![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmara13Again with the moving quickly, but... yeah... lol...
Chapter Eight
The next few months passed quickly, and soon it was spring and everyone was graduating. Ryan still hadn't answered Summer's 'how soon can we build' question, and in fact was doing everything he could to distract her from that question but, pervesely, at the same time keep her mind on the house. Seth graduated from Berkely in Mid-May, a few weeks before the other three, with an Art degree. Then came Marissa and Summer with Design degrees, and Ryan with his degree in Architecture and Structural Design.
The night the last three graduated, the Cohen house became party central as everyone from friends and classmates, to Newport Group Employees, to friends of Hailey's in the Fashion business, showed up to celebrate the graduates. After a while, Ryan pulled Summer through the crowd into the poolhouse and closed the door behind him, glad that they'd thought of closing the blinds earlier. Summer grabbed him and kissed him, laughing.
"Can you believe it? Me, Summer Roberts, actually graduated college."
"I believe it," Ryan said, smiling. "And I believe that you are going to take the world by storm."
"And how exactly am I suppose to do that?"
"I don't know, but you will," Ryan said. "I won't let you not be world famous."
Summer wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him again, then pulled back and walked backwards to the bed, gesturing for him to follow her. Ryan shook his head though and reached out to grasp her hands and pull her close again. "Let's go for a walk, down on the beach," he said.
"We can't have quite as much fun on the beach," Summer protested. "At least not without sand getting in awkward places..."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "I wanna talk to you..."
"Good talk or bad talk?" Summer asked.
"You'll only find out if you come with me," Ryan said.
Summer sighed but agreed to go with him. They stepped out of the poolhouse and edged through the crowd of guests until they could head towards the path down to the beach. They walked in silence until they reached the actual beach, then Summer pulled off her heels and dropped them by the end of the path and waited while Ryan took of his dress shoes and suit jacket and deposited them beside her heels. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the water, ignoring his half-hearted protests. When the first wave washed over their feet, Summer squealed at the cold and Ryan laughed and bent down to splash more water on her. Summer retailiated by splashing him back, and after a few minutes they were both soaked head to to, but laughing.
Summer decided to 'win' the little water fight by tackling Ryan so they both fell into the cold wet sand right at the water's edge. They were both still laughing as more little waves hit them, and they kissed again. Then they slowly got up, and Summer shook her hair, splashing Ryan in the face with water again. Ryan splashed her with water again, then took her hand to lead her back up to the drier sand. She sat down, while he ran up to grab his jacket. When he returned, he draped it around her shoulders. Summer smiled and pulled it tightly around her shivering body. "So, good talk or bad talk?" she asked as she slid her hands into the pockets and froze.
"I think it's good," Ryan replied, knowing from the look on her face what she had just found.
Summer wrapped her fingers around the object in the pocket and pulled it out, revealing a small box. "Chino?" she asked quietly. "Is this what..."
Ryan took the box from her shaking hand and moved to kneel in front of her. "When I showed you that land, you asked when we could build, and I said soon. Maybe this isn't as soon as you wanted, but..." He slowly opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a small diamond. "I figure the diamond shouldn't try to out shine you, it doesn't stand a chance anyway," he whispered. "Summer, will you marry me?"
Summer nodded and lifted her hand for Ryan to slide the ring on. "Oh, Ryan," she said once it was on, throwing her full weight forward and knocking Ryan backwards onto the sand. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," Ryan agreed, smiling. "And now everyone will know it."
"Can we go tell everyone?" Summer asked. "Or at least your parents, and Cohen, and Coop..."
"Them first, then the world," Ryan agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm, as he stood and pulled her to her feet.
"How about the world first," Summer said as they reached their shoes. Then she turned back towards the ocean, spread her arms wide, and yelled at the top of her lungs. "We're engaged! Ryan Cohen and Summer Roberts are getitng married!"
Ryan laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist to pick her up and spin her around. "I'm marrying the most beautiful woman I've ever known," he whispered in her ear.
"And I'm marrying the most wonderful, and smartest, and handsomest man I've ever known," Summer replied, turning in his arms to kiss him. "Now come on, let's get back to the party."
"Let's not tell them," Ryan suddenly said as they started back up. "Let's wait and see how long it takes for them to notice the ring."
Summer laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet Seth is the last to notice."
"Caleb a close second," Ryan agreed, laughing.
"Kirsten or Coop will notice first, maybe Hailey," Summer said. "And you know Julie Cooper-Nichols will make some comment on the diamon being small, but ignore her," she added. "Or better yet, repeat that line about not even trying to find a diamond to outshine me."
Ryan smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Sounds like a plan to me."
~~~~
Once they re-entered the party, Summer stayed close to Ryan, holding his arm in such a way that her ring was obvious. At first no one noticed, then Hailey waved her over to meet a few design friends, and Summer walked over, finally giving up trying to show off the ring. But, no sooner did she start talking to them and gestured with her hand, than Hailey grabbed it and gaped.
"Do I see what I think I see?" Hailey asked excitedly.
"You mean this?" Summer asked innocently, wiggling her fingers. "Yeah, it's new."
"And on a certain finger," Hailey continued. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What are you talking about?" Marissa asked as she walked over.
"This," Hailey said, spinning Summer around to show off the ring.
"Sum!" Marissa said. "Is this... Did Ryan...?"
Summer grinned and nodded. "Yup."
"Oh my God!" Marissa squealed, throwing her arms around Summer's neck. "I'm so happy for you!"
"What's going on?" Kirsten said as she and Julie joined the small crowd that was forming around Summer.
"Ryan proposed," Hailey said before anyone else could, as she shoved Summer's hand towards the newcomers. "You're gonna have a daughter-in-law, sis."
"Oh honey," Kirsten said, hugging the girl. "Congratulations!"
"Awfully small ring," Julie commented.
"I didn't want the ring to hopelessly be trying to outshine her," Ryan said as he came over and wrapped his arms around Summer's waist.
"Congratulations, honey," Kirsten said, smiling broadly at her son.
"Thanks, mom," Ryan replied.
"Thanks for what?" Seth asked as he also joined the group.
"Being happy that me and Chino are getting married," Summer said, holding her hand up so Seth could see.
"That's great!" Seth said, grinning. "Just don't let Grandpa get involved, or he'll talk you into something obnoxious like when he married..." he trailed off as he noticed Julie glaring at him. "Never mind."
"Did I hear right?" Sandy asked with a smile as he and Jimmy arrived. "Did a Newpsie just say that I'm going to have a daughter in law soon?"
"Yeah, Dad," Ryan said, smiling.
"And if the Newpsies are spreading it, everyone will know by morning," Kirsten said.
To Be Continued
Chapter Eight
The next few months passed quickly, and soon it was spring and everyone was graduating. Ryan still hadn't answered Summer's 'how soon can we build' question, and in fact was doing everything he could to distract her from that question but, pervesely, at the same time keep her mind on the house. Seth graduated from Berkely in Mid-May, a few weeks before the other three, with an Art degree. Then came Marissa and Summer with Design degrees, and Ryan with his degree in Architecture and Structural Design.
The night the last three graduated, the Cohen house became party central as everyone from friends and classmates, to Newport Group Employees, to friends of Hailey's in the Fashion business, showed up to celebrate the graduates. After a while, Ryan pulled Summer through the crowd into the poolhouse and closed the door behind him, glad that they'd thought of closing the blinds earlier. Summer grabbed him and kissed him, laughing.
"Can you believe it? Me, Summer Roberts, actually graduated college."
"I believe it," Ryan said, smiling. "And I believe that you are going to take the world by storm."
"And how exactly am I suppose to do that?"
"I don't know, but you will," Ryan said. "I won't let you not be world famous."
Summer wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him again, then pulled back and walked backwards to the bed, gesturing for him to follow her. Ryan shook his head though and reached out to grasp her hands and pull her close again. "Let's go for a walk, down on the beach," he said.
"We can't have quite as much fun on the beach," Summer protested. "At least not without sand getting in awkward places..."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "I wanna talk to you..."
"Good talk or bad talk?" Summer asked.
"You'll only find out if you come with me," Ryan said.
Summer sighed but agreed to go with him. They stepped out of the poolhouse and edged through the crowd of guests until they could head towards the path down to the beach. They walked in silence until they reached the actual beach, then Summer pulled off her heels and dropped them by the end of the path and waited while Ryan took of his dress shoes and suit jacket and deposited them beside her heels. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the water, ignoring his half-hearted protests. When the first wave washed over their feet, Summer squealed at the cold and Ryan laughed and bent down to splash more water on her. Summer retailiated by splashing him back, and after a few minutes they were both soaked head to to, but laughing.
Summer decided to 'win' the little water fight by tackling Ryan so they both fell into the cold wet sand right at the water's edge. They were both still laughing as more little waves hit them, and they kissed again. Then they slowly got up, and Summer shook her hair, splashing Ryan in the face with water again. Ryan splashed her with water again, then took her hand to lead her back up to the drier sand. She sat down, while he ran up to grab his jacket. When he returned, he draped it around her shoulders. Summer smiled and pulled it tightly around her shivering body. "So, good talk or bad talk?" she asked as she slid her hands into the pockets and froze.
"I think it's good," Ryan replied, knowing from the look on her face what she had just found.
Summer wrapped her fingers around the object in the pocket and pulled it out, revealing a small box. "Chino?" she asked quietly. "Is this what..."
Ryan took the box from her shaking hand and moved to kneel in front of her. "When I showed you that land, you asked when we could build, and I said soon. Maybe this isn't as soon as you wanted, but..." He slowly opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a small diamond. "I figure the diamond shouldn't try to out shine you, it doesn't stand a chance anyway," he whispered. "Summer, will you marry me?"
Summer nodded and lifted her hand for Ryan to slide the ring on. "Oh, Ryan," she said once it was on, throwing her full weight forward and knocking Ryan backwards onto the sand. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," Ryan agreed, smiling. "And now everyone will know it."
"Can we go tell everyone?" Summer asked. "Or at least your parents, and Cohen, and Coop..."
"Them first, then the world," Ryan agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm, as he stood and pulled her to her feet.
"How about the world first," Summer said as they reached their shoes. Then she turned back towards the ocean, spread her arms wide, and yelled at the top of her lungs. "We're engaged! Ryan Cohen and Summer Roberts are getitng married!"
Ryan laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist to pick her up and spin her around. "I'm marrying the most beautiful woman I've ever known," he whispered in her ear.
"And I'm marrying the most wonderful, and smartest, and handsomest man I've ever known," Summer replied, turning in his arms to kiss him. "Now come on, let's get back to the party."
"Let's not tell them," Ryan suddenly said as they started back up. "Let's wait and see how long it takes for them to notice the ring."
Summer laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet Seth is the last to notice."
"Caleb a close second," Ryan agreed, laughing.
"Kirsten or Coop will notice first, maybe Hailey," Summer said. "And you know Julie Cooper-Nichols will make some comment on the diamon being small, but ignore her," she added. "Or better yet, repeat that line about not even trying to find a diamond to outshine me."
Ryan smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Sounds like a plan to me."
~~~~
Once they re-entered the party, Summer stayed close to Ryan, holding his arm in such a way that her ring was obvious. At first no one noticed, then Hailey waved her over to meet a few design friends, and Summer walked over, finally giving up trying to show off the ring. But, no sooner did she start talking to them and gestured with her hand, than Hailey grabbed it and gaped.
"Do I see what I think I see?" Hailey asked excitedly.
"You mean this?" Summer asked innocently, wiggling her fingers. "Yeah, it's new."
"And on a certain finger," Hailey continued. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What are you talking about?" Marissa asked as she walked over.
"This," Hailey said, spinning Summer around to show off the ring.
"Sum!" Marissa said. "Is this... Did Ryan...?"
Summer grinned and nodded. "Yup."
"Oh my God!" Marissa squealed, throwing her arms around Summer's neck. "I'm so happy for you!"
"What's going on?" Kirsten said as she and Julie joined the small crowd that was forming around Summer.
"Ryan proposed," Hailey said before anyone else could, as she shoved Summer's hand towards the newcomers. "You're gonna have a daughter-in-law, sis."
"Oh honey," Kirsten said, hugging the girl. "Congratulations!"
"Awfully small ring," Julie commented.
"I didn't want the ring to hopelessly be trying to outshine her," Ryan said as he came over and wrapped his arms around Summer's waist.
"Congratulations, honey," Kirsten said, smiling broadly at her son.
"Thanks, mom," Ryan replied.
"Thanks for what?" Seth asked as he also joined the group.
"Being happy that me and Chino are getting married," Summer said, holding her hand up so Seth could see.
"That's great!" Seth said, grinning. "Just don't let Grandpa get involved, or he'll talk you into something obnoxious like when he married..." he trailed off as he noticed Julie glaring at him. "Never mind."
"Did I hear right?" Sandy asked with a smile as he and Jimmy arrived. "Did a Newpsie just say that I'm going to have a daughter in law soon?"
"Yeah, Dad," Ryan said, smiling.
"And if the Newpsies are spreading it, everyone will know by morning," Kirsten said.
To Be Continued
