Chapter 2

Ryan placed his phone in the hands-free cradle of his SUV and headed towards Harrison Street to pick up I-80 that would take him across the Bay Bridge and into Berkeley. He looked at the digital clock display. 5:15. Maybe 20 minutes was a little optimistic, he thought as he merged onto the freeway and came to a complete stop in the jam that happened everyday as the commuters left the city for the more suburban pastures of Berkeley and Richmond.

By the time he pulled up to the house it was 6:05. As he got out of the car, the front door opened and there she was. The light in his life, the woman he was marrying in six short weeks. He waved as he closed the car door and bounded up the steps to the front door. As he stepped in the door, Taylor through her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate, lingering kiss on the mouth. Ryan dropped his briefcase and wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her in close, slipping his tongue into her mouth. "I love you, Taylor Townsend, I love you, Taylor Townsend, I love you Taylor Townsend" he gasped between kisses.

"I love you too!!!" Taylor chuckled as she pulled away and walked back to the kitchen.

Ryan Atwood and Taylor Townsend. If someone had suggested that, the first time she tried to take the social chair from Marissa Cooper at Harbor, they would have laughed out loud and said that Ryan and Marissa were the couple most likely to…fill in any blank you like because they were destined to be together.

Ryan was deeply in love with Marissa, but could never express his feelings enough to hold onto her. Taylor was a needy, slightly neurotic/psychotic over-achiever who slowly endeared herself to Ryan's best friend and adoptive brother, Seth first. Then she worked her magic on Summer Roberts, Seth's girlfriend, and finally Marissa just kind of accepted her.

Then came that fateful night. Ryan, Marissa, Seth and Summer had spent a great afternoon together at the model home after graduation. They had made it their own personal going away party for Marissa who was leaving to join her father on his boat. Ryan and Marissa had come to terms (almost) with not being together, and Ryan had insisted on driving Marissa to the airport that night. They couldn't possibly have known that would be the last time anyone would see Marissa alive again.

It all happened so fast. Marissa's crazed ex-boyfriend, Kevin Volchok, still obsessed with her had run Ryan's Toyota off the road. Ryan escaped unharmed, but Marissa died in his arms, and for six months after that, he was lost. Through a touching family intervention, he was coaxed back into the Cohen fold. But one person truly cared about him and literally saved him. Taylor Townsend.

They had a rocky beginning due to Taylor's emotional issues and Ryan's communication issues, but by the time Ryan was heading off to Berkeley and Taylor to France, they had reached a good place in their relationship. They kept in touch throughout college and saw each other during holidays. No commitments, no promises, just two people enjoying each other whenever they were together with all the fringe benefits that came with it. Neither had even considered dating anyone else during those five years that they were apart, but neither had one pressured the other into any kind of commitment. Those three little words had also remained unsaid.

Then came Seth and Summer's wedding last spring. Taylor had emailed Summer to say she would definitely be back from France to be her Maid of Honor and that she would not be going back to France after the wedding. She had asked Summer not to mention that part to Ryan as she knew the time was coming for her and Ryan to finally define their relationship.

Ryan stood next to Seth and watched as Summer walked down the aisle. She was truly a beautiful bride, but in his eyes, not as beautiful as the girl on the other side of the rabbi. All through the ceremony he stole glances at Taylor and reminded himself that Seth's ring for Summer was in his right pocket and his ring for Taylor was in his left. It all went off without a hitch. Summer got the right ring and everyone had a terrific time at the reception. As best man and maid-of honor, Taylor and Ryan were the last to leave. They had been so busy with their wedding duties they had hardly had a chance to talk all night.

As the last guests left and Seth and Summer were off in a limousine to their honeymoon suite, Ryan took Taylor by the hand and led her to the backyard of the Cohen's house where the ceremony had taken place. They sat in the front row and faced each other.

"We need to talk" they said in unison and laughed

"You first" said Ryan

"Really?" squealed Taylor "Because if you know what it is you want to say and don't want to wait, I can." She babbled.

"Taylor, it's fine." Ryan soothed. "What is it you want to tell me?"

Taylor took a deep breath. "Well, I've known for a while, but wasn't sure if I should tell you, but then I thought, why not? I mean it's not like we're 'official' or anything, and we don't say 'I love you', but I didn't want to freak you out and I just thought you should know so we can decide…" She stopped, realizing she'd rambled forever and said absolutely nothing. She looked to the ground and then into Ryan's deep blue eyes and felt a calm come over her. "I'm back from France for good" she continued calmly. "I'm now a UN certified translator and I've been offered a position with the United Nations Association of San Francisco. My life is coming together and I need to know where we stand so I can move forward." She breathed deeply and waited for Ryan's reaction fully expecting him to end it right there rather than face any kind of commitment.

Ryan sat speechless for a moment, more to tease Taylor and play the 'uncommunicative, unexpressive' Ryan than from any shock or fear on his part. He was relieved she was coming back to the States and even better that she'd be coming to the Bay area. It made what he had to say so much easier.

He took Taylor's hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. He watched them dart back and forth across his face trying to read what he was going to say.

"Taylor" he began, "you are an incredible woman, and I've tried over the past 5 years to convince myself that you were the one who got me over Marissa and all that happened" Taylor's stomach flipped. She sensed the 'but' coming. "But" Ryan continued " you weren't 'THE ONE'." Her heart sank. There it was.

"Ryan…" she interrupted. She was going to convince him he was wrong.

Ryan let go of her hand and placed a finger to her lips to silence her. He struggled enough to convey his feelings and interruptions would only make it worse.

"Taylor, I have tried to imagine my life after you with 'THE ONE', and no matter what, I always pictured myself with you. There was no one after you." Taylor felt a lump forming in her throat. Ryan stood up and reached his hand into his left pocket. He pulled Taylor up to stand and then bent down on one knee. Taylor could feel the tears coming, but she smiled down at Ryan and giggled.

"I love you, Taylor Townsend. Will you marry me?" Ryan opened the small velvet box he had been holding in his hand to reveal a beautiful 2 carat emerald cut diamond in platinum setting. He took it out and slid it on Taylor's finger.

"Um, aren't you a little premature with putting that on my finger? I haven't said 'yes' yet." She teased. She pulled Ryan up to stand again and kissed his lips gently. "I love you, Ryan Atwood, of course I'll marry you!"

They had spent every day together since. Taylor had moved into Ryan's house almost immediately after that night and Ryan had said ' I love you, Taylor Townsend' at least three times a day since then. He knew how he felt and he told her... frequently.