Saturday, August 1, 2009

Sessions 12 - Rayne and Ryan and Randi

And in this world
Where nothing else is true

Here I am

Still tangled up in you

I’m still tangled up in you


soundtrack: Tangled Up In You ~ Staind


South Beach - McDermott Residence, 6:12AM


When she thought about this later, she always wondered if she’d slept at all that night. If she had, it was in little broken pieces all scattered and messed up, but probably not. Probably not at all. Rayne sat up and carefully felt her way off the wide bed.





She could see her own reflection in that strange mirror on the opposite wall. Rayne Stanfield captured in dark glass. And there was Ryan, totally wasted and sleeping and all long legs and heavy muscles and dreaming probably but not about her. Even if she fell over her own feet getting out of here, he wasn’t going to even move much less wake up. This was a mess. This had not worked like she thought, not at all.



She ran the water until it was so hot it hurt and forced her hands into it until she couldn’t stand it anymore, all the while avoiding her own reflection in the mirror above the sink. There were too many mirrors in this house.

Yanking on her underwear, her hands shaking, Rayne sat down hard on the big stone platform around a big sunken tub next to another mirror. She kept her back to it. You’ve done a horrible horrible thing, she silently ranted at herself.

Ryan definitely wasn’t going to fall in love with her. After last night – and she’d almost lost her nerve when she walked into the bedroom and he was there stark naked and a LOT bigger than she’d ever expected – well it hadn’t worked. He was crazy about someone else. Her own mother. He kept calling her by her mother’s name. If he woke up and found her here…that could not happen. He would hate her, and probably get arrested and locked up for life. She had to fix this.

Rayne paused next to the bed and took one more long last look at him. She had been so sure, so certain Ryan was the one for her, that he would know it once he saw her as a woman and not a child. She felt sore, exhausted, sweaty, strange, and sick. Her whole body felt bruised. Her brain and her heart and her stomach, everything felt bruised. He wasn’t the right one. It didn’t matter how much she thought he was; he just wasn’t. She had to keep looking, but first she had to move fast. “Bye Ryan,” she whispered. “I’m sorry if I made it worse. And I think I did…”

The door swung open quietly, a soft click, letting in a flood of cool early morning air. Rayne glanced at the clock on the tower down the street – she had time.

She punched in the number on her cell and waited while the dial tone buzzed and buzzed, four times, five. Nervous, her palms sweating, Rayne backed up against the wall. With enormous relief, she finally heard the voice on the other end. “Hey,” she whispered. “Sorry it’s so early but you have got to help me.”

Bay View - Taylor Beach House, 6:20AM


Sand kicked up behind him as Rafe ran steadily along the deserted beach trail. Muffled and rhythmic footfalls pound in cadence with each labored breath, the only sound in the dark pre-dawn until he was home once more. He had been running for over an hour along the dark beach road trying to clear his head, the images from Probe nagging at him. His heart pounded in his chest, sheen from the salty ocean air covered his arms and chest as he breathed deeply.

Hot, tired from lack of sleep and still angry Rafe pushed open the gate in the front yard. His eyes flashed like the guiding light of the distant lighthouse, warning of impending danger and safe harbor. It was too damned hot, the air heavy and still and his sweats were clinging to his body uncomfortably.

The grit and sand on his shoes left a trail on the worn whitewashed steps as he trudged toward the door of the darkened house. Rafe hesitated before entering; he knew Beth, knew that she didn't act on impulse so there must have been more there with McDermott than she let on or was willing to admit. He hadn't seen it but thinking about it on the long run things shifted like the sand beneath his feet. Maybe she was finally stepping out from under the looming shadow of Cooper Stanfield. Allowing his anger to subside he reached for the door.


Rafe pushed hard to get the thing to open; too much humidity kept it from opening easily, and he quietly walked into the darkened hallway. Although everyone was still asleep alarms were going off from the kids' rooms. All he wanted was a shower and to fall into the cool sheets of his bed but a light from the kitchen drew his attention from the stairs.

Walking along the hallway Rafe passed through an archway and into the kitchen where juice was laid out and Randi's favorite Cheerios floated uneaten in a bowl of milk. She was on the deck in an animated conversation on her cell and from her body language Rafe could tell she was unhappy.

Standing by the window Rafe dragged a hand through his damp hair. She was pacing and almost shouting. Who the hell would she be talking to at this hour and in that tone? Frowning, he caught a few words through the window - careless, dangerous - whatever it was, he didn't like it.



Rafe waited quietly just outside the doorway for a long moment and studied his teenage daughter who was oblivious to his presence. Clearly able to catch snatches of her conversation over the surf crashing against the crags along the beach below he took two long strides closer. When Rafe heard Randi use Rayne's name, he stopped short and listened, wary and disturbed.

Rafe edged quietly closer, his footsteps muffled on the deck boards. His first reaction was not surprise. Rayne – that kid had more body than brain and nobody appeared to be watching her carefully. He suspected Randi had covered for her more than once. Randi was gripping her cell and glaring out at the dark bay, her voice raised and angry.

"You slept with him? Are you completely insane Rainie? How am I going to cover for you for something like that? And you know what? I don’t believe you! You’ve been flashing it at Ryan – yes you have – and he is not into you. He’s never -- no, no I don’t care how drunk he was, Ryan would never do that! He’d be totally disgusted – yeah he would, you heard me DISGUSTED puke disgusted…ok I’m not arguing with you but if you did that, that is just gross!”

Did he hear that right? McDermott and Rayne? Horrified, nauseated, Rafe strode toward his daughter, certain of nothing now except his determination to shut this down.

"All right, but you better hope no one finds out, no one! Did you even bother to think about what would happen to Ryan?"

She must have sensed his presence because she turned suddenly and looked square into his face. Randi's expression quickly changed from surprise to mortification as Rafe ordered in a low and dangerous voice, "Get off the phone now!"

"I have to go...no just...I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Dad..."

He waited, waited while she hung up, waited while she looked up at him, waited for his own pulse to stop hammering. It didn’t. It wouldn’t. He could already see what he had to do with this and it made him fucking sick to think about it. Rafe swallowed hard, tasting the salt from the surf, his mouth full of it. Forcing himself to speak, he focused on Randi and demanded, "Whatever you got yourself mixed up in, I already heard plenty; but you start talking right now."

South Beach - Starfish Pier, 9AM


Tired and on edge, Rafe strode down the boardwalk toward the pier and tried to ignore the knot in his stomach. The strong smell of fish hung heavily in the damp air. The door to the coffee shop squeaked open on rusty hinges; he wanted coffee.

He considered it, dropped the idea. He already had enough caffeine in his system to power a damned speedboat. It wouldn’t help.

Sliding onto the uncomfortable stool at the edge of the boardwalk, Rafe glanced at the seagulls, at the bird shit on the table, avoided touching the table, and settled down to wait. She was rarely late; it wouldn’t be long.

He turned on the stool and gazed down the length of the boardwalk back toward the street where he’d parked his bike. Since he’d placed the call – about half a red hot minute after the ‘discussion’ with Randi – Rafe had gone over and over what he should say. If it was anybody else, he would have gone directly to Rainie’s father. McDermott’s role in this whole cluster fuck was almost beyond belief. It wasn’t anybody else though, and, if she did intend to move in his direction, this was going to drop a nuclear bomb on her plans.

Swallowing hard against the fish stink and the caffeine overload, Rafe saw her strolling casually toward him, smiling. He was a little surprised she looked as good as she did. Stanfield was volatile; he would have hit the roof when he saw those photos. Make-up sex? Whatever, that smile wasn’t going to be there for long.

“Hi Rafe, what’s going on?”

He got up, stiff, hesitated a second, then leaned in close, eyes hard and direct, and told her, “Come on down to the end of the pier. We have to talk.”

The heavy air opened up on them before he reached the end of the pier. Beth stood quietly in the rain, watching him, while he went over how he wanted to do this. Rafe glanced down, wiped rain off his forehead, and started in on it. “You’ve got a bigger problem than you think.”

She sighed, toyed with her rings. “I doubt it. I think I know what I’m dealing with. Whatever you have to say that’s so urgent, just say it.”

Thunder rolled on the other side of the dark bluffs. Appropriate, Rafe thought unhappily; all he needed now was the rest of the cliché – a bolt of lightning striking the ground in front of him. “I caught Randi trying to cover for Rayne. Beth, she said she’s having sex with Ryan McDermott. She spent last night with him.”

He saw her stumble on those high-heeled sandals. She took a step toward him, clasped her hands around her hips, tilted her chin. "That’s crazy. That is absolutely crazy. That’s not true. That cannot possibly be true. You’re mistaken.”

It was always the same with her; if she didn’t like it, the first thing she did was deny it. “I am not mistaken,” Rafe insisted firmly anger and frustration beginning to bubble to the surface. “Rainie claimed the man was drunk, wasted, but come on, Beth! If it was my daughter, I’d kill the son of a bitch! You think she’s lying? Think about it – why would she make up something like that? Use your damned head for once!”


Beth dropped her arms, took another step closer, bit her lip and then blasted, “You listen to me Rafe Taylor! There is no way Ryan would do that! I don’t know what you think you know or what Randi thinks she knows or what kind of fantasy Rainie is spinning, but that did NOT happen! Don’t you dare go spreading that kind of lie – that would – that would ruin Ryan's whole life!”


“Ryan?” he repeated, stunned and angry. “You’re going to blow this off because you don’t want to hurt Ryan? What about your daughter? She’s a kid! How in hell could she end up in bed with goddamned Ryan?!”

“I’m telling you it never happened! I don’t care what she said, it didn’t happen! I know Ryan – I know him a lot better than you apparently understand – if Rainie said that, she’s lying!”

Rafe folded his arms and glared back at her. The heavy rain had begun to run down the back of his neck, irritating him even more. “I saw the photos, Beth. I do get how well you ‘understand’ Ryan. Me and everybody else. You’ve been playing a real sweet game for a long time, both of you. If he’s messing around with a teenage girl now, it’s going to come out. Get your damned priorities straight!”

She stood there, breathing hard, raindrops beading her hair, staring at him, staring past him at the pounding surf. The purple sail on the boat docked next to the pier flapped in the wind. A man on the boardwalk yelled at a stray dog. Rafe shifted his weight and a loose board under his left foot creaked. He started to wonder how long she was going to just stand there. He had always been able to read her, but he couldn’t now. Something had changed.

And abruptly she exploded, turning her back to him and starting down the pier in the opposite direction. “Leave me the hell alone! Just leave me alone!”

Nonplussed, watching her stride rapidly away, carting her delusions with her, Rafe drew a deep breath and muttered, “Yeah. Tell that to the whole fucking world.”

South Beach - McDermott Residence, 10AM


She slowly eased her car up against the curb, backing up in front of Ryan’s black SUV and then sat there while the watery sunlight burned through the windshield. The evaporating rain wrapped his somewhat ragged foundation plants in a cloudy mist.

A wave of nausea hit her so hard she lowered her head, resting it against the steering wheel as she tried to breathe through it. This could not have happened. Shock and horror and the sick conviction that it might have, that it could have, that somehow her own daughter might have engineered something so horrific she could barely stand to think about it… well she had to think about it.

Swinging open the car door, she got shakily to her feet and walked around to the sidewalk, glanced down the street, then up at the house.


What was she going to say to him? Good morning Ryan, did you screw my daughter? Even if it had happened, even if he realized it had happened, would he tell her? Would she tell him? It would destroy him.  Was there a so what in there somewhere?



She wiped beads of cold sweat off her forehead and started toward the steps to the front of the house. The monstrous consequences multiplied. A gigantic and poisonous hydra headed dragon of almost unimaginable consequences. And through the haze of fear and pain, the dragon grew yet another head and bit hard. Jealousy. Beth drew a sharp, furious breath. How could this have happened?  What did he do?  What was he thinking?  He wouldn't do something like that deliberately.  Would Rayne?



The living room was quiet, the familiar furniture, the worn leather on the sofa – they’d sat on that sofa together and talked and teased each other, laughing about nothing and everything. Ryan’s execrable taste in tv shows; the broken oven he hadn’t bothered to repair since he had a microwave and a grill; her stupid handbag with half her belongings stuffed into it; that pull, always there. She missed him. Too much. Way too much.



Misery so powerful it brought stinging tears to her eyes…she let them come, hot and scalding, and took a step back. She couldn’t do this.



She did not love him.  Coming here was a mistake.  She turned her back to the door and everything behind it. 

Cleaning up this mess was the only important thing.

~~~~~

South Beach - Stanfield Residence, 11AM





“Rayne Stanfield, what have you done?”

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

NEXT CHAPTER: Sessions Chapter 13

33 comments:

Van said...

Oh, what a tangled web! Rayne clearly wasn't thinking there, but at least she realizes it. Fortunately, Ryan's all oblivious... er, for now. *sigh*

Great writing, by the way. Loved that bit about Rayne wanting to avoid her own reflection. That was beautifully done :)

Phoenix said...

I can understand Rayne's confusion. She thought that was what she wanted(althought I still don't get WHY she would want someone that was in love with her mom) and now her first time is marred...and everything is screwed. Besider her and Ryan that is.

I wanted to slap Beth. Seriously. Nice mom, really nice. *shakes head*

Randi's comments made me laugh! LOL!! I totally agree with her.

Your writing was tight and focused and your shots just flowed with them and added to the tension. Amazing, just amazing!

Deep Blue Sea said...

Beautifully done indeed! Isn't it so terrible how children can get caught deep in the murky midst of adult lives and think that they can handle it? This speaks volumes of how uninvolved Beth has been with Rayne - yet her last statement shows just how disconnected she has been all along. I feel absolutely terrible about what Rayne now has to experience all by herself because she was convinced she could play an adult part in a relationship- with a child's mind and body. That really hits home.

I am trying not to hate on Beth. But this whole situation seems like she never did think about anyone but herself until now. Sort of. My first impression in the scene with her walking away was that she was chickening out on everything she should face up to but then I could see how she was sparing him even further pain and sorrow. Heartwrenching really.

Excellent excellent chapter! My brows are still furrowed from the intensity of this moment. You both really had me feeling everything that they were all going through!

Emily said...

I am with Deep Blue Sea...the brows are still crossed, eyes moist with tears even.

This was completely heart wrenching on so many different levels. First, Rayne's realization of her huge mistake, I actually felt sorry for her even though she kind of runs around like she's crazy. She had a big delusion about Ryan and realized too little, too late that what she did was wrong.

And OMG, Randi's conversation with Rafe in the background! My mouth fell open when he heard what she was talking about, now there's something you don't want to discuss with your dad!

I feel for Beth but I love the way Rafe kind of threw it in her face, she does need to get her priorities straight. But apparently, Ryan is a bigger priority than all of us thought! :D

I can't believe it - you got me feeling sorry for Ryan, again! Damn it all! I still don't think it was very smart of him to let himself get that involved with Beth but the more you explain about what happened, I kind of get why. And LOL, running out into the street buck naked! He must really love her! :D

*sigh* yet again, Beth walking away got to me. She finally said it, she loves him. And I do hope she really was walking away for good, going back can only make it worse now.

And OOOHHH, that last pic was superb, chilling, stunning and thought invoking.

Actually, all the pics were gorgeous as always, I especially loved the ones of the pier, beautiful.

Fabulous update, you guys are just the dynamic duo, aren't you?! :D

thewynd said...

Dinuriel: Thank you. Rayne is impulsive and things really are messy at the moment all around. We definitely did have a theme going here with mirrors and doors didn't we?

Phoenix: Rayne has an ideal that in my mind she believes will recognize her and forget everything else. As Rafe so aptly pointed out she is more body than brains (or was it sense?) although she is a very smart girl. LOL! Randi is a kick in the pants. Really. Thank you, we really appreciate it.

Deep Blue Sea: If you feel the confusion, the pain, the sacrifice and the intensity then we have done our job! Rayne is like a Rubik's Cube really. Hard puzzle to figure out unless someone hands you the key. She will survive, she has strong instincts. Up to now she has managed to keep herself under the radar.

Emily: :D I think this one line is very important when you see Rayne's "craziness"...he would know it once he saw her as a woman and not a child. Although we haven't focused on it, she is searching for something and has been very single minded about it.

And while we have not delved into the relationship with Beth and Ryan and have only given glimpses of it through memories, there is a very deep bond there. Yes, there is love. They gave into that once but there is so much more to it than sex. But for all of that, it is far deeper and more intense with Cooper.

As for Randi, I wouldn't want to have to gaze into those eyes if I was her either after a conversation like that.

S.B. said...

Dinuriel: thank you so much!

Rayne definitely wasn't thinking things all the way through.

S.B. said...

thank you Phoenix.

Nobody is really covering themselves with glory here, except Rafe LOL. Some very self-absorbed behavior going on.

Rayne has a goal in mind, someone she's searching for. As far as she's concerned, nobody has a claim on Ryan, so why not go for it? She has a pretty elevated opinion of herself too.

I think Randi is just great!

thank you so much!

S.B. said...

Deep Blue Sea - thank you!

Rayne has kept a lot of her motivations very quiet. Beth has definitely been somewhat self-absorbed, and absorbed elsewhere. She's sort of in a corner now; there are no good choices left. Walking away from Ryan, though, was the only thing to do.

This was an intense chapter to write, believe me. So glad to came out that way for you!

S.B. said...

Emily...I can't believe it LOL! You feeling sorry for Ryan!

He deserves sympathy. Yeah it was a mistake to fall in love with a married woman, but marriages don't always last, and they were thrown together so closely for so long.

Thought of making Rafe come on even stronger, but he said what he needed to say.

glad you liked that last sequence and shot. We went back and forth on how to end this, but this felt right.

thank you so much for the compliments on the shots. Just thank you!!

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MY GOD.

I've only looked at the first picture.

Now I'm actually going to go read it.

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MY GOD

I want to just... slap the shit out of Rayne. Just slap the shit out of her. I'm having a conniption over here.

AND BETH YOU FUCK not you S.B. HOW COULD YOU GO THERE AND MAKE THAT GOD AWFUL ADMISSION OF LOVE TO NO ONE BUT YOURSELF AND THEN LEAVE?!?!?!? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I am not her friend right now. And so now what? She is going to take this whole thing out on Rayne? Despite the fact that she knew that her daughter was harboring these shitball ideas and chose to avoid them?

I wanna point fingers. I wanna point fingers. I wanna point fingers so bad, but what the shit?! At this point, while I do still want to smack her, I kind of think Rayne needs a hug, of all things. She has just come to one hell of a revelation... in the worst way possible... but sex is a great way to fuck up a fantasy. And that is terrible to say, but sex can totally ruin everything. And it HAS! She needs a hug! But Beth is just going to make it that much worse.

Was she a virgin before this?

AND OH GEEZUS RYAN. I just need this man to go to an AA meeting and move off the coastal US. Find a nice girl who lives in a house boat. And never think about Beth again. That's my fantasy. BUT CAN THAT HAPPEN NOW? NO! SEX FUCKED UP MY FANTASY.

I know I'm looking way way way ahead, but I will die if that man ends up in jail. If you ask my boyfriend I already sound like I'm dying, my dogs are staring at my funny, but this can't end well. There is no way that this can end well.

Rafe is the only one in this who is approaching things head on. Whether he wants to or not. And again, so admirable from him.

Oh. Oh man. Oh geez.

Muzegoddess said...

OMG! This is so sad, but so good at the same time. I love the shots, great as always. The emotion that is captured here is so moving. Ryan is becoming a shell of his former self, just falling deeper and deeper into his feelings for Beth and realizing how impossible it is to be with her. So sad.

Rayne has lost so much, besides her virginity (I assume). She's lost her friendship w/ Ryan, her innocence, and now her relationshihp with her mother is going to be really strained. More so than it appeared to before.

Beth is caught between her love for Ryan and Cooper and now her child is in the mix of it all.

And poor Cooper, who always seems to be the last to know about everything is going to be livid when he finds out about Rayne and Ryan.

This is just a mess. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

S.B. said...

Veron...you crack me up!!

Rayne's little fantasy definitely blew up in her face. Sex does ruin a lot of things. It's going to fundamentally change some of her closest relationships. Yeah she was a virgin. Will this set her back? Not for long. She's got an impressive ego and a lot of determination.

Beth does denial very efficiently. always has. She did it with Ryan and she did it with Rainie. Kind of doubt it would have made things better if she walked in there and proclaimed her love for Ryan, not unless she intended to stay there. And she didn't.

I feel very bad for Ryan. It's about time something started to go his way. Houseboat girl sounds pretty good LOL!

You're right, there's no way this can end well, but there are ways to avoid total catastrophe.

Thank you so much - again, I always love your comments!

S.B. said...

Muzegoddess, it is sad. It was difficult for us to put together, sort of piling on. That's a perfect PERFECT description of what is happening to Ryan. He's being hollowed out, broken down.

Rayne is that enigma wrapped in a conundrum. She's lost a lot and grown up way too fast. She ended up 'using' Ryan, the same thing she railed about everybody else doing. Not sure sees that clearly yet though.

IF Cooper finds out what happened, he will be more than livid. Particularly because it's Ryan. Again.

Thank you so much! I was looking forward to what you thought about this!

Anonymous said...

Ugh, and she was virgin, and he was drunk and needy, and I didn't even THINK about Cooper or Riley until just now. Well, until I saw the picture used on the Alliance.

If Cooper finds out....

And Ryan is a frickin' father. He doesn't need this shit. And to think I hated his ass over the Landry situation. And now its like... oh bleeding paper cut in an asscrack. I can't wait til your next update. Cannot wait. But I will. Only because I have to.

Sinclair said...

O.M.G...Rayneee you shitstirer u. That girl just dumped a ton of crap into the overflowing pot of drama going on. A ton.

So now that she's realised that a. Sex changes things. b. Ryan doesnt love her. c. Shes in deep shit. Is she so strong minded that shes going to be able to handle everything? Because despite her numerous mistakes that she made in what seems like a weeks time , shes always had a plan. From the get go shes been plotting this entire thing. And now that a wrench was thrown in her plans she has to play catchup to fix things. But does she want to fix things?

It seemed like all this time shes been flying under the radar just watching everyone do their thing and no one asked her opinion or even really paid attention. And yet I have this incredible feeling that everyone is going to jump on her. Especially Wyatt. He is most definetly going to say something. But Rayne will put him in his place right? Because I would hate to have to read about him chewing her out when he knows nothing about the situation besides his own opinion of Ryan. But knowing him he wont be able to help himself.

And Cooper...lol actually I dont think he should say a thing. Its not his place. He's done so much stuff and ignored so many problems it would be totally hypocritical of him to say a thing.

After that wonderfully long rant the idea just popped into my head..Will Beth keep this quiet? Rafe certainly knows how to keep a secret and now we know Beth does to so would she try to save face and just act like Ryan was dreaming and nothing happened?

Mao said...

Sweet buttered biscuits! Everything is a mess, isn't it? EVERYTHING! See, folks, this is why you keep it in your pants--right here, LOL!

Beth's priorities are kind of whacked out. I mean, I know she cares about Ryan (she loves him, apparently?), but it IS her daughter... that is pretty messed up, sigh. But then again, Rayne isn't exactly known for her role of the sweet, adoring daughter, either. She's the equivalent of birthing a pit viper.

Loved Rafe's "tell that to the whole world" comment. Yes, really. Good luck with that!

I can't see this ending well. There's a huge, big gap and nothing can bridge it at this point. There's lava in the gap... and crocodiles. Yes, lava crocodiles. They will eat your face.

You two and your penchant for the dramatic will never cease to amaze me!

S.B. said...

Sinclair - thank you from both of us!

Rayne's strong but she's pretty young. Carrying that kind of load all by herself won't be easy. and this has definitely rocked her back on her heels.

have to wait and see what part Wyatt plays in this.

Cooper: Rainie is his only daughter. He's going to have a lot to say. But would he ever ever blame her? I cannot imagine him ever believing that his daughter was the aggressor. That wouldn't happen.

At this point, the only person who REALLY knows what happened is Rayne. And she is certainly motivated to try to keep it that way.

S.B. said...

Hey Mao!

Yeah, priorites are pretty thoroughly whacked all over the place. Rafe's got his straight. Randi did the best she could. but it's a mess otherwise.

LMAO the pit viper! the little pit viper still has some bite left in her.

We worked this hard to keep the drama going. Several different ideas and things changed at the last minute. so glad it worked!!!

Mao said...

I was bone tired when I commented last night, so I forgot to mention that I loved the pictures in the intro sequence. The focus on the disjointed mirror--fantastic!

AtomicSpaceKitty said...

What a perfect title for this chapter!

Poor, Rayne. She seems too young to be having such regrets. But, of course, she did do something she shouldn't have done. She went into it as child and emerged as an adult. Ugh...what a way to grow up.

I'm looking forward to reading about Beth and Rayne's confrontation. I'm worried that Beth's first thoughts weren't for her child but for Ryan though. That's not a good sign.

Wonderful chapter, you two! Very intense!

S.B. said...

ASK - thank you, we spend a long time thinking about the titles.

Rayne did do something she should not have done; she used someone she cared about. Yeah she had sex with someone very very inappropriate but the worst transgression was the way she did it, the deception, and she knows it.

Her mother's first thoughts are pretty typical for her. It didn't happen. And her relationship with her daughter has taken a very ugly turn into a female/female confrontation. On that level though, they may end up pulling together.

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! We both really appreciate it!

S@n said...

what a horrible heart wrenching mess!!!
I don't know where to start... I feel so sorry for all of them.
Specially Rayne, I mean, that is a night she will regret the rest of her life... she moved too fast without thinking of the consequences! If her dad finds out, heads will roll off.

I can't believe Beth thought of Ryan's safety first, she never cared about Rayne!!! Gosh I want to slap her...

By know it is obvious Beth loves Ryan, but she already made her choice! Move on! And focus on your children and your husband! Specially Rayne!

Mother-daughter confrontations are never easy... I really can't wait to see what's next..

Wonderful ladies!!
Bows to you two!!!
Fantastic writing and beautiful pictures!!!
Bravo!!

Audrey said...

I’m glad rayne got her reality check unfortunately it took a messy situation for her to come to her senses. Rafe is like the only one who has his mind in the right place lol. It’s interesting to now understand the bond that beth and ryan actually had. Clearly it was much stronger than was let on before. I think even though beth may be furious with what rayne has done they both care too much about ryan for what happened to ever be revealed, especially to cooper. They will need to come together in order to protect him. Unless rayne decides to deny the whole thing…Another confrontation I can’t wait to see. Great update as always!

thewynd said...

Sandy: It is a mess and all the players are paying a price for their actions. I do not think that Beth was thinking more of Ryan than her own daughter and people seem to want to paint her as an insensitive, uncaring parent which is just not true. Teenagers do things that parents don't always know about. She didn't let Rayne do what she did. When people you care about are put in a messy situation it is normal to think of the consequences for everyone involved and the consequences for Ryan are dire in this case. You don't want to go off accusing people when their lives are at stake. I think anyone would be rocked by news like that, it's shocking.

Audrey: I think Beth is in a very tenuous spot here. Sometimes doing the right thing, recognizing what the right thing is, can be difficult. Ryan was in a situation not of his own doing, no way he would have looked at Rainie like that, ever or gone after her. Does that warrant throwing him in prison and destroying him? Legally, yes, morally, not so sure about that. And knowing who Ryan is, this would be hard to swallow, hard to believe. Shocking and unbelievable.

Veron, Mao, ASK, and Sinclair: Thanks for reading! I probably couldn't add much more that what SB said except to add my thanks for your support.

goodbye_sun said...

I'm a little annoyed with Beth assuming it was all Raynes fault, it just goes to show just how wide a gap there is in the mother-daughter bond when Beth defended Ryan over her own child before even knowing the details. Not that she wasn't totally right about who was to blame, but it does show how protective of Ryan she still is.

Somehow I think there is still some serious fallout from this still to come.

And I just need to mention that its so nice to see Rafe playing the role of the voice of reason and support in all of this.

S.B. said...

goodbye_sun, thank you.

Rafe is definitely the voice of reason, and probably has a better grip on what's going on than anyone else right now. A lot of people behaving badly!

thank you so much for your continued support. It means a lot to both of us.

Unknown said...

Everyone else has already said it, so all I have to say is this is one whacked out set of people and everything is seriously fubared!

Does anyone have their priorities straight? Maybe Beth should start giving thought to what she really wants and grow up! Sorry, she ticked me off. :D

You guys know, *seriously* I could take lessons from you on descriptive writing. Wonderfully done as always.

S.B. said...

Lachesis - thank you! We wanted strong reactions, so this is great!

The priorities are going to come into clearer focus. There's too much at stake now.

and that is quite a compliment - much appreciated!

KDSGS said...

What a sad, sexy mess. Ryan, my heart just bleeds for him, but then, I often feel more sympathy for male characters anyway. And on that note, not liking Beth much, less with each installment, and I like that you got that kind of reaction out of me, shows great writing all around here.
The descriptions, the mood set, just wonderful. And the visuals were the icing on the cake.
And Rafe is showing remarkable growth as a character, a maturity that is vastly appealing.
Great work ladies.

thewynd said...

Drew you have it right about Ryan. He truly is the one who deserves sympathy in this mess. I look at it as successful if a character can have you loving and hating them. People are not perfect and they do dumb things, self serving things, selfish things. We have done our job as writers if we can bring that out.

Rafe...vastly appealing. Enoughsaid. hehe

Thank you Drew! We both appreciate your support!

Colliegirl said...

What a mess! I can still hardly believe that Rainie did that! Whatever was she thinking? Who or what is she looking for?

I feel sorry for Ryan this time. He's definitely the one being used.

It'll be interesting to see how Beth handles the situation. Good update, ladies!

S.B. said...

Hey colliegirl!

Rayne is looking for a fantasy, shoving bits and pieces around and beginning to try on men to see if they fit. She did feel bad about Ryan but only because she had a long and close relationship with him, and finally it dawned on her that he was going to get hurt.

Ryan is definitely the one being used.

thank you so much!!