Monday, July 20, 2009

Sessions 11 - Figured You Out

And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard, just to figure you out
(Now I did, you wonder why)






South Beach - Stanfield Residence - 10:00 PM


He heard them before he hit the sidewalk. Every word she said, Ryan heard it, his heart pounding with intense, almost overwhelming emotion. She made a mistake? Hell yes she’d made a mistake. He’d waited a long time to hear her admit it; too long. He should have moved on, but now that long dry wait was over and it had been worth it.

The security cameras he’d installed pointed at him now, direction wrong but wind and rain and Stanfield’s disinterest in anything but himself had something to do with that. He put them up; he knew how they worked and how to shut them down. Nothing about this evening would be recorded. Another detail but one he would take care of before the night ended.


“Beth!” Ryan shouted. She closed her hands around the rail and stared down at him and he could see the flash in her eyes from two damn stories up. That’s what he had been waiting for, and nothing was going to stop him now. “I’m taking you out of here,” he called up to her, “Let’s go.”


Cooper moved, and Ryan had to admit he moved fast, grabbing her arm and shoving her back behind him. “You get the fuck out of here!” he yelled down.


Ryan watched her. From behind Cooper, she was still looking at him. He smiled. “Not this time,” he shouted up at him. “You let her come down or I’m coming up there to get her.”


Cooper wheeled around, pushing her aside. She tried to intervene, her gesture urgent; Ryan couldn’t hear what she said but Cooper’s loud and enraged retort echoed off the white stone walls: “Hell no! No way! You don’t move! Stay here!”


Ryan turned and headed for the front door, wondering if he was going to have to go through the man to get her, a complication he’d enjoy if he got the chance, when a red VW Beetle whipped around the corner and pulled right up on the sidewalk in front of him. If he’d been two feet closer to the curb, it would have hit him.


Wyatt leaped out, already yelling, and right behind him, almost hurtling over the back of the little car, Rainie, and in full cry herself.


Rainie continued to curse vehemently at Wyatt who looked as though he intended to do something, although Ryan wasn't sure what, when the front door slammed open.

“Rayne!” He stepped toward her ignoring Wyatt and the damned car. “Hey cut it out! You need to get in the house! I don't want you to get hurt!”

Wyatt shoved himself in the middle shouting, "Fuck you, McDermott! Get the fuck away from my sister!”


Ryan took a couple of seconds to stare down Rayne, who stopped screaming, then ripped his gaze back to the front door. Cooper. Not Beth. She was nowhere in sight. Had he threatened her to keep her inside the house, and with what?


Ryan reached out, gesturing for Cooper to come closer. "Give me a reason Cooper, come on...bring it."

"Asshole!" Wyatt sidestepped in front of his sister in a futile attempt to keep her out of the fray.

"It's not Ryan's fault!" Rayne shrieked.


Standing there, taunting, daring him to come closer, Ryan watched as Cooper glanced between him and his children. Exhaling sharply, Cooper changed direction and anger and frustration laced his words as he urged them into the house. "Both of you get inside and stay there. Now!"


Distracted, Cooper let his attention stray from the front door until he heard rapid footsteps behind him. He whipped back in time to see Beth leaving the house, walking quickly, a half run that took her out to the edge of the front steps heading directly for Ryan.


Harboring few illusions about his ability to stop her if she intended to leave with the son of a bitch, still caught somewhere been rage and stunned incomprehension, Cooper hesitated, watching the two of them.


She was already right up there in Ryan’s face demanding, “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Ryan glanced over her shoulder and met Cooper’s eyes. He reached down past her waist and deliberately put his hand on her ass. Cooper half choked on his own livid anger, and took another furious stride toward the couple when Beth, her back still to him, struck Ryan’s hand aside. She repeated the question and punctuated it. “Don’t touch me! What are you doing here?!”

“This is over,” Ryan told her in a flat, hard voice. “We’re leaving. Come on, get in the car.”


She drew a quick slash through the dark air with one hand. Cooper recognized that little angry gesture, clenched his jaw and forced himself to stand where he was and wait. This wasn’t going down the way Ryan thought it was. “I’m not going anywhere with you! You think I’m just going to waltz off into the sunset and leave my children? Are you crazy?”


Cooper caught the reference to their children instead of him. So did Ryan, who shot him another faintly amused glare. “We can deal with the kids later. There’s no way I’m leaving you here now, not after this.”


Beth stared up at Ryan, eyes wide. For the first time since she left the house, she looked at Cooper, one quick enigmatic glance then past him at the ocean, a landscape that went all the way back for her and Cooper knew it. Further back than he’d thought about for a long time. She returned her attention to Ryan and countered coldly, “You don’t get to make that choice, Ryan. That’s my choice.”


Striding confidently toward them now, adrenaline pumping furiously, Cooper threatened, "I said get the fuck off my property and stay the hell away from my wife! How many times do I need to say it? You need me to draw a damned picture?”


“Your wife? Your damned toy! You treat your goddamned guitar better than you treat her! You lost her a long time ago – you just figuring that out?” Ryan waited hands on hips and poised to strike if it came to that, relishing the idea that it might.


His eyes blazing, Cooper took another step closer, folded his arms and laughed at him. “Who do you think you’re dealing with? I don’t lose what I want to keep. You took your shot at her. You think I’m fucking worried? She didn’t come back for more, did she? Real damned impressive man, or am I missing something here?”


Ryan lowered his arms, glanced from Beth and then back to Cooper, and smiled right back. "You missed a hell of a lot Cooper. You think it was just about the sex? Get real! I was the one who was there for your kids, the one she talked to, counted on, relied on for support. Take another look at those pictures and tell me that was just sex."


Momentarily stunned into silence, Cooper drew a sharp breath. He had seen it and that was what cut the deepest, that and the knowledge that he allowed it to happen without a single attempt to diffuse it. Cooper glanced at his wife whose face was stricken with deep emotion.


She turned her shoulder to him and looked at Ryan – and that look was long and direct and achingly intense -- drew one hand across her eyes and then slowly moved toward Cooper.


Beth moved up behind him, slipped one arm around his waist and then, with her gaze firmly locked on Ryan, slowly and deliberately slid her hand down inside the front of Cooper’s jeans. Surprised and relieved – he knew what she was doing; she was going for blood – Cooper shifted his weight slightly, smiled down at her, and then back at Ryan, waiting for it. “You’re wrong, Ryan,” Beth vowed in a silky and provocative voice. “You were nothing but a one-time fuck. I prefer what I have right here. I don’t need you. I don’t want you.”


Ryan almost staggered, caught himself, searching her face. It was closed and hard, her eyes dark and lifeless, reflecting nothing. She couldn’t possibly mean that. Under his scrutiny, she finally shifted her gaze out to the flat black eastern horizon. “Beth,” he tried, “you don’t have to put up with this shit. He can’t stop you.”


She whipped her eyes back at him, still and stiff as a doll in Cooper’s grasp. “Neither can you,” she spat at him. “I’m where I want to be. I said I don’t want you. Go away.”

South Metro Area - Adams Square - 11 PM


He drove mindlessly, attempting to shove the pain aside, focusing, a right turn here, left turn at the light until he ended up downtown in the South Metro area. Ryan parked the Suburban and walked, trying to clear his head, and wandered past restaurants, galleries, and shops until he ended up at Adams Square and the 123 Club. He strode toward the bar; it didn't look too crowded, a few regulars shooting pool and the lounge upstairs would be dark.


Easing onto the seats along the corner of the place Ryan waited for the cocktail waitress. He turned his focus toward the floor, black tiles offset by the blood red haze from the club. Trying to make sense of what had happened tonight only further frustrated him. He needed to feel numb; he needed a fucking drink. From the corner of his eye Ryan caught a few women eying him from the dance floor. Shit, he didn't want this, not tonight.


Abandoning his seat Ryan slipped onto a vacant bar stool. "Double Scotch, neat and keep the glass full," he rumbled, pounding one down and gesturing for another. Beth made a choice, an inconceivably wrong decision to stay and she had done it while driving a stake through his heart deliberately and precisely.


The sickly sweet aroma of rosewater assaulted him as a woman sat at the bar and gestured toward him. "I couldn't help noticing you came in here alone. Maybe you'd like to change that if you're looking for a good time? I'm Rhonda."


"Fuck off Rhonda." Ryan tapped his glass, a gesture the bartender recognized as she filled his glass to the rim. Nothing had gone according to plan, nothing about tonight made any sense at all. He knew what was in her heart; he saw it in her eyes, didn't he?

Ryan drew a shaky breath. Focus, damn it, pull yourself together. But all Ryan saw was Beth, her hands in Stanfield's pants, looking at him with cold, unfeeling eyes. That wasn't her; she had to be afraid of something; that had to be it. He must have threatened her. If he had, Ryan would rip him apart, slowly and painfully.


He had to move, keep moving, get up, and get out of here. Sliding off the stool Ryan grabbed his Scotch and headed for the balcony.


Ryan stared morosely at the towers across town as he nursed the drink in his right hand. Sirens wailed past him, people filed out of the theatre below, the aroma of Chinese food wafted up from the street.


Briefly raising his glass in a mock toast, a cynical gesture at best, Ryan swallowed the remaining Scotch. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough to drown the pain.


Hurling the glass Ryan abruptly turned. "Keep moving," he muttered as he headed down the stairs.



South Metro Area - Market Street - 12:00 AM


Although it was situated only a few blocks from Adams Square, the Red Light attracted a less savory clientele which was fine as far as Ryan was concerned. His comfort level was never in question in the seedier parts of downtown. Few people were on the streets at this hour; most were either in the alley around the back, perusing the extensive collection of porn at the video store or hooking up for a few bucks with a trick in the hotel down the street.


Leaning against the door Ryan hesitated as the raucous music filtered down from the club upstairs. "Fuck it." Riley was with Landry's mother and the house would be quiet, no crying baby, no diapers, no reason not to get stinking drunk. Seizing the opportunity Ryan turned and headed for the liquor store.


He stared at the shelves of Glenlivet. A hazy memory poked at him; Beth hated the smell of Scotch and had declared gin as the far superior liquor. He in turn had disputed her choice calling it a "girly drink" knowing she would rise to the challenge, ending up with each of them attempting to out-drink the other. Waking up the next morning with sunlight stabbing him in the eyes, sprawled out on the upstairs couch, a cotton blanket tossed over his bare shoulders, he’d found her curled up next to him, sound asleep and warm and still smiling. They both ended up with horrendous hangovers despite the fact that neither admitted it.

Beth…

She should have been in his bed tonight, and the next and the next. Flooded with pain and shock Ryan abruptly left and returned to the Red Light.


As he eased onto the stool the bartender acknowledged him with a nod and slid a glass filled with the amber colored single-malt that Ryan liked. He lifted the glass to his mouth and drank deeply, averting his eyes from the bottle of Bombay Sapphire – the gin she kept in the freezer at the beach house - and focusing on the reflection of the stripper in the mirror. The dancers here knew him and liked him and left him alone unless he wanted their attention. It was uncomplicated. It was also infrequent much to the girls' chagrin.


He'd been at it for the better part of two hours pounding down the Scotch and the bartender kept them coming. The music, the lights and the heat hammered at him as he went back over everything that happened. No way would she turn on him like that. He heard them fighting, heard Beth tell Cooper she made a mistake. It had to be the kids; Stanfield used them as a weapon against her. Hadn't Beth told him she couldn't leave her kids? She’d even said it that night, when they’d argued – that had been a stupid move, to argue with her after all those hours together. But that had been part of it.


Arrogant asshole didn't give a damn about them either. It was Ryan's presence in Rainie's life that molded her into who she was, a strong, focused, determined and capable girl, but she was running wild now that he wasn’t there to keep her in line. Beth had to remember that, all those days at the beach, the nights spent talking and laughing and challenging each other. He’d seen the way she looked at him; he knew how she felt. They fit, damn it. How the hell could she turn on him? It didn’t add up. The wrenching pain struck through him again. "Fuck!" he muttered.


"Ryan, are you all right? You've been going at it pretty hard tonight. You want some company?"

Momentarily distracted he replied somewhat incoherently, "Yeah...no, no...I'm...fine...working something out that's all." He absently slipped a twenty in the waist of her panties as he thought about those damned tabloid shots. It wasn't just sex that night, he knew it, Beth knew it and Cooper knew it. Any sane person would have known that. "What's insane is that she's not leaving that asshole." Had he said that out loud or just thought it? Everything was beginning to blur.


The girl slid onto the barstool next to him, silent but continuing to watch him.

But Beth hadn't left Stanfield; she chose to stay. “I’m where I want to be. I said I don’t want you. Go away.” Deeply wounded, overwhelming anguish surging through him, Ryan's grip on the glass tightened until it shattered, the shards and the Scotch raining down on his jeans. He was oblivious to it as the grief he tried desperately to stave off slammed him in one heartrending wave after another.


Ryan gave into it, folded his arms and lowered his head onto the wet bar counter and drew one deep ragged audible breath. The world closed down on him. He’d failed. He’d left the woman he loved in an untenable situation, locked in a relationship that would destroy her, he’d miscalculated, he’d underestimated the enemy, he’d waited too long, he’d seen it and recognized it and didn’t follow up, he’d screwed up from the beginning. And he was left with nothing now but a dark and bleeding hole in his heart.

South Beach - McDermott Residence - 2 AM











Was this real? Ryan staggered up, lurched onto the unmade bed and with one powerful but unsteady motion lifted her up onto his lap. She felt real. His vision was blurred, seeing two women, four, duplicated and flashing in the mirror on the wall behind her.


"I knew you'd come."

"I'm here for you," she whispered softly.


“I love you Beth,” he swore, the words slurred. “Stay with me. Don’t leave.”


The room darkened and spun. He closed his eyes, grabbing a fistful of her long hair, leaning back onto the bed, pulling her down on top of him. Ryan felt her breath against his mouth. “I won’t…and I love you too…”

----------------------

NEXT CHAPTER: Sessions Chapter 12

43 comments:

thewynd said...

Oh boy, talk about a runaway train...seeing it all together like this...I can't help it...I feel so bad for Ryan, poor guy. I just want to wrap my arms around him. He was in a no-win situation, doomed from the start.

You did an amazing job here pulling this all together. Damn it was a hard one!

S.B. said...

Yeah it was hard. Thank you so much for everything. You always come up with the perfect solution!

Sinclair said...

Was that last bit a fantasy or real? And even though im pretty sure I already know the answer..Is this going to wrap up in a pretty bow? Or is this the beginning of a new era for everyone. Cause it feels like thanks to Cooper's inatentiveness (if thats a real word not sure) and Beths loneliness and Wyatts arogance and Raynes innocence and Ryans feelings everyone has just landed in a pile of shit. And its gonna take them a long time to crawl out.

S.B. said...

Hi Sinclair! You have absolutely hit on a lot of the hot spots.

Was the last bit fantasy or real? Maybe some of both.

No pretty bows. We can guarantee that.

Thank you so much! I couldn't have said it any better than you just did!

Phoenix said...

I sorta feel bad for Ryan but on the other hand I don't. He had to know, messing with a married woman, that this could be a possible ending. *shakes head*

And then Beth perhaps staying with Coop for the kids? That's not a healthy realtionship at all. There's going to be some shakey ground in their realtionship for a long time...if they STAY in a relationship!

You guys are awesome. Seriously! I felt as if I was there, following along after everyone and feeling their pain, confusion...anger. This just blew everything out of the water. Seriously!

S.B. said...

Hey Phoenix thank you!

We were trying for a lot of different levels in this one. Not sure I nailed them all. If Ryan wants to believe that she's staying for the kids, well, that's his perception.

Sometimes the 'get lost I don't want you' is an act of love.

Ryan may have much bigger problems. That last shot was deliberate.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

Penelope said...

Man, Ryan's really knock'n 'em back. He's lucky he got home in one piece.

Unless of course, he died of alcohol poisoning and that's why he had that vision of Beth.

Very emotional update! I'm starting to think that Coop is making everyone's life a misery. He can't just step up and be all possessive after neglecting his family, and particularly his wife, for so long. Even if Beth had never gotten mixed up with Ryan, that relationship was down the tube.

On the other hand, Ryan is wrong too. She's married to someone else. And a former friend of his. If she's going to walk away, it has to be on her terms. He can't just stroll up like, "We leave now. You get in car. Me Tarzan, you Jane." I don't know what Beth was thinking but that offends all of my feminist sensibilities. I'd have said no too.

thewynd said...

Sinclair: Good call! That last bit if you look really close speaks volumes. Everyone did fall into a pile of shit didn't they? There really is no winner here. Everyone is walking away with some damage.

Phoenix: Beth staying for the kids? I don't think so. No question there was a close emotional and physical bond with Beth and Ryan but ultimately it should not have happened. Marriage isn't always smooth but you don't cut bait and run when it is worth fighting for you know?

Pen: Rest assured Ryan did not die of alcohol poisoning! LOL! But he was definitely not seeing straight. If you look closely, you'll know he wasn't seeing straight. As for Cooper, he has had his eyes opened to the fact that he allowed this to happen. I wouldn't say he made everyone miserable though. Everyone had a hand in how things turned out. And yeah, I highly doubt that Beth would go for the whole control thing regardless of who it was.

Thanks everyone for reading! We really do appreciate it.

Muzegoddess said...

Can I just say that I have been checking everyday for an update like a mad woman....this was well worth waiting for. I absolutely love the shots in the stip club; very well done.

Ryan's pain is captured so intensely, he is falling apart. I didn't realize that he loved Beth so much and I felt so bad for him when she "turned on him."

I am dying for Cooper as well, because he knows now that there was more between Ryan and Beth, something much deeper.

Now as for the first shot and the last shot....I think I get it now that I looked at it twice. If this means what I think it does......WOW!!!!!! :)

Phoenix said...

OH...MY...GOD!!!! I think I know who that is in the last shot! As a matter of fact I KNOW I know who that is! Is she KIDDING me? Where does she think this is going to go? Oh boy!! Oh boy!! She needs to get her head out of the clouds and face real life. The crap is going to hit the fan if, when, this comes out!

Penelope said...

WHAT THE- Oh. My. God. I didn't even see that. She's out of her mind.

S.B. said...

Muzegoddess -- oh thank you! That strip club whipped my butt. Crashed etc etc so it was hard to do.

Absolutely yes Ryan is deep into it. He's only felt that way once before, a long time ago. And it went south for him that time too.

Cooper has a lot more control and power here than Ryan does.

Yeah. You are right about that last shot.

S.B. said...

Phoenix and Pen:

LMAO!!!

Yeah.

Out of her mind? Probably not. Wrong target though.

Emily said...

Oh God, freakin Rainie! One look at those eyes was all it took for me, you little tart! This shiz is just going to escalate now, somebody better chain Wyatt to a wall! And give Ryan a puke bag! :D

Boo hoo, I feel so sorry for Ryan, NOT! LMAO, sorry, I just cannot stand him, he has been so delusional about this whole thing. I mean, you guys really didn't exactly SHOW us what happened but I think we're all pretty sure Beth knows what they did was a mistake and she's desperately in love with her hubby. Who is NOT abusive! Where the hell does Ryan get that idea from?!

Oh and talk about irony...Ryan molded Rayne into who she is (according to him anyway) - and now look at WHERE she is and with whom! HA HA HA HA!

You guys never, ever cease to amaze. This one was one of the best and I'm glad Beth let him have it dammit. Although her not mentioning Cooper and just the kids does frost my cookies, I hope she isn't secretly planning anything...

Fabulous update, good til the last drop!

Unknown said...

Might I say that the only person in this whole sorted affair - pun intended - who's going to, in the long-run, get what she deserves is Rayne? I can't abide spoiled, snotty little brats. :)

I really don't think Beth stayed just because of the kids, yeah, Cooper's a challenge to live with, but from what I've seen of him, which admittedly is not the entire story (although I did start at the very beginning when I started reading, I just kinda skipped and came forward when I realized I'd be older and grayer before I got caught up. :D) Cooper has always been loyal and Beth knew what he was when she married him.

Ryan, well Ryan's seriously screwed up and now he's managed to screw himself up even more. I hope he finds himself, he seems like a man with a good heart, just really stinken bad choices.

Lastly, S.B. I know you were having worries about the pictures, but you've done an incredible job. I absolutely love the spotlighting effect. It draws the attention so beautifully to where we should be looking.

Excellent work, both of you.

Anonymous said...

I wish that I could put into words what I'm feeling right now. The sounds I'm making!!!! I sound like a a raccoon dying under a space heater!!!!

I had to reread this about four times because you completely captured Ryan's anguish and I couldn't help but read it over and over with my jaw hanging open. His pain is so TANGIBLE, I can almost frickin' taste it. And your description of his emotion, his need to drown his pain - BUT EVEN MORE SO WITH BETH, and her conflict! It was so clear, and while I'm glad she made her own choice (or did she???) she seems to be making a career out of hurting Ryan. If he was going to drop his torch for her, now was the time to do it.

But ACK! ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK! ACK!

ACK!

That last shot. I was unsure, and stared at it for like an hour. But I am no longer unsure because there are two things that I am completely positive about: 1)BETH'S EYES ARE GREEN and 2) I'm screaming like a dying raccoon because WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT GIRL THINKING?! I know exactly what she thinking because she's been thinking it since Landry died. I could smack her. I COULD SMACK HER.

I'm rambling. I'm rambling.

Final notes, that city lot is a-frickin'- mazing, and how you even make these lots is like... I'm totally in awe... I couldn't even attempt something like that, not just because my computer would fall over and die, but because my brain can't even wrap around that level of detail. Your strippers are gorgeous. Random, I know, but it must be said. And OH MY GOD I'M PRACTICALLY MELTING. This whole thing just threw me out a window. And that last shot closed the blinds. Freaking out.

thewynd said...

Muzegoddess: Yay our first stalker!!! Kidding you. Ryan is falling apart. Normally in control and reserved he really did fall hard. He grossly miscalculated and he is crumbling. But you know what? He will pull it together. He has to. And yeah those shots say a lot don't they? Beth's amazing concept.

Emily: No, we didn't show what happened between Beth and Ryan but believe me it was mutual. For all intents and purposes they were a family. The feelings go deep on both sides. Unfortunately for him there was never a contest between him and Cooper. Those feelings are far beyond anything Ryan can touch. As for Rainie...stay tuned.

Lachesis: I think you nailed it with Beth and Cooper. It is not a typical relationship or lifestyle but the love transcends everything. Ryan does deserve to be loved and hopefully he can find it one day. But truthfully I doubt very seriously that he will ever love this deeply or completely again. And you were spot on with Beth's shots. She worries but she always nails it perfectly.

Thanks guys for the continued support! I can assure you we have more twists and turns to throw at you.

thewynd said...

Veron: Can I say you crack me up? Because you do. I always look forward to your comments, I really do.

Getting the emotions, the pain, the betrayal, the shock, the utter confusion, the anguish, the sense of loss was a goal we both had for this piece. It took a long time, myriad rewrites, blood, sweat and a lot of tears. You cannot know how much it means to know that it was tangible. Thank you for that.

The city lot where the strip club was is a work of art. You have no idea how much stuff is really there. Seriously. And it was a total nightmare that kept crashing on Beth.

Thank you Veron!

S.B. said...

Lachesis - the great spotlights in the shots in the last sequence were Gayl's masterful touch. I just got the shots. She made them work.

Rayne is going to do what she does until she finds what she wants. She's not quite what she seems to be.

thank you SO MUCH!

cheripye said...

Must come back, when I am not so sleepy!

Stunning just breathtaking and frightening all in one!!! Beth and Coop, Ryan and Beth, the prospective end... Oh dear heavens. LOL! Great screens and impeccable writing!

Unknown said...

Yeah, S.B. but if she didn't have the great shots to spotlight to begin with... :D

Which I've come back to add that the shot of Cooper leaning over the rail with his hand in the air has got to rank high on really good use of angle, pose boxes and facial expressions. I'll really to love it. without words it says loud and clear "what the f**k?"

S.B. said...

Hey Veron -

1: I love Ryan. And he's getting trashed right now. And I think his heart has always been in the right place.

2: that girl is thinking that he's the one. She's not going to stop. Ryan may be collateral damage.

3. I didn't build that lot LOL! Got it and rehabbed it and took some of the insides out and reworked them and changed everything and then put my strippers in there. NOW those girls were a challenge.

We both work really hard to put this together.

If you like it, I'm happy!

S.B. said...

Lachesis - it really is always a joint effort. Shots and lighting and writing - both of us contributed to all of them.

That particular shot was hard to get!

Audrey said...

WTF?! AHH! Ok well if I thought the showdown between cooper and ryan would be crazy…not that it wasn’t…but that last shot…enough said. That girl is crazy! Maybe ryan will realize? kinda difficult to realize anything when you’re that drunk but idk that’s not looking good… unless its not real..but it seems real…but really wtf Lol. Ryan’s life in general just keeps getting worse that poor thing lol but I cant feel too sorry for him. As for cooper and beth, good for them hopefully they’ll be able to fix things. Although I don’t think Beth really wanted to hurt ryan the way that she did and only said what she said in that way to get him to go away. It was clear however that what ryan said about cooper never being around was intended to cut deep and that it did. What a mess this is.. I love it! Lol. There are soo many emotions in this piece it’s incredible. From beginning to end this was just amazing. The shots, the writing, the sets, Everything.

Mizzgin03 said...

Ok so WOW! Rainie is crazy! I cannot believe she would even......my God, does she know what's she done? Excellent as usual!

S.B. said...

Audrey, you are exactly right. Beth didn't want to hurt Ryan but she had to do it. Cooper's going to realize what he has to lose.

Ryan is a really great guy. Maybe he needs an AW scenario.

and the girl is crazy in the final shot...LOL!!!

thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment!

Thank you!

Van said...

Poor Ryan :(

I can see where Beth's coming from, wanting to stay with the kids, but at the same time, Ryan's got a point there when he says that he's the one who's been there for her and the kids instead of Cooper. The poor guy's life pretty much sucks right now, doesn't it? I kind of want to give Ryan a hug...

All of your sets are so perfect--gorgeous pictures! That coupled with the great prose make for some excellent setting of the mood. Nice work :)

Can't wait to see whether or not Beth actually came, or whether she was just a drunken fantasy, or whether she came, but he embellished her visit in his mind somewhat. Whichever it is, it's sure going to have some interesting repercussions :)

Mao said...

Oh, dude. This so deserves a long comment, but I'm a dumbass and managed to burn my fingers. SO I'll make it short and sweet.

What. The. Hell. I am more confused than any of the players in this piece! Is Ryan hallucinating? Why would Beth say she was staying and then go to Ryan?

And most important, Ryan thinks Rayne is a good kid? LOL!

Great job! You have me questioning EVERYTHING.

Mao said...

WHOA, wait a second. I remember an email and if... oh my GOD. WHAT THE HELL. LOL.

Burnt fingers be damned. YOU TWO ARE SO EVIL, LOL.

I cannot wait for this one. Oh my GOD.

S.B. said...

Dinuriel - I feel really bad for Ryan too. He made a mistake getting emotionally involved like that, but it was hard to avoid it. They were more or less living together like a little family for a long long time.

I don't think he got his dream girl in the flesh.

Thank you so much for the compliments on the sets and poses. Gayl and I spend an enormous amount of time on them so it's really appreciated!

S.B. said...

Hey Mao! Sorry about your burned fingers. That's terrible!

Your second comment --- you got it.

hehe...we do try, practicing evil every day for at least half an hour.

Go take care of your hand and thank you so much!

thewynd said...

Mizzgin03: Trust me Rayne isn't crazy but she is driven and of a singular purpose. Thank you!

Dinuriel: Yes, poor Ryan. He has a good heart and is a good man really. Sometimes we can't control who we love and he really did go out on a limb as well as outside his comfort zone in terms of emotions. As for the fantasy, yeah, more will be revealed.

Mao: We are evil aren't we? Take care of your fingers!!

cheripye said...

STUNNING!

The tension is certainly high between Cooper and Beth, and I darn near hit the floor.... Everyone matched so wonderfully to their respective roles, and Ryan... *Shaking Head* He has it seriously bad... Especially when he is thinking about Rayne being a good kid and now she is seducing him as her mother... Oh dear that is going to be one hell of a hangover and a surprise.!!!

Once again between the writing and the screens this was absolutely breathtaking, you have both put out a stunner!

S.B. said...

Cherie - thank you! Gayl and I really worked this one over and over to get what we wanted.

Ryan's not the only one who has missed an important part of the Rainie puzzle. Everyone around her is pretty much absorbed in their own complicated problems and paying very little attention to who she really is.

Ryan himself is a good guy who fell into something he didn't expect, and ultimately didn't handle it very well.

thanks so much!

S@n said...

Holly CoW!!!!

That was amazing SB!!! I had such a hard time trying to get here....
but every agonizing second of my waiting was worth!!!

I have spent some time just looking at every picture and I can't decide which one is my favorite, they all are breathtaking, the emotions are so palpable and your decor is just beautiful and so perfect to set the mood of the story... you chose the perfect places to shoot this chapter... beautiful!

about the writing!!! OH MY GOD!!! I was so engrossed in reading that I completely forgot about everything else...
nothing matter but Ryan, there was nothing but Ryan and his feelings... gosh you made me feel I was Ryan!!!! you described his despair and frustration so easily, so perfectly, he really is in love... poor Ryan, he just got a hook directly to his heart... he looks as devastated as he feels... you really overdid yourself in this chapter, every word matches your pictures to perfection!!!

Bravo!!!!

I don't even know what to say, or what to think... Cooper's family wont ever be the same...
after all what has happened, Cooper still treating Beth as his possession!!! how sad is that!!! I thought he would have learned something from this whole mess...

I wish I could figure out Beth's game, but I simply cannot... does she really love Cooper? Was Ryan really a one time fuck? Shit!!!!!

For now I really feel so very sorry for Ryan... and I hate Beth!!!

Wonderful powerful breathtaking chapter, from start to finish the tension was always there...

every word, every picture has an impact that leaves your readers wanting and needing more!!!

I can't really wait to see what is next....

beautiful written and what a powerful chapter!!!!

this just keeps getting better and better!!!

Congratulations you two, again you are fantastic team!! Keep it up and Bows to you again and again!!

Bravo!!!

S.B. said...

Hi Sandy!

It's a collaborative work - both of us did it. The writing, the shots, everything. All I did was upload the shots, so it looks like I did something I didn't.

Ryan is a great guy. I adore him. He got involved with someone who loved him too, but not as much. It happens. Sometimes turning someone away, no matter how much it hurts to do it, is an act of love instead of an act of cruelty.

It is always such a pleasure to read your comments because they are always so heartfelt. Thank you S@andy. For all your support for so long!

AtomicSpaceKitty said...

Oh, my! Rayne, what are you doing, girl?! Wow, talk about an intense chapter. I feel so sad for everyone involved in this mess. I worry too that Ryan may self-destruct. I'm glad though that Beth decided to stay with her husband. I hope that Cooper will heed this wake-up call and start paying more attention to his family.

In addition, I'm just blown away by the sets. Amazing! Such wonderful detail!

I'm really enjoying this story. I look forward to the next chapter. :)

thewynd said...

Cherie: Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment. Yes Ryan does have it bad. This was something that he did not see happening at all and it caused him to make decisions he should have thought very seriously about.

Sandy: We tried very hard to make the utter pain and emotions palpable here. I can't begin to count the number of rewrites and edited documents that we went through before it was right. But knowing that not only the shots but the writing expressed what was happening means a lot. That was our goal. Thanks!

ASK: It was intense and quite the mess! No one escaped here from an emotional smackdown. Ryan definitely is on the brink emotionally. He is always so controlled and private; he opened himself up against his own principles and got slammed big time. Everyone did though. Rayne is definitely driven. It will be interesting to see what happens next won't it?

The sets really are wonderful. Beth has a knack for taking something, gutting it and building something spectacular. She does not miss one detail. Thank you!

S.B. said...

ASK - thanks from me too. A compliment from you on set design is a real honor!

We'll keep trying to work the drama; some of the situations are turning out to be quite a challenge to resolve. :) So glad you're enjoying it and thanks again for taking the time to read and leave us a comment!

Colliegirl said...

Oh no... why do I get the feeling that last scene was real? That he wasn't just super drunk, and that girl wasn't Beth, or just a bar maid who followed him home? It just couldn't be... Rainie, what are you doing??? Is the girl crazy? Lol! I guess she must be!

I kinda felt sorry for Ryan, but he should have known this might happen. That's why there is a rule about not getting personally involved with your employers, because these kind of things can happen. I guess the poor guy is going to have to learn his lesson the hard way. I'm glad he didn't do anything drastic that might hurt himself, though. I actually feared that he might leap off the railing when he was up on that stairway. Whewh!

Hopefully, some good will come out of this. Cooper must realize that he needs to start paying more quality time with his family, especially his wife. And he really needs to start keeping a closer watch on that daughter of his! She is absolutely wild!!!

I can't wait to see Ryan's face when he wakes up in the morning. What a rude awakening he is liable to get! Some things are about to get worse, I fear.

Good work! : D

S.B. said...

Colliegirl - thank you!

Uh no, Ryan's not dreaming. And I feel extremely sorry for him. It was a mistake to get involved with his employer but he had very good reasons to believe that the marriage wasn't going to last.

Cooper is in a difficult situation. Finding a way to do what he loves to do while keeping his family intact is going to be hard. I think it's a little too late for him to start trying to control Rainie.

It will just kill Ryan if he finds out who was in bed with him. Awful.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave us a comment. We really appreciate it!

Jen said...

Wow! This is an amazing story! I am so hooked and I had to continue on reading one after another and now you've left me with a cliffhanger.... arghh! lol I will be back again soon to see what happens next. ;)

S.B. said...

Jennifer, thank you so much! It's just wonderful to know people are still reading this and enjoying it, and we cannot thank you enough for taking the time to leave a comment.