Ryan wished so badly lightening would strike through the pool house door and hit him. He groaned rubbing his face and continued to watch Marissa pace and ramble on. He'd been trapped with her in here for almost an hour, it was obvious they wouldn't be let out until the morning. Also to add to the situation Ryan and Marissa had left their cell phones in Ryan's car and the Cohen's had taken out the phone in the pool house. He also had a sneaking suspicion Seth and Summer had planned this.

Marissa finally calmed down and sat on the stairs which led to the kitchen, while Ryan sat on the opposite end of the room. She let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head in disbelief, "Urgh, this…this is a nightmare!"

Ryan shook his head, "Well this isn't exactly a dream for me either." Yet she continued her rant.

"I mean my wedding's tomorrow yet I'm stuck in the pool house in a freakin' storm."

Ryan rolled his eyes and took off his suit jacket, "Yeah? Well I have a plane to catch tomorrow."

Marissa looked at him confused, "Plane?"

"Yeah I'm going to Boston, for a year. I got this job offer…" He noticed a flicker of disappointment in Marissa's eyes.

"So you're leaving huh?"

Didn't he just say that? "Yeah. Well I don't have anything to stay for." Ryan sadly replied, quickly glancing at Marissa as he proceeded to remove his tie.

"Yeah you do." Marissa spoke up, her ears turning red.

"Oh yeah?" I wish I was staying for you.

"I mean…the Cohen's and Seth and Summer…" And me.

Ryan sadly nodded and moved to his bedside, sitting almost opposite from Marissa, "I never thought I'd see you married to…to someone else…"

Marisa nodded, "Well maybe…maybe it wasn't meant to be…" She swallowed but she knew that wasn't it, "Why?"

Ryan looked up confused and found Marissa's eyes welled up with tears.

"Why? Why what?"

"I mean…we loved each other didn't we? We were going to get married…then why Ryan?"

"I've wanted to know the same thing…just in one night you pack up and go off to New York?" Ryan knew they couldn't avoid this forever.

"And in one night you broke my heart and everything I thought we had in a relationship?" Marissa raised her voice, the tension in the room heightened.

"Me? You're he one who left without so much as a goodbye!"

"At least I didn't hook up with a guy right in front of my fiancé!" Marissa stood up, unable to stop the hot tears from escaping her eyes. Ryan also stood, "Wait…wh…what?"

Marissa laughed sarcastically, how could he act dumb now?

"You and that slut, Chloe. At OUR engagement party, remember? Her leg wrapped around yours? Up against this wall!" Marissa angrily hit the wall of the pool house and at that exact moment the power went out, leaving them in darkness.

She saw that happen? Ryan walked over and faced her, 'God Marissa, you actually think I'd hurt you like that? I loved you! I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you!"

"Then why were you kissing her?!" Marissa shouted back, her emotions flooding out of her.

"I didn't. She kissed me…I didn't back"

Marissa's features softened as she finally saw the sincerity in Ryan's eyes, even though they were in darkness, his voice was full of hope and pleading. She'd never seen him like this before.

"You must've come in at that moment…" Ryan, frustrated scratched his hair.

More tears fell out of Marissa's eyes. How could this have happened? Why did it happen?

"You never came after me…I waited, and I waited…"

"I came, after I found out where you were. But you were too busy with your future fiancé, I didn't want to impose."

It was too hard for them to believe. It sounded too easy, but it had happened, and they lost their happiness.

"My god, so we…we lost our future because I misread a situation?" Marissa couldn't believe she was so stupid. Ryan continued, letting everything he felt come out.

"It took me a long time to accept you weren't coming back into my life…yet here you are…"

"Well I'm sorry to ruin your life, Ryan Atwood!" She countered. There the former lover stood, their gazes locked in a stalemate of emotions; sadness, anger, heartache, longing and love. The tension between them was suffocating and they couldn't think of anyone but the person in front of them.

"Why is it I still feel like the sixteen year old kid who fell in love with the girl next door?" Ryan whispered, his and Marissa's gaze still holding strong. I still love you…

Marissa was so lost in Ryan she forgot someone. Jake.

"Stop looking at me…"

"I'm looking at you."

"You are…"

"So are you…" Stop fighting it.

"No I'm not ok? I'm engaged Ryan…I'm getting married tomorrow…yet you keep looking at me…and I, I can't breathe and…but that's wrong…it…I…" She was so confused; she looked down, lost, until Ryan gently lifted her chin.

'And I'm with Jake ok? I love him and he's perfect for me…" Marissa noted Ryan's eyes flicker disappointment.

"You…you love him?" H e softly asked, afraid of her answer.

"Well…yes but…Ryan I can't, I can't…"

"Can't what?"

"Love you." But I do love you.

Hope filled Ryan's heart and he softly wiped the salty tears from her cheek. Her eyes never looking away from his he slowly leaned in.

"Can this help you?" His lips finally brushed against her soft ones in a kiss of love and forgiveness.

Marissa's thoughts were clouded of only Ryan and his lips tenderly embracing hers. This was where she belonged and if she could stay like this for ever and ever…amen.

Ryan hesitantly broke the kiss watching Marissa slowly open her eyes. Both their hearts were swelling with happiness, and their bodies rising with anticipation as they were about to let their lust for one another take over.

Marissa leaned back in kissing Ryan deeply, her tongue gently tracing and parting his lips. He moaned softly as she smiled into his mouth, they kissed almost in rhythm to the rain paltering on the pool house windows. Every inch of Ryan was entirely and wholly focused on Marissa for she was all he could taste, smell, touch, caress and think about.

Feeling her knees go weak he wrapped his arm around her waist, catching her fall. Slowly Marissa's hands travelled up Ryan's body to his shirt collar, and eventually travelled back down as his shirt fell to the floor. Breathlessly their passionate embrace parted, yet their gaze never faltered as Ryan found the hem of Marissa's top and slowly he lifted it up and over her head as it joined Ryan's shirt.

Their lips found their way back to each other, as Marissa's skirt and Ryan's pants also joined the pile on the floor. Their desire for one another took over their feeling of nervousness as they made their way to the pool house bed. They had shared so many special moments together in this space and one more would join the list.

Ryan was completely captivated by Marissa's beauty as she removed her bra and opened her heart so willing for him to love her fully. She gasped as his lips softly kissed an outline across her jaw line and down her neck. Ryan then lowered Marissa and himself down onto the soft covers, their gaze never breaking. Marissa shivered as Ryan kissed down her exposed stomach to the hem of her underwear which he slowly pulled down her long, slender legs. Their breathing was laboured as Marissa kissed him again, softly pulling down his until they were completely naked.

Ryan looked into her eyes, making sure this was what she wanted, she finally kissed him lovingly and her legs parted. She gasped, her eyes closed in pleasure as he entered her and his breath hitched. Together they rocked on the bed, the shadows from the raindrops rippling on their sweat glistened bodies. Marissa was close, and her hands gripped onto Ryan's back as she placed a tender kiss on the dip of his neck. Ryan leaned close to her ear, his voice huskily whispered, "I never stopped loving you."

They climaxed in an expression of their love that they'd never forget. Gasping for air Ryan's head leant on her shoulder as he shivered, Marissa pulled him close softly stroking his hair. They slowly curled together in the sheets, caressing each other's bodies and falling asleep in each other's arms.

A/N: Hope you like it. I rewrote it a few times so it didn't sound smutty. I also would like to give credit for some of the things in the story to Grey's Anatomy, Charmed and I'll Be – Edwin McCain.