A/N- Thank you guys so much for the reviews! They mean so much to me, and it's great knowing that people are reading this. Here is the eighth chapter…this one is almost like a montage of scenes that will advance the plot in further chapters to come. I really hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8
It seemed like eternity that they had been sitting on the edge of the bed together, complete silence filling the room. There was nothing he could think to say to make either of them feel better. The colors around them had faded into a muddy haze, and the sound of the opening door barely resonated with them.
"Marissa…"
Julie stepped into the pool house, overcompensating for the news with her apologetic voice. But her daughter didn't answer. She just stared at her mother with the numb sadness that traced a film across her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Marissa."
The only response was a faint humming from the radiator.
"You know this is what's for the best. It's the only way we can make this family work."
Marissa shut her eyes softly and stood up. She stayed in front of her mother, trying to process a response. But nothing would be appropriate. Instead, her arms crossed tightly around each other, and she walked towards the empty bathroom. Ryan's numb heart began to fill with rage and animosity towards the person who was tearing them apart.
"I know what you're going to say," she began defensively.
"What's that?"
He didn't have anything to say to her.
"Ryan. You know, after what just happened…it's not stable for her to live in Newport anymore."
"This isn't about Marissa. You and I both know that."
"What are you talking about?" she questioned, a lump growing in her throat.
"If it was about Marissa you'd listen to what she wanted, instead of making decisions based on your own life agenda!"
"Ryan. When she was wrecking her life in that apartment with Alex, you convinced her to move back home. You knew that's what she needed."
"That-that was different."
"Why? Because she wasn't with you? So you mean when you don't want to be involved in her life it's okay for me to make decisions for my own family..."
Ryan's face became tinted with a fuming red. He tried to suppress the anger in his voice, but it bounced off the walls like venom.
"Get out."
She stayed frozen for a second, and then turned to leave, refusing to look at his face. As the glass door shut softly behind her, the bathroom door swung open, revealing a tear stained Marissa. She walked hesitantly towards him, while he rushed towards her, bringing her into his arms. Her body shook silently against his as time froze once again and let them be.
XXXX
"I think this is becoming some sort of ritual," Seth began. "Taking walks down the beach when we have to say goodbye to someone."
The four friends walked through the sand, letting its moist crystals cool the soles of their feet. They had left the Cohen's as soon as possible, and were silently absorbing the pangs of sadness that shot through them. It was too much like last year-the part that destroyed them. Devastation rang through the almost invisible grey clouds.
Marissa looked up at the dark sky, and then to Ryan. Her feet brought her to the very edge of the shore, where the dampened sand meets the water. She felt her eyes glaze over, and didn't try to stop it. His hand reached her shoulder, and she felt her body tremble under its gentle touch.
Tonight we're the sea and the rhythm there... The waves and the wind, the night is black…
He stepped next to her and looked down at her hand. Her fingers trembled gently against the side of her leg. He rested the back of his hand on hers, willing her to take it. She could feel his questioning eyes, his desperate hope, and she put her fingers in his.
They looked out to the endless ocean, hand in hand, waiting, as their hearts were driven deep beneath the sea.
The door swung open at around ten in the morning, bringing Ryan Atwood and Julie Cooper face to face. Neither of their favorite way to start the day. He glared with hatred blazed into his eyes, waiting to be let in.
"What are you doing here?"
Unwilling to put up wit her spiteful interrogations, he allowed himself into the airy mansion.
"What do you think?" He scowled quietly, rushing passed her to the stairs.
"Don't you think it's best that you two distance yourselves a little? Marissa needs to learn how to live independently."
A hint of her old villainous tone sneaked into her voice.
"Meaning, without you."
Ryan sighed heavily, trying to suppress the boiling desire to say something he would regret. He gritted his teeth inside his mouth and continued to walk up the stairs.
"Don't you dare…"
"Try and stop me."
Julie was taken aback by his persistence, and by the fuming look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't letting up. After she silently succumbed, Ryan continued uninterrupted to Marissa's room.
He stepped over the threshold, his eyes grazing over the seemingly vacant area. Her presence wasn't visible, and Ryan started to get anxious. He scanned the room once more, hoping she in the bathroom. But as his eyes crossed from one wall to the other, he noticed a shapely figure underneath the burgundy comforter. Relieved, Ryan walked over to her and gently patted her covered body.
"Marissa?" He spoke softly. "Marissa…"
His hand shook her gently, and she withdrew the blanket from over her head. A smile naturally formed across his face as he watched her squint into the oppressive daylight. She seemed to be fading out of her subconscious state, and it took her a few more seconds than usual to register his presence.
"Ryan?"
"Hey," he said sweetly.
She pushed herself up to a sitting position, the sheets rolling down to her waist. His eyes immediately fell upon the upper half of her body, which was exposed in a lacy pink nightgown. She smiled at his unwavering concentration and pulled the covers back over her chest. Ryan returned her smile with the same shy grin, realizing he held his gaze for too long.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"About a quarter after ten. I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to do something
or-"
"Marissa…"
Julie barged into the room without bothering to apologize. In fact, she knew very well that she was interrupting something, which was quite clearly her intention.
"You're father and I are leaving in thirty minutes. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"
"I'm not ten, mom. Besides, if it gets lonely I can always go to the Cohen's."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, sweetheart."
She paused, taking in the two hateful faces that stared at her own.
"I mean, with Kirsten gone, Sandy has a lot on his plate right now. I wouldn't want to impose on him."
Neither of them bought the excuse, and they let it show in their disbelieving eyes. Julie hesitated, unsure of how to react to the situation. She knew that they were both too intelligent to fall for any of her further tactics, so instead she thought a sweet gesture was the most fitting response. Making her way to the large four post bed, she leaned over and kissed her daughter gingerly on the cheek. Her small smile towards Ryan went unreturned, and she walked to the door proudly, hiding her understood defeat.
"We'll call you with the hotel number when we get there."
After failing to elicit a response from either of them, she smiled slightly and turned down the hallway.
"Where is she going?"
Marissa, now fully awake, shed the blankets from her body and stood up from bed. She walked over to the closet, avoiding Ryan's eyes as she answered the question. His stare fell once more on her barely clothed body, this time her entire figure teasing his presence. She thumbed through the rack of clothes and answered, her back turned to him.
"To look at houses."
"Where are they looking?" he replied somewhat absent-mindedly.
She unhooked a soft blue blouse from a hanger, letting the plethora of fabrics absorb her muffled voice.
"Napa Valley…"
Ryan was still distracted by her body, and the words registered slowly in his mind. Eventually, they resonated with him, hitting his conscience in full force.
"Wait- what?"
She turned around, witnessing the shock that overtook his face.
"But that's like…ten hours away."
"I think that's the point," she replied quietly.
Marissa watched his heart wrench in front of her, and it became unbearable. It was exactly how she was feeling.
"I'm gonna go take a shower. But then we can talk, about today?"
"Yeah, no, right," he answered distractedly.
Ryan fell back onto her bed as she stepped into the bathroom. His head turned to the side of her pillow, taking in her scent. It was unimaginable that soon he would no longer be able to smell her sweet aroma, and it would fade from his memory as the distance between them prolonged. He was scared to lose it, to lose her. Even when they weren't a couple, her presence was enough to bind them together. The thought of her fading into memories shattered his heart.
When she came out of the bathroom, Ryan felt a relief sweep over his body. He couldn't take the space between them, knowing only that it would soon be permanent. Her wet hair was dripping down her skin, making her natural beauty irresistible to him. He propped himself up against the headboard and she sat next to him on the edge of the bed.
"Why don't you come with me to the Cohen's?"
She hesitated, unsure of what he was asking.
"I mean, while your parents are gone…"
Marissa let her eyelids flutter shut with discomfort. She didn't want to leave him, but if they spent the rest of her days in Newport together, it would make moving even harder.
"Ryan….I don't know, I just think-"
"What?"
"You know that if…if we spend this time together…"
Her voice cracked in a soft undertone as her eyes began to fill with salty water.
"It's just going make everything harder."
"How the hell could it get any harder?"
The anger in his voice shot through her, and she quickly diverted her eyes to the blanket.
"Marissa…I-"
He pushed himself forward, his forehead coming close to hers. His voice dropped to a whisper as he felt the words coming out of his mouth.
"I don't want to lose you. Not-not again."
Their eyes became caught up in each other's, lost in the moment of passion. An overwhelming intensity brought their mouths together, her head falling under the touch of his hungry lips. They felt it with the same power as their first kiss, and approached it like it was their last. His hand cupped her cheek gently as the momentum gathered inside their hearts. The first rush of passion reached its climax, and they separated, concentrated unwaveringly on the other one's mouth. Exhaling, he bumped his forehead onto hers and took a lock of her wavy hair in his hand. The dampness rubbed off onto his thumb, and he let his fingers circulate tenderly around the strands. He felt her heavy breath on his face, and glided his free hand towards the warm skin underneath her shirt. The friction between his fingertips and her back sent echoes of intensity through their bodies. He caught her lips in his as his hand began to undress her, moving seamlessly over her skin.
He continued to deepen the kiss, and she responded with a gracious sweep of her lips against his. But her fingers began to drum rapidly against the mattress, her conscience conflicted by the heat of the moment verses the hesitation pounding in her brain. His lips brushed against her neck, taking in the softness of her skin.
"Mmm…wait, wait…"
He stopped immediately, and looked up at her, his breath short and heaving. After a sustained pause, she stood up hastily and took a step back.
"This isn't fair…You can't do this to me…"
She panted anxiously and rushed out of the room, leaving him alone and completely flustered on her bed.
The door closed behind her, and she let a heavy sigh sink through the narrow hallway. If she stayed there, Ryan would never leave her room an attempt to avoid an awkward confrontation. So she rushed to the stairs, her feet echoing heavily against the high ceilings.
XXXX
She thrust the keys into the ignition, desperate to escape from the haunted mansion. The car swerved violently onto the main road, picking up speed with every rapid heart beat that pounded inside her chest. She needed to talk to someone who would understand what was going on, someone who would listen fully and comfort her stirring heart.
XXXX
"Sorry, I didn't have time to go to the drugstore today!"
Summer's irritated voice rang through the room, hoping to ward off her evil step mom. But to her dismay, the doorknob began to twist.
"Picking up painkillers for the step monster?"
She was relieved to see a sane and botox-free Marissa standing in the doorway and paused the soft voice that sounded from her stereo.
"She wants to try this new homeopathic medicine…It's like, natural, and less trippy."
"Right, well, if it works tell her to give me call," Marissa joked lightly.
"Woah, Coop." The look of alarm on her face transcribed into her voice. "Remember what happened last time I left you with my step mom's painkillers?"
"Yeah, I know," she replied glumly, taking a seat on the edge of her friend's bed.
"Marissa…"
Concern echoed through her best friend's voice.
"What happened?"
Summer took sat down next to her, searching her face with intentness. She watched as Marissa paused, the thoughts beginning to form coherently on her face.
"It's with Ryan…"
"Couldn't have guessed that."
"We were in my room, and I don't know, I just sort of stormed off on him…"
"Why? What'd he do? I swear I will shrink all of his wife beaters and make him walk around
na-"
"He told me he couldn't lose me again."
"Oh."
"And then, we were kissing and I…I don't know…I can't stay-"
A sob broke out of her last word and she was pulled into her friend's embrace.
"Oh, sweetie…" she whispered consolingly.
"I don't want to go…"
Her body shook in her friend's arms as she let pounds of built up emotion pour out onto her shoulder.
"I know. But you can't avoid him. Marissa, you should spend this time with him, because when you move, there's gonna be something coming between your relationship that can't be fixed. But right now, the only thing that's creating the distance is you."
The uncomfortable realization had been floating around inside of her since she walked out of her bedroom. Once again, she was coming in between them. She blamed herself for having to leave, for complicating his life. But Summer was right. Two years of memories were shelled up inside of her heart…one more week wouldn't make saying goodbye any easier.
"You should talk to him."
Marissa offered a small, appreciative smile.
"I know. I will."
She walked to the door, but a sudden trivial curiosity stopped her from leaving.
"Oh, by the way…what were you listening to before?"
"My audiotape of Excuse Me, Your life is Waiting. Have you read it yet?"
"Umm…I've been kind of busy."
"Okay, so I confess. I never really read it either. Just listened."
"And here I was thinking Summer Roberts was capable of reading an actual book!"
Summer smirked lightheartedly and rolled her eyes.
"Go talk to your boyfriend."
And that was exactly what she was going to do.
A/N- I'd also like to stress the fact that I do have the whole moving thing figured out, so don't worry too much! And the next chapter is basically complete RM romance, so review and it should be up in a few days! Thanks!