Chapter Nineteen:
Ryan still stood on the balcony and watched Kate and Mia interact. They seemed to be getting along pretty well judging by the way Kate was smiling at her. Mia was copying Kate's exercises as best as she could and he smiled to himself. He turned to look at Marissa, who was sitting on one of the chairs. If at all possible, she was paler and she looked tired. He frowned.
"You feeling okay?" Marissa looked up sharply.
"I'm fine," He folded his arms, still looking at her.
"You look exhausted. If you want to lie down and sleep, I'll be happy to watch Mia," He watched her as she slowly stood up.
"I am pretty tired," she admitted.
"Then go rest awhile," Marissa looked at him, she walked towards him.
"I didn't come here to palm Mia off on you, or on Kate,"
"I know that. Just go and get some rest. I'll wake you when its lunchtime," he watched her nod and then disappear from view. She walked slowly, like an old woman would and that worried him a little.
"Hey, you guys having a good time?" Kate turned and saw Ryan walking towards them. Mia's face was wreathed in smiles. She ran towards him and he picked her up, resting her against his hip with an ease that told Kate it was a regular occurrence. He walked towards her. Mia was like her mom in build, think, lanky, all arms and legs. Her hair was lighter in colour though, blonde streaks interspersed with honey hued tones. She watched Mia snake her arms around his neck and she brought her head close to his and Kate noticed that their hair colour was also very similar.
"Kate has been showing me some stretching exercises, she said it will help me stay…"
"Supple" Kate provided and Mia smiled at her.
"Mia seems to like you," Ryan murmured and she looked at him. She looped her arm through his as together they strolled along the sand, Mia racing on ahead, hunting out sea shells to show them, dipping her toes into the breakwater.
"What makes you say that?" he glanced at her.
"She's normally very reserved around strangers,"
"Well I'm not exactly a stranger now am I? She's seen me on television, heard my music," Ryan smiled, tugging her close and sliding his arm across her shoulders.
"You know what I mean," he responded and she smiled at him.
Kate looked up as Ryan returned to the kitchen. She was in the process of making sandwiches for everyone after their beach jaunt. She frowned at the thoughtful expression on his face.
"Marissa still sleeping?" he looked at her when he heard her voice and just nodded.
"I thought she'd be awake by now," Kate shrugged.
"Obviously she needs the rest," she commented and placed a couple of sandwiches on a plate that she then put in front of Mia. She glanced at him and noticed he still had that thoughtful expression on his face.
Marissa woke up to the sound of a guitar playing quietly. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. It had to be Kate. She remembered back in High School that she liked to play, and whenever she did, she drew an audience. The Bait Shop, the Valentines Day Ball came to mind. It made sense that she'd become famous through her music; the natural talent had been oozing out of her even then. A slight frown marred her brow, at least Kate had gone out to achieve what she wanted to, she'd had a goal set in her mind and had accomplished it. What had Marissa done with her life? Lived off a trust fund set up by her father and brought up Mia. She smiled at the thought of her precocious and equally precious child. The one good true thing that she'd done was raise her child and she'd done it away from Newport Beach and all of its influences. The thought of Mia's father sullied that slightly. He still didn't know that he had fathered a child. Slowly she sat up and paused as her head swam. The nap had done to restore energy levels that were fast depleting.
Ryan listened to Kate play. The acoustic notes washed over him and her quiet voice was like a balm. Part of him wondered how many people would swap places with him right now to listen to Kate Carpenter give this rare impromptu performance. Mia was snuggled in a beach chair beside her, listening to her sing, enveloped in her attention. Ryan had followed Kate's career through the media, through watching her videos on the music channels, reading about her in the print media once in a while. He didn't own any of her music though, hadn't gone to see her perform live. He and Marissa had come close to going to see her in Los Angeles, before Mia was born but they hadn't. His attention sharpened when Kate's playing faltered and he turned his head to see Marissa standing in the doorway.
"Don't stop on my account, please, continue, it's lovely" he heard her say and after a brief second, Kate continued.
Ryan watched Kate emerge from the bathroom. The nightgown that she wore was plain, made of white cotton. It flowed against her curves, rather primly and to be honest he couldn't help but find it mildly erotic. It hinted at what was underneath and he was always partial to a hint of what there was rather than seeing it all for show. Hinting was a damned sight more sexy to him than flaunting. He watched her slide into bed beside him and he turned onto his side to look at her more fully.
"You don't mind Marissa and Mia staying here, do you?" his voice was low and she looked at him. Then she smiled.
"It's your home Ryan, you can invite whomever you want to,"
"I should've told you that they come to stay once in a while, it's about as close to Newport Beach as Marissa wants to be. Normally she calls but this time she thought she'd surprise me instead,"
"Well I think she got the surprise this time. Is her relationship with her mom still troubled?"
"Sometimes. Julie always has to be the one in charge and she forgets that Marissa is an adult and a mom herself, so the fireworks can be colourful sometimes,"
"I can imagine" and relate, she silently added. Ryan looked at her.
"I want you to be okay with this Kate, we're still getting to know each other again and with this happening…" Kate placed a finger over his lips. His navy blue eyes tracked up to hers.
"I don't mind, I really don't, so quit worrying," and to prove her point, she leaned down and kissed him. His arm slid around her waist and he dragged her down until she was lying beneath him. No more words were spoken.
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Chapter Twenty:
They were sitting at a table sharing lunch. Ryan listened to his three friends go through their ritualised banter with half an ear. He lifted his head, feeling the spring sunshine warm his skin and caught sight of Kate. She carried her lunch tray and was heading their way.
"Hey. This seat taken?" he looked up at her. She glanced at him and then looked away again, instead looking at Marissa.
"No, go ahead," and she watched as she took the vacant seat beside Ryan. She glanced at Summer and smiled secretively.
"I heard its someone's birthday today," Seth commented. Kate looked at him with wide surprised eyes.
"How did you know?" she breathed. He grinned.
"I make it my business to know these things Kate. Actually it was Summer who let the cat out of the bag… happy birthday," Ryan watched as Kate actually blushed. It was endearing, to say the least.
"And with a birthday, comes cake…and gifts!" Marissa announced and Kate looked honestly shocked.
"I didn't expect any of this," she breathed as a chocolate iced cupcake complete with a single candle appeared from beneath the table. Marissa placed it in front of her and Ryan lit the singular candle. He watched her stare at it.
"You have to make a wish," he murmured. She looked at him and blinked away a suspicious sheen in her eyes. She returned her attention to her birthday cupcake and closed her eyes briefly before blowing the candle out.
"Now gift time…" Kate looked at Marissa.
"Oh... no… honestly you know, this is enough. I don't do birthdays as a rule…" her eyes widened when gifts appeared on the table. She swallowed against the huge lump in her throat. The girls had given her clothing gift certificates for an upmarket boutique, Summer assured her that it wasn't as though they thought her style sucked, just that they hadn't been sure what she'd like, or even what her dress size was. Seth had made her a compilation CD of all his favourite bands and singers. Ryan's gift was small but neatly wrapped. She looked at him, to see him regarding her in that intense manner she was getting used to seeing. It was rectangular and flat and as she opened it, she saw a leather bound book. She opened it to see the blank pages.
"So you have somewhere to write your songs, your thoughts or whatever." Touched, she smoothed her fingers over the pristine paper and looked at him. As she closed it, she noticed her name engraved in gold on the top right hand of the cover. She bit her lip. She didn't cry and wasn't about to start now. She looked at them all in turn.
"Thank you. It's really sweet of you to do this for me, I won't ever forget it," she promised. Marissa frowned.
"You make it sound like you're going somewhere…" she commented. Kate flicked a glance at Ryan.
"Who knows where we'll be or what we'll be doing in a year's time," she replied.
One by one, they drifted away until there was only she and Ryan left. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other since her bombshell in the pool house and the atmosphere between them was a little on the heavy side.
"How have you been?" Ryan asked eventually, hating the silence between them even though he usually welcomed less conversation.
"I'm okay," she replied, looking down at the book.
"Still planning on going to L.A?" she looked at him then.
"I plan on going sometime, I haven't decided when"
"I thought you might have changed your mind," the expression in her eyes changed, grew more fiery.
"To do what? Have a life in Newport Beach? Go to community college and then what after that? Marry the first rich guy that asks and settle to a life of boredom and terminal paranoia?" she flared. Ryan sat back in his seat and regarded her. She calmed down, her cheeks red.
"I'm sorry. I need to get away from this place before it kills me," she got to her feet, gathered her stuff together and hurried away.
The thump woke Kate up instantly. Beside her, Ryan stirred.
"What's wrong?" his voice was slurry. Kate sat up and listened.
"I thought I heard something," Ryan sat up beside her and also listened. Then he slipped out of bed, reaching down to pick up his pyjama bottoms from the floor and slip them on.
"Like what?" he looked at her as she switched on the bedside lamp and they both squinted in the sudden brightness. She shrugged.
"Sounded like a thump," Ryan began to walk across the room.
"Maybe Mia has fallen out of bed. I'll go check on her," he told her.
She followed him out of the bedroom and saw that there was a light on in the lobby. Ryan looked at her from over his shoulder.
"You check on Mia, I'll go downstairs and see what's happening," he whispered. She nodded and watched him go to the top of the stairs.
Kate peeped in on Mia and saw her sprawled in her bed, on her stomach, sound asleep. Her blankets were half on the floor. Kate tiptoed over and straightened them up. She stood and looked at the girl for a second or two before tiptoeing out.
Ryan saw the kitchen lights blazing. Whoever was planning on stealing from them wasn't exactly experienced in the art of stealth. He crept across the lobby and stood in the doorway for a second. He then took a deep breath and stepped inside. He started when he saw Marissa sitting at the table. She was sitting with her head in her hands and the stance alarmed him for a moment. She looked as though she were on the verge of tears.
"Marissa?" her head shot up at his quiet voice and she stared wide-eyed at him.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," she apologised, pushing her hair from her face, looking everywhere but at him. He walked towards her.
"You didn't. Kate heard you,"
"Oh" He sat down beside her.
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing up in the middle of the night?" he enquired.
"Couldn't sleep," she replied. It was then that he noticed the broken cup on the tiled floor, and the tipped over stool by the breakfast bar. He glanced at her briefly before sliding off his chair to deal with the mess.
"I'm sorry about that…you know how clumsy I can be sometimes…" she stuttered, watching him pick up the broken shards of china. He glanced at her over one shoulder.
"I remember," he reminded her in a half-teasing tone. His expression then changed and he straightened up.
"Your nose is bleeding," Instantly he handed her a dishtowel as she self-consciously touched her face and her eyes widened when she realised that it was true.
Kate came into the kitchen and saw Ryan with Marissa, holding a dishtowel to her face. She frowned.
"Has there been an accident?" Ryan's head snapped around and she saw the worry for herself. He just shook his head and returned his attention to Marissa. The dishtowel was turning an alarming shade of red. Kate went to get a fresh one, standing beside him ready to hand it to him.
"Perhaps you should take her to the emergency room," she commented. Marissa jerked her head back, holding the towel to her face.
"No! No hospitals, it's just a nosebleed, it'll stop," she reacted.
"It's showing no signs of stopping Marissa, Kate's right, you need to see a doctor about this," Ryan responded. Instead of agreeing, Marissa stood up, shaking her head.
"I said no hospitals," she retorted and they watched her rush away. Ryan felt Kate touch his arm and he turned to look at her.
"Is it just me, or is she hiding something?" He always knew when she was hedging and right now alarm bells were clanging in his brain. Kate shrugged.
"You know her better than I do, but I have to admit, there's something not right about all of this," She stood where she was and watched Ryan clean up, righting the stool, dropping the broken cup into the trash.