Author's Note: I don't own anything. Thank you so much for the reviews. Seriously, they totally make my day and it really helps with the motivation. You guys are awesome.

Lindsay laid out her towel on the sand and Ryan laid his beside hers. She pulled two sodas from her bag and handed one to Ryan. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?"

Ryan gazed out at the water and the sun that was beginning to sink in the sky, and nodded. He stood up and took off his T-shirt. Lindsay just sat there, trying not to gawk at him as he walked towards the water. "Aren't you going to get in?" he asked.

After briefly hesitating, she agreed. "Okay." She took off her tank top and shorts to reveal a modest two-piece suit with a floral design.

Ryan ran out into the water, as if daring the waves to knock him over. Lindsay stood on the shore and watched him, laughing as he came back up with a piece of seaweed in his hair. "What?" he asked.

She struggled to keep from laughing. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

He looked suspicious, but didn't question her. "Sticking your toes in doesn't count," he asserted.

"Sure it does," she replied firmly.

Ryan wrinkled his nose as if he was considering this. "No, definitely not." Before she knew what was happening, he threw her over his shoulder and ran out into the water with her.

"Ryan! No! Stop, put me down!" She managed to squeal through her laughter. A wave crashed over them and she felt Ryan tighten his hold on her. When it receeded, he let her go and she came up spitting out salt water. Ryan looked at her smiling, expecting some kind of retalliation. She smiled smugly. "Don't worry, I'll get you back later." As he grinned back at her, she melted a little bit and decided that Ryan Atwood definitely needed to smile more.

With a heavy sigh, Summer sat down on the hotel bed beside her best friend. "Marissa, I get that you're going through a hard time right now. I'm not saying I know exactly how you feel, because I don't, but I do know what it's like to be betrayed by a parent. And at least your dad did it because he loves you."

With a sigh, Marissa nodded. "I know...I feel so selfish for all those times I asked him to buy me things..."

"Coop," Summer rubbed a soothing hand over Marissa's back. "You didn't know. And he could have told you no. It's not like your love was ever contigent on him buying you things."

"Mine isn't, but my mom's is...or was, I guess."

No one had ever said it before, but Summer had always suspected that Mrs. Cooper's favorite thing about Mr. Cooper was his bank account. "Oh no. Sweetie, are they...? I mean she's not going to just leave him, is she?"

Marissa nodded. "Not only has my dad lost his job, his home, and his reputation, but on top of all that, he's losing his adoring wife."

"But he still has his daughters. And his friends." Summer made a face, realizing that most of his friends had been his clients. "I mean...the Cohens anyway."

"Yeah. Kirsten and Sandy have been really great about helping him out."

"The Cohens are pretty amazing."

"Why do I get the feeling you aren't talking about Sandy and Kirsten?" Marissa asked with a teasing smirk.

"I guess Chino is sort of a Cohen now, isn't he?"

Marissa's face hardened at the mention of Ryan's name. "I was talking about Seth."

"Well, I wasn't," Summer stated firmly. After a brief pause, she mumbled, "And I don't like Cohen."

"Do you even know Ryan?" Marissa asked growing angry, though she knew she had no right to be.

"I'm starting to. You aren't into Chino or anything, are you?" Summer regarded Marissa with her eyebrows raised in annoyance.

"No, I have a boyfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember, but do you?"

Marissa sighed with exasperation. "Stop trying to change the subject. Just admit that you like Seth Cohen!"

Summer's hand quickly covered Marissa's mouth. "Shh! They'll hear you!"

Marissa's tone lightened. "You're blushing!" she exclaimed teasingly with a smile. "And you aren't denying it. You like Seth Cohen!"

"Ew! No Marissa, I do not! I can't like him. He's like...Seth Cohen."

"That's too bad," Marissa commented. "Because he sure likes you."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Right, that's why he's spent the weekend shacking up with Tinkerbell."

"He's with Anna?"

"Chino said they went to some comic book thing together."

"How romantic," Marissa quipped with a smile. "They're probably just friends. Have you even told Seth that you like him?"

"I don't like him, and I don't care what he does with Tinkerbell!"

"Sum, I've known you for years. You're not a good liar, and you're especially bad at denying your feelings for Seth. Just stop fighting it; It's undeniable."

"I'm denying it."

Seth woke up the next morning after a night of restless sleep. His mind was swimming with thoughts of Summer and Anna. Mostly Summer.

After grabbing breakfast, Seth and Anna loaded the car and were on their way home. "So that was Comicon," Seth commented, trying to make conversation.

"Thanks for inviting me to come with you." She smiled brightly at him. "I had a really great time this weekend. It's so awesome to find someone who I can share this with."

Seth shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Ryan just doesn't appreciate the artistic beauty of graphic novels like you do."

Anna turned away, disappointed. A comparison to Ryan was definitely not what she was going for. The rest of the way back, they just talked about music and comic books. An awkward silence hung between them when Seth pulled into Anna's driveway. "Can I help you with your bags?"

"Sure."

He struggled to lift her suitcase but carried it to the door. He set it down with a thud and Anna stepped close to him. "Thank you, Seth," she said so softly it was nearly a whisper. She stood on her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.

For a moment, he stood there, frozen. Summer's over. With that in mind, Seth decided to make this moment with Anna memorable. He quickly intensified the kiss, pushing her up against the front door. She moaned with pleasure, running her hands through his curls, which she'd already grown fond of.

Seth wasn't quite getting into it, so he closed his eyes to focus on the sensations. Unfortunately, when his eyelids shut, he saw Summer's face. He quickly pulled back from Anna, leaving her breathless and a bit stunned. "I'll see you at school?"

She gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah, see you at school."

The car ride back to Newport was too quiet. The tension between Holly and Marissa, who sat on opposite sides of Luke in the backseat, was almost unbearable, and Brad's hostility towards everyone but Holly wasn't helping matters. Summer leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to shut out this mess that had become her world.

Marissa sat beside Luke sulking. Brad had been excessively rude to her since she'd gotten drunk and she couldn't figure out why. She did know that if she didn't cut back on her drinking soon, her mom would figure it out and insist that Marissa "get help."

Holly carefully avoided Luke's gaze, feeling a mixture of guilt, embarassment, and spite. She knew it would be wrong to steal her friend's boyfriend, but she wasn't sure if she really cared anymore. After talking to Brad the previous night, she was beginning to wonder if Luke was worth all this. It was getting harder and harder to see him with Marissa, especially knowing that she would never love him as devotedly as he loved her. And of course she could never love him like Holly did.

Luke's hand brushed against hers, and they reacted by turning to look at each other. In his eyes, she saw sweetness, resistance, and when she looked closely, longing. Oh yeah, he was definitely worth it. If only he'd wake up and see how bad Marissa was for him.

Luke had countless questions and he couldn't ask any of them. Was he remembering things, or did Brad say that Holly was in love with him? More importantly, what the heck was wrong with Marissa? Why was she fighting with Holly? Was it really their dads, or was it because of him? How long had Holly felt this way? And the scariest question of all was what if he felt the same way?