Oh, Lord, this chapter was hard to write. Not the first parts or so, but that last little bit. So I hope it's satisfactory… Thanks to all of you who reviewed 'In Bloom' and gave me support for this chapter (it really helped with the writers block!)

I guess I should warn you that this is the last chapter.

I hope you all enjoy!

He let out a groan of disappointment as she slid out of his arms, heading for the door. "Don't go," he grabbed at her wrist, pulling her back so that she was flush against his body.

"Ryan," she breathed, tilting her head back so he could access her neck, "we have to go. People will start to get suspicious."

"So? Let them. I don't care; this whole sneaking around thing was your idea." He stared at her, gaze dark, and she wavered.

"Fine, we can go out there and tell everyone we're back together. Then, you can spend the rest of the night explaining to my mother why you'll be a great husband for me." He paused, eyes going wide.

"You know," he pushed her towards the door, "this sneaking around thing is kind of hot." She shook her head at him, breaking into a smile.

"Taylor, your ass looks huge in that dress," her mother sighed. "Why did you break up with Hunter? Is it because of that boy the Cohens adopted? Dear, he's poor. You don't want to date a poor person."

"We're not dating, mother," Taylor forced her face to remain calm, resisting the urge to grin. Even her mother's acidic words couldn't ruin her mood. Taking a surreptitious glance over to where the Cohens stood, her stomach lurched when she found that Ryan's gaze was locked on her, and he didn't seem to care who saw it. She flushed under the intensity of his stare, heat pooling in her belly.

"Well, he doesn't seem to get the picture," Veronica muttered, noticing. "Tell him to find some other girl to stalk."

"He's not stalking me, mother. He just happens to be looking over here."

"For a half an hour?" Veronica glared at the boy, who took no notice. Taylor tried to motion for him to stop staring, but he didn't notice that either. Or he didn't care. In fact, he was coming towards them… she began to panic.

"Ms. Townsend," he extended his hand to the clearly startled woman. She took it disdainfully. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I… wasn't in the right state of mind," he flashed Taylor a smile, but she couldn't smile back. Her heart was racing, mind going mach5, trying to come up with a plan to stop this train wreck.

"Clearly," Veronica sniffed.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm dating your daughter," he slipped an arm around Taylor's waist. Oh God, her inner voice cried, and it sounded an awful lot like a frightened little girl - the same voice that asked her why mommy didn't love her. Why was he doing this? Her mother was going to freak. Oh, God, her mother was going to freak.

"Oh?" Veronica raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "What are your intentions with her?"

"Mother!" This wasn't good. So not good… Her mother was going to say something horrible, or forbid her from seeing him…

"Well," he ignored her outburst, ignored her discomfort, holding the older woman's gaze with confidence, "considering we're only sophomores, there aren't too many plans in the works. But I'm quite taken with her."

"I see." She looked him up and down appraisingly, then rolled her eyes. "Just… don't get pregnant," she snapped at her daughter before walking away.

She stood silent for a few seconds, processing this information. Her mother hadn't forbid this. She hadn't made a huge scene. I'm quite taken with her. She couldn't stop thegrin that lit up her face as she turned to look up at him. "Wow," she wrapped her arms around his neck, beginning to sway with the music. "That was very brave," she whispered breathlessly.

"I thought so," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her in full view of the entire Newport society.

"So," Ryan started casually, not looking over at her, "are we past the 'just kissing' faze yet, cause it's been a couple weeks?"

She smiled widely, watching the houses roll by. "Well, after tonight's little display, I'd say we just jumped a level." Ryan's hands tightened on the wheel, and he pressed the gas pedal down to the floor.

This was the best shower ever, he decided. The hot water hit him, but it did nothing to relax his tight muscles. Taylor's soap-slicked hand wrapped around him, and he groaned, letting his head fall back against the cold tile. He felt her tongue press against his collarbone, lapping up the drops of water that collected in the hollow there.

"Fuck, Taylor," he breathed, pushing his hips outward. She nipped at his skin, laughing. "God, I missed this."

"Really?" she asked coyly, gazing up at him through her lashes and tightening her hand. He nodded, opening his eyes slightly to look at her, steam and desire making his vision blur. He remembered his first fantasy about her, when she was in the shower. She looked like that now, wet hair falling over her shoulders, making rivulets of water run over her skin.

"You look amazing," he groaned, brushing a strand of hair off her face. A look of pure gratitude flashed in her eyes, and she fell to her knees in front of him. "I think you're trying to kill me," he mumbled, hips bucking wildly as she closed her lips around him, sucking him off energetically. She nodded, humming a response, and he shuddered at the sensation.

He couldn't focus on anything except the cold tile on his back and Taylor's tongue on his dick. He couldn't believe he ever thought he could handle not being with her. She was amazing, and not just because of her – very talented – mouth. "Jesus," he thrust his hips forward as she swallowed around him. He realized he was moaning uncontrollably, tangling her hair in his fingers. He should be gentler with her, he knew, but he couldn't get his body under control. He couldn't stop the flow of words coming out of his mouth.

"God, Taylor, I love you," he came, spurting into the back of her throat, electric fire shooting through all of his nerve endings. She choked, pulling away and falling backwards. His whole body was shaking, and he had to force his knees to lock, or he'd fall. It wasn't until Taylor half stumbled, half fell out of the shower that he realized what had happened. "Shit," he grunted, turning the water off and following her out.

She was in the bedroom part of the pool house, pacing back and forth. "Taylor." She looked at him, terrified. He threw her a towel, which she caught, and wrapped around herself. He figured this conversation would be better if they weren't naked. "Look, what I said…"

"You said you loved me," she sounded like she didn't believe it. He wondered if he should deny it. Instead, he pulled her to sit on the bed with him.

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh my God," she sounded hysterical, and she stood up, pacing again.

"I'm sorry," his words broke, voice cracking in panic. Fear rushed through chest, nausea making his stomach clench. "I didn't mean to upset you…"

"Ryan!" her voice rose an octave, "you told me you loved me while I was blowing you in your shower!"

"I know, not the most romantic way ever," she gave a short, hysterical, laugh, "but it just… came out. Ok, bad wording. I… I wasn't thinking straight, and I just said it."

"So you didn't mean it?" she looked at him wildly.

"No! I mean, yes, I did. I just didn't mean to… tell you like that," he put his head in his hands, wishing it had never happened. He couldn't believe he had blown this. They had just gotten back together, and he couldn't even hold it together longer than three fucking weeks. He couldn't lose her again, he just couldn't…

"How long?" Her voice broke into his thoughts, making the panic swell. LIE! his mind screamed, lie to her, damn it!

"I don't know." He looked up at her, then sighed hopelessly when he remembered he couldn't lie to her. "Fine. Since I saw you at the back to school party."

"The back to school party," she repeated breathlessly, sinking down onto the bed next to him. He nodded. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Haven't we already established that I'm an idiot?" His head dropped to look at the floor. Now came the part where she told him she didn't love him. Where she told him she couldn't love him, because she was this… amazing girl. Smart, gorgeous, classy, rich. And he was a poor boy from Chino who lived in a pool house and mooched off his lawyer's family. He couldn't look at her when she said it – he didn't want her to feel guilty at the pain he was sure would register on his face.

She turned to him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "I love you, too."

He hadn't realized his entire body had been tight until she said it. When she did, his mind froze for what seemed like years, unable to believe her. But as she held his gaze steadily, he slowly relaxed, letting a goofy grin spread across his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, you idiot," she kissed him, smiling against his mouth. God, he loved her so much. She was too good for him, but he decided – for once in his life – to be selfish.

"How long?" he teased - giddiness rising painfully in his chest – and kissing her back.

She sat back, face crinkling with thought. She was so adorable. "Remember that one party we went to? The one where I thought you kissed me?" He nodded, the whole scene replaying in his head. "That's when."

"Are you sure? You were really drunk, and it was actually Trey you kissed."

"Yeah, I'm sure. And it wasn't the kiss. I remember sitting in the bathroom with you, and for the first time in my life, being comfortable. I mean, really comfortable." She paused, looking like she was trying to figure out what to say next. "Ryan, I've always been this lonely, awkward girl with no self confidence, and you just… accepted me, and made me feel safe. That whole time I was in Chino, you were this presence. Always there, constant."

"And here I thought I was all dangerous..." he breathed, trying to stifle the urgent flow of words with laughter. He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't ever listen to her mother, that she was amazing, but the last thing he needed right now was to sound needy.

"Mmm, you are," she pushed him back onto the bed, bringing his thoughts to a skidding halt.

He raised an eyebrow, "that was a quick jump to the next level." His breath caught in his throat as she slid her leg across his waist, straddling him.

"Well, you did tell me you love me, and I have this thing for men who are nice to me…" she grinned, pressing herself into him. He let his head drop back against the pillow, a loud groan tearing itself from his throat.

He watched her sleep, on his side, head propped up in one hand. He watched her sleep, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, eyelids fluttering with dreams he hoped were about him, lips slightly parted and exhaling. He watched her sleep, not sure of the time passing, but it must have been at least an hour.

How had he gotten here? Little more than seven months ago, he'd been just a boy from Chino with no future and no regard for anything. He'd been more responsible – yes – than his brother, but he hadn't been a saint. He'd used girls, he'd done drugs, he'd drank until he passed out, waking up in strange houses or dirty streets with no clothes. Now he was here, in the Mecca of excess, surrounded by people who looked like they had just stepped off movie screens, where people fought not with their fists but with words and cunning and money. Now he was part of a family that wouldn't abuse him, wouldn't leave him, wouldn't get him into trouble. Now he was in love, with a girl he had no right to love.

If only his old friends could see him now. They'd laugh, that was certain. They'd laugh, because they had no idea what this felt like: this wildly rising hope that wouldn't let him fall asleep. But he had new friends that would understand. Well, new friend. Seth knew exactly what this was like: finding someone who was so completely out of your league, and having her fall for you back. It was surreal, and he couldn't help but wonder when he would wake up.

"Ryan," her voice was scratchy and thick with sleep, eyes glazed over, barely open as she turned her head towards him. "You're thinking too much. Go to sleep."

He couldn't help but smile as he shifted onto his back – Trey disdainfully whispering 'whipped' in his head – feeling her move closer to him. As she wrapped herself around him almost possessively, he felt his body start to shut down, eyelids getting heavy, breathing getting deeper. If this was being whipped, he couldn't imagine being any other way.

End.

I would just love to thank everyone who's stayed with me through this (especially those of you who've been with me since 'Chino'). Thank you all for reading, and I really hoped you enjoyed it!