I have finally written up chapter 6! I'm so sorry it has taken so long (literally months) to update! I hope it's not too rubbish and would love some reviews (I just hope people havent forgotten about it since the last update!). I have been writing loads of ideas for the upcoming chapters. Coming up in the story is: Jimmy arrives in Newport, Julie tries to cope with her daughters death, and eventually the funeral. Not sure what will happen after that but I hope to have quite a few more chapters. Anyway enough of me blabbing! Enjoy...


Chapter 6: Lie With Me

Sandy reached into his pocket and drew out the house keys. He walked inside the dark house and held the door open as three almost ghostly figures floated past him. They might as well have been ghosts anyway. They were only half there, empty shells of people who were once full of energy, of life, love – full of emotion. He half opened his mouth to say something but immediately closed it realising that right at that moment not even Sandy Cohen could come up with something helpful to say, because right now words were meaningless. He closed the door and watched as his wife and two sons silently went their own way each feeling the same burden of loss yet all feeling it differently. A girlfriend? A family member? The girl next door? Or simply just a friend….

He followed Kirsten through to the kitchen. He watched closely as she filled up a glass of water and gulped it all down before shakily resting it on the counter top. Sandy slowly approached her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, not wanting to startle her.

"Hey we should get to bed, try and sleep. It's been a long night," he whispered into her ear.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute. I just need to gather my thoughts."

"Okay," he gently kissed her head. "You know where I am if you need me." She nodded her head weakly and he gave her shoulder one last gentle squeeze. He retreated to their bedroom never looking back to Kirsten not wanting to watch her "gather her thoughts". Kirsten heard Sandy's footsteps grow fainter as she refilled her glass. She breathed deeply and leaned her hands on the worktop. Her mind jumped back to a few hours earlier. It felt like her memory had been scarred: scarred by the look of fear and hurt on Ryan's face; scarred by Julie's hysterical sobbing; scarred by Seth's silence. She knew that no matter what she would never forget this night. She would never be able to heal, none of them would.

Sandy walked out of the bathroom as Kirsten walked into the bedroom. He watched her move to the bed and sit on the edge, every step looking forced like she just wanted to give up right there.

"Hey you should splash some cold water on your face. It's been a long night," Sandy suggested standing in the same spot watching the back of her head. Her blonde hair rippled in the dim light as she nodded her head gently. But Sandy quickly noticed that she in fact wasn't nodding her head as her shoulders began to hunch over. Without even thinking he moved swiftly to her side. He sat on the edge of the bed beside her as her whole body started to shake. He latched his arm around her shoulder as tears rained from her eyes. He stroked her hair off her wet cheeks as she let out quiet sobs. Sandy always had answers but he found himself drowning in her tears, unable to answer anything. This was one of those moments he would always look back on and thank the lord that they had each other; their love stopping them from drowning.

Seth walked into the house past his dad and headed straight up the stairs. It seemed to him that every single footstep he took was booming through the deadly silence that had engulfed the house. He pushed his bedroom door open. He saw his bed, the covers all thrown to one side reminding him of the moment only a few hours ago when nothing made sense anymore. Sitting down at his desk in the dark room he picked up his phone, flipping it open and pressing frantically at the buttons. He looked down at the small lit up screen and the name across it. Summer. His finger hovered over the green call button. He may not have messed up back at the hospital but he didn't feel like he had done anything to help her either. He felt he had to call her to check that she was okay though he didn't know what he would say. Maybe the words would come to him. Maybe she wouldn't even want to hear from him so soon. Maybe she just needed her own space. He moved his finger away from the green button and flipped his phone shut. Or maybe he was just a coward.

Summer walked over to her bed and picked up Marissa's bear. She looked at the bear as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Marissa's watching over me now too."

She breathed deeply, swearing to herself that she would be strong. It was pointless though. What's the point in being strong if you've got nothing to hold up. And she had nothing, now that Marissa was gone. She buried her face in the bear and lay back on her bed. Endless tears fell from her eyes as what was left of her heart broke. She closed her eyes as she felt someone lie on her bed beside her and wrap their arms around her.

Neil kissed the back of her head and he held her small body close to him, sheltering them both in his love. Father and daughter simply lay there, comforting each other needing no words or dramatic gestures to show their love and support. Marissa was dead but Neil had to make sure that Summer realised that she herself was still alive.

Ryan pushed open the door of the pool house, memories of the times he had spent there with Marissa flowing over him. He looked around the dark pool house taking in the familiar surroundings. Voices from the past bounced off the walls, echoing around his head. The memories became too much as he lashed out sending his lamp crashing to the floor, ignoring the pain searing through his body.

"AAARRGHH!" he went over to the bed and started kicking it, letting out all his rage. He gradually sunk to his knees beside the bed hitting it with his fists. He grabbed onto a piece of cover, clenching it in his fist. He lowered his head onto the bed and did something that Ryan Atwood never does. He cried. His whole body shook as he buried his face into the covers. It just wasn't fair. Why had she died? It just didn't make sense: she had died and he had lived.

Why?

Jimmy settled onto his couch with a book, the window open letting a gentle breeze blow in. He had tidied the place up for Marissa coming. They would have a few days together before setting sail for Greece. He was so excited to see her – he didn't regret his decision to leave Newport but he did regret his decision to leave Marissa. She said it was too hard to keep saying good bye to him but now they were going to spend a whole year together and would never have to say goodbye to her again. He couldn't help but let a small smile escape his lips as he thought of meeting her at the airport in a few hours. He went back to his book, though found it difficult to concentrate through his excitement. He was about to turn the page when the phone rang. He looked at the phone then back to his book, sighing as he stretched out to get the phone off the table beside the couch.

"Who could be phoning at this hour?" he wondered out loud seeing 11:35 on the clock. "Hello?"

"Could I speak to a Mr James Cooper?" a very formal voice asked down the phone.

"This is him," Jimmy replied.

"This is Newport General Hospital."

Jimmy frowned wondering why the hospital would be phoning him.

"I'm very sorry to say that your daughter has been involved in an automobile accident."

"Oh god, Kaitlin," Jimmy said, not evening thinking about Marissa assuming that she was on the plane on the way to him.

"Uh I'm sorry," the voice at the other end said, sounding confused. "I have it down as Marissa Cooper."

"What?" Jimmy replied, his turn to be confused. "That must be a mistake…. There has to be a mistake. I mean I'm meeting her at the airport in a few hours."

"I'm sorry it's definitely Marissa Cooper."

"Uh…well," Jimmy stuttered trying to comprehend what he was hearing. "Well is she okay?"

"I'm so sorry but she was pronounced dead at the scene."

The phone fell from Jimmy's hand as the world around him ground to a halt.

Jimmy ran up to the empty check in desk.

"I need a ticket to Newport," he said breathlessly.

The woman sitting at the desk slowly looked up at Jimmy who was drumming his fingers impatiently on the desk. She slowly turned to her computer screen and typed vigorously. Jimmy rolled his eyes as the woman typed away. She eventually looked back at Jimmy.

"The next flight to Newport is tomorrow at 3pm."

"No you don't understand I need to go now!" Jimmy said frantically.

"The next flight to Newport is tomorrow at 3pm," she repeated monotonously.

Jimmy ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.

"Ok, ok I got that. How about to LA?"

The woman went back to her computer.

"A flight to Los Angeles leaves in 45 minutes but there aren't many seats left," she droned. Jimmy raised his eyebrows then looked over each shoulder to the almost deserted airport.

"Umm, it's just me I only need one seat," he said taken aback by her slowness. She nodded her head.

"Would you like a ticket?"

"Yes!" Jimmy shouted. "Look I just found out that my daughter has died, I really need to get home!" he shouted in a burst of emotion. He slammed his credit card down.

"I don't care how much it is just get me a seat."

She processed his card and got a ticket.

"Do you have any bags to check in?"

"No," Jimmy said trying to calm himself.

"I have some routine questions to ask you…."

"Yes I packed the bag myself, no no-one has had a chance to tamper with it, and I have no form of explosives, weapons, knifes, scissors or guns," he reeled out quickly. She stared at him for a few seconds.

"Do you have any tweezers?"

"What?"

"Do you have any tweezers?" she asked sounding like it was the last place she wanted to be.

"No I don't have any tweezers!" he said getting annoyed again. She picked up the ticket and slipped it into a small cover. Jimmy watched her fiddle with the ticket, anger boiling up inside him.

"Boarding at gate 2A," she said holding out the ticket. Jimmy grabbed it and picked up his bag.

"Thanks for your help," he said sarcastically.

"Enjoy your flight," she said as he hurried away. Truthfully he didn't know why he was hurrying though. He had nothing left to hurry to. Marissa was dead.

Let me know what you think whether good or bad!