I must say I was more than a little surprised when Seth Cohen called
and invited me over to watch movies. A couple of weeks ago I would've
jumped at the chance to spend time alone with him, but after New Year's
Eve, when he clearly made his choice, I figured I'd never hear from him
again. Turns out that while I was kissing some random reject from Tulsa,
Oklahoma, Anna Stern was putting the moves on Cohen. Well, Cohen must've
been incredibly vulnerable, or just incredibly stupid, because he fell for
it. They spent most of the evening making out on his bed from what I hear.
Ew!
Anyway, Cohen calls about ten minutes ago and invites me over to watch a movie. I figure Anna is definitely going to be there. She's probably got him on a really short leash, knowing how insecure she is and everything. Deciding that there was nothing better to do, I put on a pair of jeans and my favorite red halter top and headed over to the Cohens' house.
I double-check my lipstick in the rearview mirror before knocking on the door to the pool house. It seems a little weird to be at the pool house, but that's where Seth said to meet him. Ryan answers the door.
"Hey, Summer," he says, smiling a little. "Seth's in the TV room."
I follow him into the TV room, where Seth and (surprise) Anna are already snuggled up on the couch.
'Great,' I think, making myself comfortable on the floor. Luckily, there are some pillows and blankets on the floor, making it slightly more comfortable. 'How considerate.'
"Glad you could come," Seth said, smiling at me. He looks at Anna and kisses the top of her head.
God, could they rub it in my face just a little bit more? But I can't show him that he's hurt me.
I frown. "And Ryan's letting us use the pool house why?"
"I've got nothing better to do," Ryan says, appearing behind me. He takes a seat down on the ground and grabs a blanket, covering himself up with it.
I had completely forgotten about him and Coop. They broke up on New Year's Eve. Well, New Year's Day if you want to be technical. Ryan missed midnight by about a minute and burst into the penthouse to see Marissa kissing Oliver. Ouch.
Needless to say, he flipped out and there was this big emotional scene. Luckily, I was able to sneak out before it got too out of control, but Coop called me that morning, crying her eyes out. It's like I was telling her before the party that night: the way you spend New Year's Eve is the way you'll spend the rest of the year. It looks like she'll be spending her year without Ryan.
"So, what movie are we watching?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
"Top Gun," Anna replies, smiling broadly.
Great. A love story. Just what Ryan and I both need. Seth pops the tape in the VCR and the two of us reach for the last blanket at the same time. I jerk my hand back, not wanting to make any type of physical contact with him.
"Hey, Summer. Um, why don't you and Ryan share that blanket down there or something?" Seth suggests, pulling the blanket over Anna. He backtracks for a minute. "Or I could go get some more blankets out of the linen cabinet. Hey, Ryan. There's some more clean blankets in there, isn't there?"
"It's fine," Ryan says, slightly annoyed at Seth's ramblings. How he lives with this every day is beyond me. He moves over a bit and offers me half of the blanket, which I tentatively slide under, keeping as far away from him as possible.
The "Feature Presentation" message flashes across the screen and everyone gets quiet as the movie starts. I've always been a Tom Cruise fan, but being here with Seth and Anna cuddling on the couch like that...it's too much.
By about halfway through the movie, I'm ready to leave. I prop myself up on one elbow and start to get up, but Ryan reaches out and grabs my hand under the blanket. He doesn't say a word, but his eyes are pleading with me to stay. I wouldn't want to be alone with the lovebirds, either.
I sigh in defeat and gently pull my hand away, making myself comfortable again. Tom Cruise is kissing that blonde chick now and I look over at Seth and Anna, who are engaged in a full-out make-out session.
Ryan nods in the direction of the other room and I eagerly follow him, anxious to get away from the lovebirds. Ryan closes the door behind us and I realize that we're in his bedroom.
"Jesus, they could at least wait until they're alone before they start doing that," I grumble, folding my arms over my chest.
"Well, that's love for you," Ryan says, smiling sadly. Suddenly he realizes what he's said. "I'm sorry, Summer. It must be really hard for you to see them together." He thinks for a minute. "I can't believe Seth is being so inconsiderate of your feelings."
"Yeah, well, that's love for you," I reply cynically. I plop down on the twin bed and make myself comfortable amidst the disheveled pile of blankets and pillows. "Ryan, do you think that you and Coop will be able to work things out?"
Ryan's face falls at the mention of Marissa. "Um, well, I..."
"Sorry," I say quietly. "Still a pretty touchy subject, huh?"
"Well, Marissa made her choice," Ryan says coolly. "She said that she loved me and then she kissed that Oliver guy. That's not love."
"Do you love her?" I ask, hoping that I'm not being too pushy.
Ryan looks at the ground, nervously twiddling his thumbs. "I guess I thought I did." He frowns. "I've never loved anyone before."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," I reply, watching as his head jerks back in surprise. He stares at me in disbelief.
"You have a family that cares about you, Summer," he says, anguish in his voice. "You didn't have to worry about where your next meal was coming from or if you could escape the day without being beaten growing up."
"Bullshit," I tell him, standing up to face him. "My family doesn't care about me. My mom ran out on us ages ago, and my dad never gives me the time of day. I'm stuck with a step-mother that doesn't give a damn about me. All she cares about are her precious painkillers." I smile wryly. "I may not have been hurting for money or have been abused, but I know a thing or two about being alone."
"Sorry," Ryan replies quietly. He runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "I guess we have more in common than I thought."
"Yeah, I guess so." I nod in the direction of the door. "Do you think Seth and Anna have noticed that we're gone yet?"
Ryan snorts. "I highly doubt they've come up for air yet." He reaches out and gives my hand a light squeeze. "Don't let them get to you. You're strong, Summer. You'll get through this."
He doesn't release my hand and I can feel tingles going through my entire body. He must notice it, too, because he takes a step toward me, his eyes on mine. I can't read the expression on his face. He's not nearly as transparent as... No, I won't say his name. I won't think about Seth. Oh, God. He's leaning in to kiss me.
His lips come down on mine in a gentle kiss and all thoughts vanish from my mind. Seth who? I think as his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me to him. I lock my arms around his neck and kiss him back, savoring the smell of his cologne. He moves a hand from my waist to my head, running it through my hair.
Then it's over, almost as quickly as it started. Ryan takes a step back and looks at me, another unreadable expression on his face.
"Sorry," he mutters, taking another step back. He avoids my eyes this time and I reach out for him.
"Don't be," I tell him, trying hard to smile. Unfortunately, the muscles in my face aren't quite working the way that I wish they would. "I'm not."
Ryan looks up and his eyes bore into mine. Damn it. Why can't I figure out what he's thinking.
"What are you thinking?" Ryan asks me. It's a simple question, but it's enough to bring a smile to my face.
"I'm wondering what you're thinking," I tell him, smirking. "So now you're a mind reader, Chino?"
Ryan winces at the nickname and I mentally kick myself for using it again. His expression changes to a smirk and he takes a step closer to me.
"Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you're flustered like this?" he asks, his breath tickling my ear. I feel those shivers going down my spine and I pull back to look at him.
"Chino, just shut up and kiss me."
And he does.
Anyway, Cohen calls about ten minutes ago and invites me over to watch a movie. I figure Anna is definitely going to be there. She's probably got him on a really short leash, knowing how insecure she is and everything. Deciding that there was nothing better to do, I put on a pair of jeans and my favorite red halter top and headed over to the Cohens' house.
I double-check my lipstick in the rearview mirror before knocking on the door to the pool house. It seems a little weird to be at the pool house, but that's where Seth said to meet him. Ryan answers the door.
"Hey, Summer," he says, smiling a little. "Seth's in the TV room."
I follow him into the TV room, where Seth and (surprise) Anna are already snuggled up on the couch.
'Great,' I think, making myself comfortable on the floor. Luckily, there are some pillows and blankets on the floor, making it slightly more comfortable. 'How considerate.'
"Glad you could come," Seth said, smiling at me. He looks at Anna and kisses the top of her head.
God, could they rub it in my face just a little bit more? But I can't show him that he's hurt me.
I frown. "And Ryan's letting us use the pool house why?"
"I've got nothing better to do," Ryan says, appearing behind me. He takes a seat down on the ground and grabs a blanket, covering himself up with it.
I had completely forgotten about him and Coop. They broke up on New Year's Eve. Well, New Year's Day if you want to be technical. Ryan missed midnight by about a minute and burst into the penthouse to see Marissa kissing Oliver. Ouch.
Needless to say, he flipped out and there was this big emotional scene. Luckily, I was able to sneak out before it got too out of control, but Coop called me that morning, crying her eyes out. It's like I was telling her before the party that night: the way you spend New Year's Eve is the way you'll spend the rest of the year. It looks like she'll be spending her year without Ryan.
"So, what movie are we watching?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
"Top Gun," Anna replies, smiling broadly.
Great. A love story. Just what Ryan and I both need. Seth pops the tape in the VCR and the two of us reach for the last blanket at the same time. I jerk my hand back, not wanting to make any type of physical contact with him.
"Hey, Summer. Um, why don't you and Ryan share that blanket down there or something?" Seth suggests, pulling the blanket over Anna. He backtracks for a minute. "Or I could go get some more blankets out of the linen cabinet. Hey, Ryan. There's some more clean blankets in there, isn't there?"
"It's fine," Ryan says, slightly annoyed at Seth's ramblings. How he lives with this every day is beyond me. He moves over a bit and offers me half of the blanket, which I tentatively slide under, keeping as far away from him as possible.
The "Feature Presentation" message flashes across the screen and everyone gets quiet as the movie starts. I've always been a Tom Cruise fan, but being here with Seth and Anna cuddling on the couch like that...it's too much.
By about halfway through the movie, I'm ready to leave. I prop myself up on one elbow and start to get up, but Ryan reaches out and grabs my hand under the blanket. He doesn't say a word, but his eyes are pleading with me to stay. I wouldn't want to be alone with the lovebirds, either.
I sigh in defeat and gently pull my hand away, making myself comfortable again. Tom Cruise is kissing that blonde chick now and I look over at Seth and Anna, who are engaged in a full-out make-out session.
Ryan nods in the direction of the other room and I eagerly follow him, anxious to get away from the lovebirds. Ryan closes the door behind us and I realize that we're in his bedroom.
"Jesus, they could at least wait until they're alone before they start doing that," I grumble, folding my arms over my chest.
"Well, that's love for you," Ryan says, smiling sadly. Suddenly he realizes what he's said. "I'm sorry, Summer. It must be really hard for you to see them together." He thinks for a minute. "I can't believe Seth is being so inconsiderate of your feelings."
"Yeah, well, that's love for you," I reply cynically. I plop down on the twin bed and make myself comfortable amidst the disheveled pile of blankets and pillows. "Ryan, do you think that you and Coop will be able to work things out?"
Ryan's face falls at the mention of Marissa. "Um, well, I..."
"Sorry," I say quietly. "Still a pretty touchy subject, huh?"
"Well, Marissa made her choice," Ryan says coolly. "She said that she loved me and then she kissed that Oliver guy. That's not love."
"Do you love her?" I ask, hoping that I'm not being too pushy.
Ryan looks at the ground, nervously twiddling his thumbs. "I guess I thought I did." He frowns. "I've never loved anyone before."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," I reply, watching as his head jerks back in surprise. He stares at me in disbelief.
"You have a family that cares about you, Summer," he says, anguish in his voice. "You didn't have to worry about where your next meal was coming from or if you could escape the day without being beaten growing up."
"Bullshit," I tell him, standing up to face him. "My family doesn't care about me. My mom ran out on us ages ago, and my dad never gives me the time of day. I'm stuck with a step-mother that doesn't give a damn about me. All she cares about are her precious painkillers." I smile wryly. "I may not have been hurting for money or have been abused, but I know a thing or two about being alone."
"Sorry," Ryan replies quietly. He runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "I guess we have more in common than I thought."
"Yeah, I guess so." I nod in the direction of the door. "Do you think Seth and Anna have noticed that we're gone yet?"
Ryan snorts. "I highly doubt they've come up for air yet." He reaches out and gives my hand a light squeeze. "Don't let them get to you. You're strong, Summer. You'll get through this."
He doesn't release my hand and I can feel tingles going through my entire body. He must notice it, too, because he takes a step toward me, his eyes on mine. I can't read the expression on his face. He's not nearly as transparent as... No, I won't say his name. I won't think about Seth. Oh, God. He's leaning in to kiss me.
His lips come down on mine in a gentle kiss and all thoughts vanish from my mind. Seth who? I think as his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me to him. I lock my arms around his neck and kiss him back, savoring the smell of his cologne. He moves a hand from my waist to my head, running it through my hair.
Then it's over, almost as quickly as it started. Ryan takes a step back and looks at me, another unreadable expression on his face.
"Sorry," he mutters, taking another step back. He avoids my eyes this time and I reach out for him.
"Don't be," I tell him, trying hard to smile. Unfortunately, the muscles in my face aren't quite working the way that I wish they would. "I'm not."
Ryan looks up and his eyes bore into mine. Damn it. Why can't I figure out what he's thinking.
"What are you thinking?" Ryan asks me. It's a simple question, but it's enough to bring a smile to my face.
"I'm wondering what you're thinking," I tell him, smirking. "So now you're a mind reader, Chino?"
Ryan winces at the nickname and I mentally kick myself for using it again. His expression changes to a smirk and he takes a step closer to me.
"Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you're flustered like this?" he asks, his breath tickling my ear. I feel those shivers going down my spine and I pull back to look at him.
"Chino, just shut up and kiss me."
And he does.