Chapter Seventeen:
Ryan watched her as they walked along the shoreline in companionable silence. Her expression was guarded, the way she kept looking to the sheer cliff face, it was as though she expected someone to pop out and start taking pictures.
"Hey" her head snapped around to look at him.
"You're safe here. I promised you that you would be and you are," he told her. She smiled in faint embarrassment. He stopped walking, which in turn forced her to do the same. She looked at him enquiringly.
"You've probably had promises made to you that have always been broken but I'm not them Katie, I will keep you safe," She touched his face, placing the palm of her hand against his cheek, feeling the rough stubble rasp against her skin.
"I know you will, and I believe you. Old habits die hard I guess" she replied quietly, barely audible above the rushing of the waves. She leaned towards him and kissed him. He let go of her hand and brushed the hair from her face as she drew back. Another kiss and he wanted more.
They sat in the sand and watched the sun begin to set. Ryan slid his arm across her shoulders and she leaned into him. He rested his cheek against her hair as they watched the day fade into dusk.
"Hey, you made front page!" Kirsten announced. Ryan frowned at her as he dropped his satchel by his desk. He watched her dump a pile of newspapers down in front of him. He picked up the top copy as he sat down. As if by magic, Kerry appeared, carrying a cup of coffee. Ryan frowned when he saw the pictures splashed across the front page, all announcing the 'discovery' of Kate Carpenter, who'd 'disappeared' in Los Angeles and resurfaced in Newport Beach. There were pictures taken from the beach, of them walking hand in hand, heads lowered, hands linked, the conversation they'd had about her being with him, the way he looked at her and touched her face and kissed her, it was all there for public consumption. He felt sick and dropped the newspaper back down. He looked up at Kirsten.
"They hassled her at the diner, something they've neglected to mention"
"Is she okay?" Kirsten's voice softened with concern. He shrugged.
"She will be, I suppose. She's a little freaked out and for now she's staying with me" A smile briefly appeared on her face.
"You always were the white knight Ryan," she reminded him.
Ryan worried about Kate for the rest of the weekend. He'd called her cell phone countless times to see if she was okay and instead was directed to voice mail. He lost count how many messages he'd left for her to call him but she never did. He hadn't liked the look on her mother's face when she'd dragged her away and he had a feeling that turning up unannounced would make things ten times worse.
She was sitting in class when he arrived the Monday after and initially he sighed in relief that she was safe and sound. He'd suffered through all sorts of possible scenarios since Saturday night, not one of them good.
"Don't you check your cell phone any more?" he asked her, dropping down into the seat beside her. She just looked at him.
"I've been busy, that's all" she replied sharply and he frowned.
"Was your mom really pissed at you on Saturday night?" he asked, his tone more hesitant. She shrugged one shoulder.
"No more than usual I suppose" He watched her.
"Don't do that," she snapped and he straightened.
"Don't do what?" he retorted and she glared at him.
"Stare at me like I'm some specimen under a microscope. I'm okay" He opened his mouth to argue but then decided against it. She wasn't okay, she was damned miserable and he wanted to know why.
"For what it's worth, you were great on Saturday night and I'm not the only one who thinks so," he told her in a low voice. She didn't react.
She appeared at the pool house a few days later. He let her in without comment, frowning briefly at the look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry just to show up like this," she apologised as she slipped past him.
"It's okay, I don't mind. Everything okay?" she glanced at him over her shoulder and shrugged restlessly. He closed the door and walked towards her.
"It's nothing I can't handle," she dropped down on the edge of his bed. Then she sighed.
"My mom has been a pain in the ass since Saturday. Ever since she met you," he sat down beside her, regarding her.
"We're friends Katie, aren't you allowed to have friends?" she looked at him.
"Sure. Just not you. Your reputation precedes you," Ryan shrugged.
"Nothing I can do about that I'm afraid,"
"It doesn't bother me, by the way. What you may or may not have done in the past because that's where it stays" he looked at her for a long moment.
"Thanks. I appreciate it" He watched her open her tote bag and take out a small white card.
"I've kept this hidden since Saturday night and you're the first person I've told, but this guy was at the party, he liked what he heard and wants to hear more of my stuff," she handed it to him and he looked at it. It held the name of a scout for a very reputable record company. He looked at her, to see her eyes wide. For the first time since the party on Saturday, there was some life in her eyes. He handed the card back to her and watched her slide it back into her bag.
"What are you going to do?" she took a deep shaky breath.
"I'll be eighteen in a few days. I'm going to go to Los Angeles, see him and see what happens. Whatever happens, I don't intend on coming back here, ever," Ryan's eyes widened at her pronouncement.
"You're leaving? But what about graduation?"
"I don't care about that anymore. What good is a graduation scroll going to do when I have no intention of going to college?"
"What if a music career doesn't work out for you? What then?" she looked at him and frowned, the sparkle in her eyes dimming slightly.
"You sound like my mother, she's convinced that I'll amount to nothing. Even if it doesn't happen, I don't know, maybe I'll go to night school, get my GED, I don't care, I just want to get out of here," Ryan sighed.
"Okay, so you're going to leave. What's that got to do with me?"
"I need to ask you for a favour, and you don't have to do it if you don't want to," she paused, scanning his face.
"Name it," he told her.
"I need to store some stuff, clothes, some money, my guitar. My mom will get ultra suspicious if she sees me shipping stuff out all in one go. Could I stash them here til its time for me to leave?" he lowered his head to stare at his feet. Then he lifted his head and looked at her.
"Why don't I drive you into L.A?" her eyes widened again.
"I don't want you to get involved Ryan," he shrugged.
"It's a bit late for that now isn't it? You've involved me just by telling me" he frowned as she got to her feet.
"Where are you going?" he stood up too and followed her to the door.
"Not getting you involved. Don't worry, I'll think of something else,"
"Wait!" but it was too late, she'd gone, leaving the door wide open in her wake. He sighed raggedly and slowly walked back to his bed, sitting back down on it. He put his head in his hands. She was planning on leaving the first opportunity that she got. Something was seriously up with her but she wouldn't or didn't want to open up to him.
Chapter Eighteen:
Contracts were signed and Cohen and Atwood were officially hired to renovate The Bait Shop. Kate watched the work begin in earnest, watched the scaffolding go up. Ryan had forecast that the work would take about three months to complete; she hoped that he was right.
She woke up alone. For a moment she wondered where Ryan could've gone. Today was Saturday, which normally meant no work for him, well not an entire day's work. He had told her that he worked enough hours through the week to work weekends too and she agreed with him. But she knew that sometimes he drove into Newport to check on projects, see how they were doing and if there were any improvements to be made or problems to be solved. She turned her head and saw his watch on the bedside cabinet and knew he never went anywhere without it so he couldn't have gone far. She sat up and listened and she heard him talking to someone and she wondered why she hadn't heard the phone ring.
She made her way downstairs. Ryan stood in the lobby and he was dressed. He wore faded jeans and a white t-shirt, the sleeves tight against his biceps. He was talking to someone and as she took a couple of steps forwards, she saw who Ryan's visitor was. Marissa Cooper.
"Ryan?" he turned around at the sound of his name.
"Hey, you're awake," he walked towards her and pressed a kiss on her cheek as she self-consciously pulled the lapels of the thin silk robe she was wearing closer together.
"I was just wondering where you were. I didn't realise that we had guests," she eyed Marissa warily and she stared right back at her, as if unable to believe her own eyes.
"You remember Marissa, don't you?" Kate nodded, her mouth suddenly going a little dry. Nobody forgot Marissa Cooper. There was a little girl standing beside her, her arms around Marissa's waist. When she saw Kate, her eyes widened and she straightened up.
"You're Kate Carpenter!" she exclaimed and Kate blushed a little. She looked at the little girl, who was about seven years old.
"I am. You must be Mia, that's a beautiful name," she replied. The child stole a glance at her mother and then smiled.
"Mom said that she knew you from school, is that true?" Kate nodded.
"Yes, it's true, we did," Mia's eyes rounded. Those eyes were a beautiful vivid shade of blue. Kate looked up at Marissa who was watching her carefully. She was still as skinny as she remembered, her skin pale. There were brownish shadows smudged beneath her eyes. She looked tired and she wondered whether it was because her daughter was the precocious handful she seemed to be.
"I'd better go upstairs and get dressed. Nice to see you again Marissa, nice to meet you Mia," she murmured, turned and disappeared from view.
"What is Kate Carpenter doing here?" Marissa demanded.
"It's a long story. Want some breakfast?" without waiting for her response, he turned towards the kitchen and headed for it. Marissa and her daughter followed.
"I'm not hungry," Marissa answered and watched as Mia climbed onto a kitchen chair and made herself comfortable.
"Can I have a cup of coffee Ryan?" she asked. Ryan glanced over his shoulder. He smiled softly.
"You'll have milk and like it young lady," he responded, going to the fridge. The girl smiled.
"It was worth a shot," she replied with a shrug. He laughed as he placed a half filled glass in front of her.
"Haven't you heard? Coffee stunts your growth," he quipped and was rewarded by Mia's laughter.
Ryan went out onto the balcony and stared out across the beach, over the sea. He turned his head upon hearing a footstep and saw Marissa approaching. She came to stand beside him and he went back to studying the view.
"You normally call in advance when you're planning to visit"
"I wish that I had now. How long have you been involved with Kate?" he glanced at her.
"Don't try and change the subject" he looked at her more fully. She regarded him for a second or two.
"We needed a change of scenery, is that a problem? Because if it is, we could stay at my parent's place instead" he shook his head slightly.
"You know it's not a problem. You just caught me by surprise" Marissa didn't reply and a couple of minutes of companionable silence drifted by.
"So, is Kate living here?" He sighed.
"You just don't give up do you? Has Summer been giving you lessons all of a sudden?" he teased and Marissa flashed a smile at him.
"So?"
"She's living with me" he clarified and her eyes widened.
"Wow. Is it serious? I suppose it has to be if she's living with you" Ryan turned to look back over the beach and he shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Maybe. Right now we're just having a good time getting to know each other again," he responded.
"I'm glad. You always had a thing for her," his head snapped around and he stared at her. She looked at his shocked expression and smiled again.
"Well you did! It wasn't a big secret,"
"To me it was. I never told anyone and she never knew," Marissa moved closer to him.
"It was in your eyes all the time Ryan," she informed him.
Kate felt invigorated after her shower. She went into the kitchen and paused briefly when she saw Mia sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of milk in front of her. Her back was to her. Kate took a deep breath and went the rest of the way inside, to the fridge in search of some fruit juice.
"Are you Ryan's girlfriend?" Kate snagged a bottle of orange juice and turned to look at Mia.
"Well I'm a girl and I am his friend, so yeah I am," she responded. She was rewarded by an eye roll so like Ryan's that her heart momentarily faltered in her chest.
"That's not what I meant," Kate could barely swallow a smile.
"I know that's not what you meant, but that's the answer you're going to get," Mia sighed.
"You grown ups are all the same, it's no fun being a kid," she grumbled and Kate almost choked on her juice.
"But look at what you get to look forward to," she teased. She then drained her glass and headed for the patio doors.
"Where are you going?" Mia enquired. Kate glanced at her.
"To the beach, it's where I do my stretching exercises," she replied. Mia seemed to ponder this.
"Can I come with you?" Kate was taken aback that the child would ask her if she could, considering that they'd only just been introduced. She shrugged.
"Only if it's okay with your mom, then sure," she replied and watched her slip off her seat and go in search of Marissa. She followed her out and saw her standing shoulder to shoulder with Ryan, looking out across the beach. She swallowed against the jealousy that threatened to rear its ugly head.
"Can I please mom?" she heard Mia beseech. Marissa looked at Kate and she could see the doubt clearly in her eyes.
"She's very welcome if that's okay with you" she felt compelled to add. Marissa looked back at her daughter.
"Alright. But be sure to do what Kate tells you and you are on your best behaviour" Mia nodded and turned to look at Kate.
"Let's go"
Walking along the shore as she normally did, the morning breeze was cool and a little on the stiff side. It blew Kate's hair from her face.
"Have you lived here for very long?" Mia asked her. She looked at her.
"Not long,"
"But you've got a big house in Hollywood, why did you come here? Are you on vacation?" Kate shook her head.
"I'm planning to move back here. I used to live here like your mom and Ryan"
"But you're famous! You're in all the newspapers and the magazines and everyone talks about you all the time!" Mia exclaimed and Kate laughed softly.
"Which is why I left. It got too much for me and I couldn't have a life of my own" she looked down at Mia. Her blue eyes were serious as she thought about what Kate had said.
"It mustn't have been much fun,"
"It wasn't" she paused "Want to join in with some stretching exercises?" Mia nodded enthusiastically, the breeze tossing her dark blonde hair about her face.