Summer couldn't contain her excitement. She was rocking back and forth in the backseat of the car as they turned into the driveway.

"Oh my god, Cohen! She'll say yes! I just know it. I'm so sure!" She clasped her hands together in her lap. "I can't wait for her face."

"Calm down Summer. You're like my little fidgety fish out of water. You'll know soon." Seth looked over at Summer.

"Well, Seth, if I remember correctly, you weren't exactly unenthusiastic at dinner. Like when you tripped the waiter with your feet fidgeting." Kirsten turned around and smirked at Seth.

"Mom! It was just a twitch."

"Let's just say that we all want to know what happened." Sandy stopped the car.

A blur of colour flew out the front door and dashed towards the car.

"Summer!"

"Coop!"

Summer flew out the car and met Marissa in the middle of her dash. They collapsed into screaming fits in each others arms.

"You knew? Oh my god, it was so romantic. I can't believe it…"

"What did you say? How did he ask? I'm so excited, Coop!"

"I said yes! Of course, oh my gosh, thank you guys so much. Sandy, Kirsten, you guys are like my parents half the time anyway. I owe you guys so much. I seriously appreciate this. I had been worried that we would grow apart but…" Marissa threw her arms around them both and hugged them. Summer hugged her too and Seth feeling left out, joined in on the hug. Ryan watched them from the doorway. That was his family and the thought hit him and he smiled widely.

"Ryan, man. I was just, you know, embracing the girls… uh… congratulations man! The pollen out here, it's disgusting." Seth wiped at his eye, hiding his emotions, so he thought.

"Hey man, thanks. And yeah, the pollen levels are insane." Ryan pulled Seth into a hug and clapped him on the back. He hugged everyone else too. As he hugged Summer she lent close and whispered in his ear, "Don't hurt her, and be careful when you fight, you can't get away from each other as easily." Ryan nodded his head and smiled a little. He knew that they would have to adjust to the closeness but it was something he wanted to do.

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Over the next few weeks Ryan and Marissa made some slight alterations to their routines but for the most part they got along so well. The distance that had previously been between them was erased because of all the time they spent together. Even though Sandy and Kirsten insisted she stay in the guest room on week nights so that they could "focus on school" Ryan and Marissa didn't mind. Most of the time, knowing that they were there was enough but on the odd occasion that they wanted to spend the night together, it was way easier to sneak out to the poolhouse instead of across the town.

The problem erupted when Summer decided to get Marissa back into Harbor.

Ryan thought it was a great idea and so did Summer. Seth went along with it because although he wouldn't admit it, Marissa was one of his best friends. Marissa thought it would be great to graduate with her friends and spend even more time with Ryan.

When the four found out Marissa could be reunited at Harbor, they were overjoyed. After only one week, the problem surfaced.

"Why would you ask that? Why are you always asking me where I'm going. I know we live with each other Ryan and I know you're my boyfriend but you don't own me. If I don't want to go somewhere with you or if I want to be alone, I'll do what I want. Why is this hard for you to grasp?" Marissa's eyes flashed with the lightning from the storm that had been brewing for the past few weeks.

"What are you talking about? I just wanted to know if you were going to…. Nevermind, why do I even bother? I am not smothering you Marissa. It's too bad you feel that way but I'm not fighting you. If you want to be a bitch, go ahead but what's that going to do?" Ryan just shrugged himself out of the fight, he knew if he got into it, the living arrangements would be so tense.

"You're everywhere I am Ryan. Everywhere. I can't go anywhere because you are there. I need time to myself, I need to know who Marissa is. I don't know anymore because it's just always Ryan and Marissa will do this and that. I feel like I'm suffocating and I don't know what to do. Just give me space." Marissa huffed out the last part.

Ryan looked deep into her eyes. He hid all the hurt and just said, "Take all the time you need. Take all the space, do whatever."

Marissa knew she had set something off but she couldn't worry about it, she just needed to get away. "I don't know when I'll be home. I'll call you or whatever. I'm going to…"

Ryan cut her off. "It doesn't matter just call if you won't be home."

Ryan turned out of the kitchen and walked to the poolhouse, Marissa watched him go, knowing she'd hurt him but knowing she had been hurting too and needed to get away.

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"Ryan? Ryaaaaaaaaan?" A slim redhead that Ryan recognized from physics class was talking to him.

"Oh, hi, sorry. Abby right? What's up?" He was slightly distracted thinking about Marissa. He had gone to bed at midnight the night before and she hadn't come home then. He just told himself it was her life and she needed space, it didn't bother him. But he couldn't lie to himself like that, he knew it bothered him. A lot.

"Yeah, Abby McGregor. Um, sorry to interrupt you, you must have been deep in thought but we're trying to get a soccer game going. Um, I know you were on the soccer team like three years ago. I just wanted to know if you wanted to play or whatever." She smiled at him, very genuinely.

"How did you know I played soccer? It was so long ago!" Ryan smiled back, he himself had almost forgotten.

"Oh well you know, I just love soccer and sports, really. I follow our team, that was the year we got to the finals. So, I remember. Besides you seemed too deep in thought, you need something to do and so, here I am." She ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair and then started to put it up in a ponytail. "Look, you don't have to. I'm just being overly friendly, I know but you can if you want."

She turned to walk away. Ryan thought for a few seconds. This girl was asking him just to have fun and do something simple. Besides, Marissa suggested they get new interests and do some things separately, hadn't she? Indirectly, he supposed. If he had to pick between soccer and brooding, he knew what he wanted.

"Wait, Abby, I'll play. I have to warn you, I haven't played in awhile but I am still really good." He smiled at her.

She rested an elbow on his shoulder. "I've gone to the state championships three years running and this year we have a shot at nationals, what do you think of that?"

Ryan laughed and responded, "If you went three years and haven't gone nationals it means you lost three times to better teams, so that gives me hope." Abby laughed at him and punched him lightly on the arm.

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Two minutes earlier, Marissa pulled into the school parking lot. She had had a rough night, she supposed. She had expected Ryan to come after her, for some reason. She had waited all night at their abandoned tower on the beach but he hadn't come. That's when she realized how much she expected of him and how contrary she was in everything she told him. She wanted her space and when she pushed him away she expected him to follow. How stupid could she be? She just needed to find him and tell him she was feeling scared and frightened that they were getting so close and she was feeling so committed to him that she had lashed out to put distance between them. She didn't want distance between them though. She wanted to keep it how it was.

She stepped out of her car and was about to head towards their usual hangout when she saw him. He was talking to a girl she had never seen before. That wasn't so bad. She pushed away the feelings of anger that he had found a girl to occupy himself so quickly after their fight. She knew he wouldn't do that. They had love, they were in love. She kept repeating the words to herself. Then the girl leaned in on Ryan's shoulder. Marissa felt the jealousy starting to build but once again she forced it down. It was innocent, Ryan would never cheat on her. Then the girl was punching him and they were laughing. Marissa couldn't watch anymore. She could either make the mistake of walking up to them or just leave. She chose to make the mistake.

Ryan spotted her walking towards him and Abby two seconds before she got to them. He didn't know what to say to her, even if he wanted to say anything.

"Hi," She said through clenched teeth. "I missed you at home this morning." She was trying to be clear that this was her boyfriend and this redheaded bitch better back off.

"Yes well, I couldn't wait around for someone I wasn't sure was coming home." Ryan replied with his eyes narrowed. Marissa felt a pang of hurt and guilt.

"Uh, look, you guys have some stuff, why don't you forget I asked?" Abby started to back away.

"Than…" Marissa started.

"No, that's okay. We'll talk later, won't we Marissa? Let's go. I want to play soccer, it's fun to try new things and get new interests, don't you think? Although like you said, I have played before." Ryan walked off with Abby. Marissa just stood glaring after them. Two could play at this game, when Ryan got home, he was going to have quite the shock.

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Ryan walked into the poolhouse after school. He wasn't sure whether he would be met with an angry Marissa or an empty poolhouse to show the tactic she would be using in this argument. It was either fire or ice with Marissa and judging by her absence, he supposed she was cutting him out with icy treatment. He sighed. Why couldn't they be normal fro more than one week? It really wasn't fun so much as tiresome. A thought struck him. Why was it worth this? Was anything worth this much trouble? And then his head snapped back to reality and he realized it was Marissa and he thought for one second what it would be like without her. He knew why it was worth it. The door slammed open and Marissa's eyes were ignited with fire. He supposed he had missed his guess.

"What the hell was that today? Look Ryan, I know I said we should have space but I didn't mean go find the next floozy and play a sport you don't like anymore. I meant…"

Ryan's eyes were starting to match her ferocity. "You meant that you should be the one going out and I should just wait here and do nothing until you were ready? That's what you meant, isn't it? Well the hell with that. That's what I have to say about all of that. Marissa, she is just someone from class who asked me to play a game with her and other people. It was completely innocent and if you want to talk about smothering… telling me not to play a game of soccer with someone, don't you think that's a bit sad?"

Marissa huffed her breath out. "No. I think it shows my concern. God Ryan, we live together, we have to deal with these things without running to other people. If this is going to work in the long long term future, especially."

Ryan ran his hand through his hair. "The future? How would I even know if you were thinking about it. You never bring it up and when I do, you usually say let's take it one day at a time and tell me you love me. I know you do but enough for the future. I don't even know what you want to do in the next year."

Marissa knew this was when she should lower the boom.

"Look, I know. The problem is something else entirely and I don't know. I was trying to throw this wedge before I told you so it wouldn't hurt as much but it didn't work. It makes me sadder. I applied to Penn State and got in. I… think I'm going to go.

A/N- Cliffhanging is fun. Um, so I'll probably wrap the story up in the next few chapters and then do a sequel if there is enough interest. Review if you have the penchant.