A/N: I still don't own anything.
Chapter 2
A few months later
Stepping out of the corridors of the school, Ryan sighed as he started his walk towards his apartment. Final exams were finally over, and summer was near. He was going to spend his summer back at Newport with the Cohen's, and the thought of going back there and spending time with his family is something that he is looking forward to. He missed everyone back home, even Seth with his constant blabbering, along with Summer who will also be back from New York. When he was in high school, he sometimes felt envious of their relationship, because having someone was something that he was longing. Seth even told him once that if he didn't came into their lives, he and Summer wouldn't be together. He smiled at the thought of how wrong Seth was, he just didn't know that he had it in him.
After his night with Marissa, he always went to the bar within the next few weeks in hopes of seeing her again. But after a month of going to the bar and not seeing her, he decided to give up. He wondered why he wanted to find her so badly, but he couldn't find a rational answer to that question. He just felt something between the two of them that was enough of a reason for him to go looking for her.
It wasn't often that he finds a girl that he likes. When he was in Newport, he only had one serious girlfriend during his stay with the Cohen's, he didn't really love her but he liked her enough to try and love her back. But he wasn't able to experience that since their relationship didn't last long because she left Newport. And so after that, he never had a serious relationship with any other girl, he figured that everyone else will just leave him.
When he first met Marissa, he started to think that it was possible for them to have a relationship, but after a month of not being able to find her, the thought of the two of them in a relationship slowly faded away. He guessed that he was wrong about her, he was not like the girl that he thought she would be.
As he neared his apartment, he felt a slight of relief. Feeling the security and comfort of his home was relaxing. He was planning on spending a quiet night alone, or maybe start to pack a few of his things. The sound of the elevator startled him from his thoughts, he got out and turned right and was stunned when he saw her outside his apartment. Am I dreaming? Is this just a figment of my imagination?
Marissa suddenly regretted coming over when she saw the look on his face. She can't exactly read it, but it doesn't look good.
"Hey," She said, trying to start up a conversation. Silence filled the hallway as he continued to just stare at her.
"Marissa," He finally managed to say as he walked slowly towards her. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing," She shrugged. "Well, not really…I kinda need to talk to you."
"Sure. Let's go inside my apartment." He said while he took his keys from his pocket and opened the door. "How long have you been here?" He casually asked.
"Not long," She admitted.
She had a vague recollection of his apartment. But when she walked in with him, she felt very safe.
"Do you want something to drink?" He asked as he went to the kitchen.
"Sure"
He opened the fridge and found that he only had one beverage. "I have water." He looked at her and waited for her reply.
"Yeah, sure. It's okay,"
He took the bottled water out of the fridge and handed it to her. "How have you been? I tried looking for you. I would have called you, but you didn't leave anything."
"I'm sorry…but I didn't know what to do." She told him. "I have never done anything like that before. You know, go home with someone I hardly know and sleep with them."
"Hey…" He softly said. "I don't normally do that either…It was just one of those times where you get caught up in the moment…" He trailed off silently.
"Yeah…it was." Marissa said as she looked him in the eye. He was so sweet, and he really seems like a nice guy.
"So…how have you been?" He asked. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I'm pregnant." She blurted out.
"Wow…Congratulations." He stuttered. He just stared at her for what seems like forever until she spoke again.
"It's yours." She calmly replied at him.
"What?" He asked her anxiously and nervously. "Are you sure?" As much as he wanted to start a relationship with her, getting pregnant and having baby was the last thing on his mind.
"You're the only guy that I slept with in the last few months."
"But…I used a condom." He said defensively.
"I know…but it didn't work."
"But it was suppose to work. That's the point of using one."
"Look...I thought about this. And I've already made my decision." She said, as she sat on the chair in his kitchen.
"Really?"
"Yeah…and I decided to keep it." She said as she looked at him, hoping to see the reaction that she was hoping for.
"You are?"
"I'm really sorry." She continued. "I know that wasn't the answer you were hoping for…but...you don't have to do anything. I don't want your help…" She paused. "I just want to tell you what happened. I figured it was the right thing to do…" She stopped talking when she noticed that he didn't bother to give her a response. "I should just go."
Marissa placed the bottled water on the counter and took her purse. She was making her way out of the kitchen and out of the apartment when she heard Ryan. She suddenly stopped.
"Wait a minute!" Ryan slightly shouted. "You can't just expect me to know what to do! You were the one who left after that night and never contacted me again up until now. You show up after 2 and a half months telling me that you're pregnant, and that it's my child. I'm sorry too, but I don't know what to do."
He was just as confused as she was. She felt a little better and smiled a little. "That's the nicest thing you've said to me all day."
He gave her his half-smile and replied. "And I want to help you."
"You don't have to,"
"I want to…Really." He said sincerely.
"Thanks."
"So…do you want to go out and get some food?" Ryan asked. "Or would you prefer I order some take-out and we can eat here?"
"Let's just order some take-out. I'm not really in the mood to go out."
"Okay. What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. You pick. I'll wait for you in the living room."
She went to his living room and sat down on the couch. She heard him talking on the phone and ordering. Sitting quietly on his couch and waiting for him to come back, she began to play with her bracelet since she didn't' know what to do. She doesn't know why she's acting all shy and nervous now; they've already seen each other naked. They've already slept with each other. She guessed that getting pregnant with a guy she barely knows answers all of her questions right now.
"You always do that." He said as he came into the living room. Marissa gave him a confused look and waited for his reply. "I mean, play with your bracelet."
"Oh…I'm just nervous." She replied, she stopped playing with her bracelet and turned to look at him. He sat next to her and she realized that this was the first time that they've been physically close to each other since they slept together.
"You don't have to be. I'm not going to do anything to you." He replied.
She nodded. "So what do you want to do?"
"Talk?"
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"
"You, your life." He said sheepishly. "I don't know anything about you. I don't even know what your last name is. Or what school you go to."
"Cooper," She answered. "That's my last name. And I go to UCLA. I don't know anything about you either." She reminded him.
"Ryan Atwood. And I go to USC."
They were like strangers who have just met, talking about each other's background and not as two people who are having a baby together.
"I was planning on going to USC when I was in high school, but then I just decided to go to UCLA." She mentioned.
"Really? That's too bad, if you go to USC, at least I'll be able to see you at least once a week. And I'm pretty sure I'd notice you. And…I wouldn't go to the bar every night after our night together to look for you" He admitted shyly.
"You did that? Aww…You're so sweet." She commented. "And I'm sorry again." She added, while she smiled at him. "So where are you from?"
"Newport, you?"
"Seriously!" She asked him excitedly.
"Yeah…why? Where you from?" He replied confusingly, wondering why she was getting excited all of a sudden.
"I live in Newport! Well, that is until we moved to Hawaii when I started high school." She exclaimed. "I went to Harbor."
"I went to Harbor too."
"Really? How come I never met you before?"
"Well, it's a long story…" He didn't know if he wanted to share the story of his life before he moved to the Cohen's, he didn't want her to judge him. And honestly speaking, he was afraid that she'd bolt out of his apartment after he tells her about his life in Chino and his family before the Cohen's.
"I've got time. I don't have anything to do later." She said, taking her shoes off and sitting Indian style on the couch.
"Umm…" He started out, just then there was a knock on the door. "I have to get that. That's probably the take out" He said standing up.
He opened the door and saw the delivery boy with their food.
"That'll be $23.95, sir" The boy said.
"Here you go." He took his wallet from his back pocket and took two twenty dollar bills and handed it to him. "You can keep the rest."
The boy gave him their take out and replied. "Thanks!"
"You ordered too much!" Marissa exclaimed as he came into view and placed their take out on the coffee table.
"Well, you're eating for two now." He smirked at her and sat on the floor.
"You have a point." She replied as she sat next to him on the floor. "So how did you end up in Newport?" She asked curiously as she began to eat from her carton.
"My family's kind of screwed up…" He said while he took a carton and chopsticks. "When I was 16, I stole a car. Crashed it. Actually my brother did. Since he had a gun and drugs on him he's in jail. I got out and my Mom threw me out. She was pissed off and drunk…So Mr. Cohen took me in."
Marissa listened to him intently. Not missing a beat as he talked about his previous life. "I'm sorry" She said as she placed her hand on top of his.
"It's okay…really" He nodded. "'Cause when I think about it, I was really lucky back then. If those things didn't happen…then I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be able to go college, and finish high school. I'd still be in Chino."
She smiled at him, still touching the top of his hand with hers. Silence filled the air as Marissa took her hand off his and they continued to eat while stealing small glances at each other.
"Wait!" Marissa spoke up as they finished eating, as if what he had said earlier just registered in her mind. "Did you say Mr. Cohen? As in Sandy Cohen?"
"Yeah…why?" He asked her.
"We used to live next door to him!" She said happily. "They're like the nicest family ever! I haven't seen them in a long time."
"Yeah…me too." He replied. "I was actually supposed to go back this summer to them. Spend my summer in Newport."
"Was?"
"Yeah…Well, I don't think I'm going back now." He said softly. "I want to spend it with you."
"You do? But you don't even know me."
"I know…but I want to get to know you." Ryan said to her. "I really like you Marissa, and I want to make our relationship work."
"But…" She stuttered out. "I don't know if I can do that to you. I don't know if I can make you sacrifice spending time with your family so that you can spend it with me." She added. "I'll be alright here...you know. You don't have to take care of me…"
"Come with me," He suddenly said.
"What?" She asked incredulously. Everything was happening so fast, they weren't even a couple yet.
"Spend your summer with me…in Newport." He asked her. "I'm sure you miss a lot of people there. It'll be fun. I'm sure they'll all be glad to see you."
"I don't know…" She said to Ryan, who looked slightly hurt.
"Why not? Are you spending your summer with your family too?"
"No…I'm just going to spend it here." She shuddered a little at the thought of going back home. She didn't want to spend her summer with her family. When she first found out that she was pregnant, she called them and told them that she was going to spend her summer in California with her friends. She didn't want to tell her mother that she got pregnant by some guy that she met at a bar.
"You haven't told them?"
She nodded as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I'm just so scared…" She sobbed. "I don't know when I'll be ready to tell them…"
He went to her side and enveloped her in his arms. "It's okay." He said over and over quietly. "We'll do it together."
"Thanks," She said as she wiped the tears from her face. "I think…I want to go to Newport this summer…" She stated softly.
"You sure?" He asked her. "We don't have to go if you don't want to…I don't want to force you to do something that you'll regret next time…"
"You're not forcing me. I do want to go…" She said softly. "It's just that…I was a little scared earlier of what people might think of me when I go back there…being pregnant and all…"
"Well…we don't have to tell them right away." He said. "We'll tell them at a right time."
"Thanks," She said to him. "I think I'm gonna go home…I'm really tired." She yawned a little as she got up and slipped her shoes on. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"Spend the night" Ryan said hurriedly as he got up. He didn't want her to leave. He didn't know why but he wanted to protect her somehow. "You can sleep on my bed" He added. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight. Besides, you said you're already tired. And it's not safe to go walking down the streets at night."
"Thanks, Ryan" She said to him tiredly. "I really appreciate everything you've done."
"No problem,"
"Do you have some extra clothes that I could wear for the night?"
"Sure. Follow me." He went to his bedroom and Marissa followed behind him shortly. He went to his dresser and grabbed a loose shirt and boxer's and gave it to her. "Is this okay?"
"It's fine." She took the clothes from him. "I'll be in the bathroom okay? I'll just change my clothes."
"Yeah…sure," Ryan said as she disappeared into the other room. He took a blanket from his cabinet and put it in the couch. He just finished cleaning the mess that they made from their dinner when she emerged from the bathroom. She still looked beautiful even if she's wearing clothes that are too big for her. He smiled when she came closer to him.
"Thanks…for everything," She said as she lightly kissed him in the cheek and hugged him.
Ryan was surprised but he hugged her back. "It's okay. Really." He reassured her.
She smiled and released from the hug. "I'm gonna go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a small wave as she went back to his bedroom.
Ryan smiled to himself. He went to the bathroom and took his over shirt and jeans off, leaving him in his wife-beater and boxers. He brushed his teeth and went back to the living room. He flopped down on the couch and made himself comfortable. He lied down thinking of what happened today, how Marissa told him she was pregnant. After talking to her about everything, he wasn't even regretting much about it now. It was like a new start, he knew that his life is going to change again somehow…it was like when the Cohen's first took him in. He slept peacefully that night, knowing that everything's going to be alright.
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Next Chapter: They're going back to Newport. So the rest of the characters will probably show up.
A/N2: Thanks for all the reviews! Hopefully you'll like this chapter too. This is actually my first time to write a chapter that is long(at least for me it is), so "yey" to me. I suck at making titles so every chapter is named Chapter #. Sorry!