Disclaimer: Still no.

A/N: Well, well, I guess that last chapter was a tad touchy with people, eh? Good that's how I wanted it to be. ;) And also, I'm really not gonna explain myself for people who hated it – it will all make sense in the end and I truly believe it was both needed & necessary and that's all I have to say on the subject. And for people who loved it & found themselves crying – honestly, that's really amazing to hear. It's amazing to read a review from someone who said they were near the verge of tears or were actually crying at the end. That's just… yeahhh…. That's just amazing.

Anyway – thank you to ALL the reviewers and here's another chapter!

Oh, & I wrote a two-parter story last week called "Accepting Fate." If you haven't checked it out yet, go do so & then tell me what you think!

But back to this - read, enjoy, & review!

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Summer woke up the next morning with familiar arms wrapped around her sheet-covered waist and a heavy head weighing down on her sheet-covered chest.

Seth gently stirred, slowly waking up, and squinted up at Summer, "Hey."

Summer smiled sadly, "Hi."

Seth reached his hand up, caressing her face as if he were memorizing her freckles and smooth skin, and then he slowly brought his face up to hers, capturing her lips in a sensual kiss.

Summer tried to pull away but she couldn't do it. She was so emotionally attached to Seth that she didn't think she could ever will herself away from his protective, lanky build, but at the same time she knew she needed to do it.

She was so sure he needed to truly find out what else was out there. And she believed he couldn't do it when all he'd ever known was lying underneath him.

Seth pulled away abruptly, beaming ear-to-ear, "So, I know I should have mentioned this earlier but -" Seth's face scrunched up as he paused, "Wait, I think I have a headache coming on. I'm gonna go get some aspirin and I'll be right back."

Seth jumped over Summer, grabbing his boxers from the foot of the bed, bounding swiftly into the bathroom across the hall as he stumbled into them.

Summer sat up and leaned her head back on the bed frame, sighing heavily and closing her eyes. "What the hell am I doing?" She doubted herself. She couldn't figure out if she doubted her actions from the previous night or her actions she was planning to take this morning. All she knew was that she was having doubts.

And that clearly meant that something was wrong.

She had never thought – not since her early high school years anyway – that she and Seth were meant to be her, Summer Roberts, and him, Seth Cohen – separate individuals. Moving to Rhode Island to keep their relationship together sans-long distance was intended to show everyone that they were not just some high school sweethearts too afraid to let go. Moving into an apartment in downtown LA for four long summer months was meant to solidify this point.

But somehow, somewhere down the line, while they found themselves convincing everyone else of their true love, Summer found herself doubting it.

Seth bounded back into the bedroom, resuming his place on the bed, this time with his legs resting on each side of Summer's waist. Summer winced inwardly and stopped Seth's lips from reaching her own, knowing that if he reached his journey, Summer would not be able to stop him. Or, she feared, herself.

"Doesn't your head hurt?" Summer put her arms on his broad shoulders, keeping him at distance.

"No. Not really. Headaches from hangovers don't really faze me anymore," Seth answered.

"Yeah," Summer chuckled sarcastically, but void of emotion, "I almost believe that."

"You know," Seth smiled lovingly at Summer, "You really are fucking beautiful. I think, instead of writing articles in those magazines you should be posing for the photographs that appear in the magazines. Nude. Okay, not nude really," Seth backtracked himself after he received Summer's glare. "But you can at least try it out by posing nude now. I'll take excellent photographs with my eyes to store in my memory," Seth finished flirtatiously.

Seth tried to move the sheet that was wrapped around Summer's body so he could kiss her shoulders, but Summer tugged it back up. "What did you want to tell me earlier before you went to go get aspirin?"

"Oh," Seth straightened up, "My mom called yesterday and invited me – well, actually us – to come to Newport tomorrow. And judging by the end of the voicemail, she must have heard a response from my messaging system because she ended the message by saying that she'd see me on Sunday. But it's all right, I figure I can probably get a lot of work done there as opposed to here and I'm kind of interested to see what they have to say. It sounded kind of important. I should ask Ryan if he's heard anything from them," Seth rolled off of Summer and reached over to his nightstand to grab his pants that were slung over the lamp – clearly landing there as a result of the previous night's attempt at ridding clothes in an untimely fashion – and dug in one of the pockets for his phone.

As Seth began to search for Ryan's number through his contact list, Summer spoke up, "Actually, I don't think I can go."

"What? Why?" Seth looked up from his phone. "I swear I won't distract you. I have a lot of work to do on my own. And you don't have to go back to your house. You don't even have to tell your dad or Julie that you're coming."

"That's not it," Summer replied and Seth raised his eyebrows in question. "I mean, you have a lot of work to get done. It would be better if I just stay in LA."

"You're the one who's gonna make me sit down and work," Seth smirked, pressing the 'Send' button and holding the phone up to his ear. "You're my disciplinarian."

Summer closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the bed frame once again. "Seth, I'm not going."

Seth opened his mouth to reply to Summer, but Ryan's voice came over the phone, "Hey, man."

"Hi," Seth replied absentmindedly, still staring at Summer who was refusing to look back at him and was now getting out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her, trying to get clothes from the closet. "Can, I, ah… can I call you back?"

"But you called me."

"I know. Umm… I'll call you back. Bye." Seth hung up the phone and stood up from the bed, walking over to Summer and wrapping his arms around her still sheet-clad body. "I want you to come, Summer."

Summer turned around, grasping her clothes, "I'm not going to Newport with you."

Seth sighed. "Look, I know you hate going back there but, honestly, it's just one day and you won't even have pass by your house if you don't want to."

"It's not about my house. And if it is just one day, why can't you go by yourself?" Summer dropped the sheet and began changing in front of him.

"I, umm… I, uh, can. I just, umm," Seth stuttered and flung his hand over his eyes. "Can you not get changed right in front of me when I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you? It makes me pretty incapable of putting together coherent sentences." Seth smiled, his hand still over his eyes.

"You've seen me plenty before."

"And that still doesn't change the fact that you've got the most perfect body in the history of perfect bodies."

At this, Summer snapped. He couldn't continue saying beyond adorable things to her when she was trying to break up with him. "Oh my God, stop it!"

Seth stopped smiling and both his hand and his jaw dropped simultaneously. By now Summer was fully clothed but her face was etched in anger.

"Just… Jesus… You need to stop it."

"Okay," Seth replied quietly, still gathering himself from Summer's outburst. "Okay."

"I'm not going to Newport, okay? And it's not because of Julie or my dad or about how everything reminds me of Marissa. It's about me. And I'm not going."

"Umm," Seth still held his quiet voice. "Is there any particular reason?"

"Because I can't. I don't want to."

"All right," Seth inhaled deeply, still very confused. "That's a, umm, reasonable excuse… ah, I guess."

Summer sighed heavily and took one look at Seth's confused face and then closed her eyes and held her hand up to her forehead. "I'm leaving."

"Ah, umm… you're what now?" Seth stood in shock.

"I'm leaving. I don't think I should be here right now," Summer paused. "I think we need a break."

This time Seth couldn't muster up any type of response. He stood there, powerless in front of the only woman he'd ever loved, feeling like he was in a daze where people were just staring at him, laughing, all while throwing darts towards him – with his heart as the bright, red target.

"I just think it's for the best right now. We need some time apart."

"Time apart?" Seth mumbled as he slid onto the floor. "You're breaking up with me?"

Summer saw him breaking and felt her demeanor breaking along with him, trying to keep her tears that were overflowing her entire body from spilling over onto her cheeks.

"Seth, it's what you need right now."

At this, Seth began shaking his head sternly. He jolted from his daze and realized he had to prove to Summer how completely wrong she was. How he could not live without her and how he definitely did not need any of this.

Seth stood up, pacing the room, picking up pieces of random clothing. "You don't know what I need, Summer. You can't make decisions for me. And I say you're staying here with me, we're going to Newport together tomorrow, and we are most certainly not breaking up."

Summer's tears began to tumble down her face. "No, Seth."

Seth shook his head fiercely, rummaging through the dresser, pulling out clothes and stumbling into them, still refusing to acknowledge Summer's proclamations.

"Please, stop for a second," Summer tried to get a grip on Seth's arm, but finding herself reaching blindly through the room because her tears were blurring her vision.

"Nope. No. I have work I have to do. You… you, have to get ready. Hey, how about we go on a date tonight? Me, you, movies? Yeah, we'll do that later tonight."

"Seth," Summer pleaded, falling onto the bed, finding herself too weak to stand, "I'm not going with you. I'm leaving."

"No. No." Seth furiously burrowed through his dresser looking nothing and anything at the same time. Anything to force himself to look away from Summer.

"I'm trying to explain this to you maturely. Please, be an adult about this."

Seth whirled around. "Oh? Me be an adult? You're the one standing here trying to break us up for no reason whatsoever!" Anger rose in Seth's body. "You're the one trying to end a five year relationship over nothing! And you're crying! You don't even want this. I don't want this. I don't know what the fuck you're doing anymore!"

"I'm doing the right thing. I know I am."

"No, you're not. You're trying to ruin our future! What about everything we've been working towards? I love you! And I fucking know you love me so don't even try going down that route," Seth sneered.

"I do love you. That's why I'm doing this."

Seth threw his arms up in rage. "Bullshit, Summer! All fucking bullshit!"

"I'm trying to explain it to you," Summer sobbed, wincing at Seth's sharp words.

Seth grunted mordantly. "Yeah, well, you got a lousy way of explaining things."

"What? You'd rather me write it in a note for you to find once I'm already gone?" Summer asked tartly, letting anger rise above her sadness.

"Yes, let's bring all the pain and suffering from high school back to take over our current issues," Seth replied bitingly, "You wanna discuss Marissa's death while we're at it? I'm sure that will help us get off topic for the rest of the summer."

Summer stood up and reached her hand out, slapping Seth's right cheek.

Seth grazed his own hand against his burning cheek, "Fuck Summer. I was just trying to prove a point."

"Well your points suck!" Summer yelled as she grabbed her suitcase out of the closet, dragging it up onto the bed.

"Summer, stop it. I'm sorry, okay? Come on. This is crazy," Seth pleaded as he watched her throw clothes haphazardly into the suitcase, "You can't leave."

"I am."

"I won't let you."

"You can't stop me."

Seth slammed his fist on the dresser, "Damnit Summer!"

Summer jumped at his pounding and held her right hand over her chest, "You're scaring me."

Seth rushed over to her and took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers, trying to show the intensity of his love for her the only way he knew how. Summer reacted instantly, knowing she could never deny Seth, especially when he looked so jilted and hurt. She felt his pain through the connecting of their mouths and Summer couldn't do anything except reciprocate the same feelings that were rising within her, thrusting them through the use of her tongue into Seth's mouth. She felt Seth's hope rise when she searched his mouth, but it fell when he felt Summer's hot tears on his cheek.

Summer knew she'd never kiss a man like this ever again. So she was savoring it, even though it was sending jolts of pain through her petite body.

Seth broke the kiss and stared at Summer's tear-stricken face, including her now swollen lips, as both of them breathed heavily. "I love you."

Summer nodded and bit her top lip. After a few silent moments, both trying to catch their breaths, she replied. "Then let me do this."

Seth let go and without saying a word or as much as one simple glance back, walked out of the bedroom into the bathroom, slamming the door shut, allowing the apartment and all the lifeless objects inside to shudder, including Summer herself.

She tried to wipe her tears and pulled out a pen along with an old receipt from her purse and scribbled a few words;

I'm sorry. I'll pick up the rest of my stuff tomorrow while you're in Newport. I love you.

Summer left the note on the bed as she gathered her suitcase and walked out of their apartment, silently crying.

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Seth retreated back into the bedroom, seconds after hearing the apartment door close, knowing that Summer had left.

He immediately noticed the note resting on the end of the bed and read it.

Now he knew why Summer put up such a Goddamn fuss about that stupid note he wrote to her after he sailed off that one summer in high school.

These notes fucking sucked.

Seth picked up his phone that had fallen off the bed during his break up with Summer and found Ryan's name, pressing the 'Send' button once again, and holding it up to his ear.

"Hey, Mr. I'll-call-you-and-then-tell-you-I'll-call-you-back. How's it going?" Ryan joked on the other line.

"Sorry. I was busy," Seth answered emotional-less.

"Getting busy?" Ryan continued joking on the other line. Seth sat silent for a moment and Ryan waited, knowing Seth would not stay this quiet unless something serious was going on. "Seth, man… you all right?"

"Summer and I broke up."

"What?" Ryan shouted through the phone immediately, causing Seth to pull his phone away from his ear. "It's not an actual break up, right? You guys always get back together."

Seth sighed. "She packed up her suitcase. She's coming to pick up a bunch of her other stuff tomorrow when I'm in Newport."

"Seth…"

"We're over. We're really fucking over." Seth spoke into the phone as realization dawned on him and tears started to pour from his eyes. "Oh my God."

"Give me fifteen minutes," Ryan stated and then hung up his phone.

Seth listened to the dial tone until his loud heaving for gasps of air drowned it out.

He threw his phone against the wall as hard as he could, causing it to dent and the battery to fall out of the phone and to the floor. Seth stumbled against the closet, barely able to catch enough air, as tears of realization and shock racked his entire body.

He had just lost his future.

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Summer knocked on Chad's door, with her suitcase standing at her side and her face swollen from all the tears shed.

Chad opened the door and immediately enveloped Summer in his arms. "Summy, what happened?"

"I can't be with him anymore," Summer sobbed, hiccupping as she spoke. "He needs to find someone else. He needs to be happy."

Chad stared at her befuddled. "Why don't you come in and just calm down, okay sweetie?"

Stephen then appeared as Summer made her way into Chad's apartment, "Hey, what's going on out here?" Stephen saw Summer's face and instantaneously knew without the pleading look Chad was sending him. He instantly found himself on the other side of Summer, rubbing her back soothingly. "You're gonna go be okay, honey. Shhh… you're gonna be okay."

Summer weakly nodded. She didn't have the heart capacity to tell him that she didn't think she was ever going to be okay again.

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A/N: I know I don't usually put notes at the end but to brighten this up, I felt a little spoiler was in order: This is the worst it gets. So, in turn, it can only get better from here on out, right? (Slowly, but definitely surely…)

Please review!