'll come with you.''
''Anita…'' he said shaking his head and putting his coat back on. He walked out without another word.