Author's Note:

Two weeks editing The Concert until I was satisfied with it, and then one day on this. Typical. Sorry for the irregular schedule but here is our alternate timeline version of Episode 16, The Links. A personal favourite along with Episode 15, in spite of Oliver.

The reason I got this one done so quickly is probably because it is more in my style than The Concert was. So get ready for pining and reflection as Anna and Ryan continue to navigate The Oliver Saga, isolated and apart.

As ever, thank you for all your amazing feedback. I read them nearly every time I go to edit an existing chapter or start on a new one. They keep me focused and on point, so thank you.

Already two down on the Oliver Saga, but now we are moving towards that gruelling and emotional climax in Ep.17 and Ep.18. Stay tuned!

The entire weekend at Oliver's house in Palm Springs went by in a blur for Ryan and Anna.

They exchanged glances when the seven 'friends' ate together, or passed each other on the golf course or at the house. They exchanged an awkward 'Hey' in the kitchen, before being interrupted by Oliver and Marissa.

Ryan found himself looking across the golf course and to see Anna looking sullen as Summer monopolised Seth's time. He wanted to hit Seth around the back of the head. What was he doing? But he always found himself dragged back into his own losing struggle with Oliver.

Anna found herself looking out the window at Ryan, Oliver, Luke and Marissa. Ryan with his fist clenched. He looked so sad, so angry. She wanted to grab and shake Marissa. Why was she doing this to him? But she always found herself running back to her own impotent attempts to get Seth to pay attention to her. If she even took her eyes off him for a moment, Summer was there. She felt exhausted, sad and alone.


As the only person not currently entangled in a love triangle, none of this was lost on Luke. He was the only person on this seven person expedition not trying to destroy or defend a relationship. Over the course of the first evening and morning, he tried to approach Anna and Ryan separately with little success. As he sat outside on the porch, looking over the golf course, he ran the conversations back in his head.

His attempt to get either of the Newport outsiders to admit something was going on had played out eerily similar both times.

'Why are you avoiding her?'

'Why are you avoiding him?'

He had asked, to no response.

'You need to talk to someone about Oliver'

'You need to talk to someone about Summer'

'Anna could help'

'Ryan could help'

Both Anna and Ryan had mumbled something about the other having their hands full. Ryan took a sip of the Durstin Gold, Anna nervously played with her fingers.

'He is hurting, Anna'

'She is hurting, Chino'

'Something is going on between you two' he had said to both of them finally. He had watched them both wince.

'I don't know', they'd said, like they had rehearsed it.

Chino wasn't going to really open up to him, Luke knew. And him and Anna were only just friends, if they were even that yet.

The conversations echoed through Luke's mind as he sat on the porch after Anna had walked off, head down, one arm clutching the other.

He thumped his head back against the headrest and let out a long sigh.

'If I start talking to her…' Ryan had said

'I'm scared of what Marissa would do', Anna had said.

'I'm sorry man, I can't. Marissa and Oliver are out there, alone'. He watched Ryan grimly march out the door.

'I'm sorry Luke, I can't. I need to go back, Summer is probably straddling Seth as we speak'. He watched Anna leave sadly.


Anna went to Ryan's door twice during the trip. The second time, she stood in silence running through the scenarios in her mind. Best case scenario, she makes everything worse, like she did at the concert. Ryan was already outmatched against Oliver. And she was in no position to help him.

The one time Seth had even looked at her like a lover might was quickly interrupted by Summer. If she couldn't make anything spark with Seth while sharing a room far away from their parents, then what hope did they have?

Again, if Ryan had been happy and single, or maybe even happy in a relationship. Maybe she could've talked to him, she thought. 'Hi Ryan, me and Seth are two stupid virgins, we've been going out for a month and I've not even taken my top off yet. I don't think he actually likes me and it is butchering my self esteem and self image with every passing moment". But Ryan didn't deserve that, and Anna didn't want to be Marissa. She didn't want to make it about her.

And Anna couldn't ask that of him, not when she believed, maybe even hoped, he had feelings for her. Or was she fooling herself as Marissa said, deflecting her failing relationship elsewhere. But those looks he'd given her, the carnival. The yacht party. Cotillon. The concert.

Anna turned away from the door in silence, returning to her passionless bed.

Marissa and Ryan were getting changed from their golfing attire on the first night of the trip. Ryan took off his leather bracelet, placing it on the bedside table. He had always enjoyed the act of making a room he would only stay in for a short while homely. It had been one of the few things he had looked forward to in his early, unstable life with Dawn and Trey.

Marissa was looking out the window, onto the balcony that was only linked to their room. This house was ridiculous, Ryan thought to himself. In turn he sat on one of the two single beds that him and Oliver had pushed together earlier that day. The sun was starting to set, but there was more than enough light pouring in through the giant, floor to ceiling windows.

"Are you thinking about what happened on the golf course?" Ryan asked, seeing that she was deep in contemplation.
"Kinda", she said.

"Try me", Ryan said, kicking his shoes off and lying back on the bed otherwise fully clothed. Marissa took a quick breath in as she turned from the window.

"Anna was looking at you a lot, on the golf course today". Outwardly, Ryan's expression didn't shift.

"Okay", he said. It hadn't exactly been the reflection on Oliver's insane golf cart stunt he had been hoping for.

"It is just, every time I looked over to check on Summer, there she was looking out through that little pixie cut. Then she would glance away, at the ground or Seth or something".
"Maybe she was checking we were okay? It has been a rough time recently", Ryan said, trying to keep his cool at both the implied accusation and the implied insult aimed at Anna.

"It seemed more than that…" Marissa said.

"I mean, Oliver looks at you all the time". Ryan said reflexively with near immediate regret. Oliver had not put him in the mood for idle accusation, though perhaps that had been his intention.

"We aren't going over this again, Oliver is my friend Ryan", Marissa asserted.

"Yeah, well Anna is mine", Ryan shot back.

There for silence for a moment. Marissa looked across at him. She was still standing, he was still on the bed, no longer lying down.

"Is she?"
"Yes", Ryan said exasperated. "And frankly, given everything with Oliver…" he had to pause with frustration "God, I don't know, can't we just forget other people, at least for a little while". Ryan looked up at Marissa, trying to force a smile. Marissa gave a slight nod.
"Okay. No Oliver, No Anna", she said with a smile, joining him on the bed. "Besides, it'll be easier to talk about when we aren't all living in the same space. It is no wonder everyone is looking at everyone else". Ryan nodded slowly as she snuggled up against his chest.

"I'm sorry", he said.

"Me too", she replied, kissing him gently on the cheek.


That evening, when the sun had set, Ryan walked into the decadent living room area. The size of any house he'd ever lived in before the Cohen's took him in. He looked out across the chasm that was Oliver's house, towards the room where Anna and Seth were staying. Closing his eyes, clenching his fist. He thought about Luke's words. He couldn't go on like this.

She is hurting. The words had cut through him. Why now? Wrong time? Or had he made the wrong choice. At Cotillon. At Christmas, New Year, now…

For a brief moment Ryan found himself marching across the living room.

But his courage failed him.

The distance proved insurmountable once again. The cost would be too great.

Defeated, he retreated back to his room.