Disclaimer: Fox and Josh Schwartz own The O.C. not me
A few weeks later. (For the record, Seth has been back in New Port for a little over a month now…and has been flirting with Summer every time they've been together)
"Sorry I'm late," Summer apologized as she dashed into the room.
"Sorry we're late," Billy corrected, as he made his way into the room.
"Where were you?" Seth asked.
"Stuck on set. Filming took a little longer today than I anticipated, thanks to Billy here," Summer teased, playfully hitting the strange man in the stomach.
"My apologies," Billy grinned sheepishly.
"So anyways, what'd I miss, Coop?"
"Not much we were actually just trying to figure out some of the things for the reception," Marissa answered.
"The reception, huh? Sounds good to me. Free booze all around, New Port's specialty," Seth grinned.
"Or not. Don't listen to him, Coop. He wouldn't know the first thing about planning a wedding," Summer teased.
"Oh and you would?" Seth smirked.
"More than you would, considering how my ex-boyfriend asked me to marry him!" Summer smiled sweetly.
"And you said no!" Seth exclaimed, getting angry that she brought up Matt.
"Well duh!" Summer replied, getting angry too.
"Come on guys. You're arguing like two stupid kids," Ryan pleaded.
"Duh? Honestly, Summer, who still says duh? That is like so junior high," Seth scoffed.
"Junior High? Just like the intelligence level you're still stuck at," Summer smirked.
"Intelligence level? You wanna talk to me about intelligence level? Cause we all know you're a genius."
"Guys, cut it out," Marissa jumped in.
"I'm smarter than you."
"Hey, you're the one who wasn't smart enough to calm your ex and got me punched in the face."
"That has nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Summer smiled through her rage.
"I was just trying to help."
"And a lot of help you were."
"Sum," Marissa tried again.
"More help than your boyfriend was, considering how he was the one who caused the problems in the first place," Seth replied, ignoring Marissa.
"I never said he wasn't."
"Can we just plan this reception?" Ryan asked.
"But you also never really said he was. What kind of an idiot dates a guy like that anyway? Sure he's famous and good looking but so are you and you could do a hell of a lot better," Seth argued.
"As if I didn't know that. Why do you think I'm not with him? Because you came back to town? Could you contemplate getting over yourself?" Summer spat back actually getting angry now.
"I'm over it. I have Lauren!"
"And what a fine catch she is," Summer scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"What's wrong with Lauren?"
"Guys, stop it. The flirty arguing was cute at first but now things are getting ugly. Can't you wait and do this somewhere else?" Marissa asked.
"I'm sorry, Coop. But let me explain to this asshole here exactly what's wrong with his precious girlfriend."
"Please do," Seth snapped.
"Number one, she's a bitch, Seth. Pure, plain, and simple, your girl's a bitch," Summer began.
"So are you and you never seem to have a problem with that."
"Whatev. Number two, you don't even love each other. What kind of a relationship is that?"
"What would you know if we love each other or not?"
"I know that she doesn't hang on your every word."
"So? Neither did you!"
"That's what I wanted you to believe, ass!" Summer replied.
"Wait a minute, you two dated?" Billy asked.
"Yes," Seth and Summer replied, both rolling their eyes.
"Oh God," Marissa groaned. "I just want to plan my wedding. It's in less than three months."
"I know, sweetie," Ryan said rubbing her back.
"So she doesn't hang on my every word, big deal," Seth said getting back into the argument.
"Were they like this when they were together?" Billy asked.
"Worse. They love to hate each other," Ryan answered.
"They really have the love/hate thing going," Marissa added.
"As I was saying, she doesn't hang on your every word. She doesn't even look at you as if she loved you. She's constantly distracted and her eyes do not follow you across the room," Summer said, also getting back into the argument.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize she had to stalk me!"
"I didn't say stalk you! I said love you! She doesn't!"
"You don't even know her!" Seth retorted.
"What's to know? I know all I need to know!"
"Oh yeah. You know tons, Summer, just tons!"
"She calls you Sethie. What kind of a stupid name is Sethie?"
"What kind of a stupid name is Cohen?" Seth replied.
"It's your last name, jackass."
"Got any popcorn? This is almost entertaining," Billy snorted.
"She can't love you like I-," Summer started but stopped.
"Don't even, Summer. Don't even talk about shit that you don't know!"
"She's a heartless bitch who, who doesn't even love you!"
"Yeah well I'm going to propose to that heartless bitch who doesn't love me, so there!" Seth spat.
Suddenly Summer's anger slipped away.
"You're- you're what?" Summer asked then swallowed. " You're going to ask her to marry you?" she nearly whispered.
"Y-yes," Seth answered almost fearfully.
"You are?" Ryan asked incredulously.
Seth nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off Summer.
"About that popcorn?" Billy asked Marissa.
"You're asking Lauren?" Summer asked again.
"I am."
"To marry you?" Summer asked shakily.
"I am."
"Oh my god," Marissa whispered.
"I've gotta, oh wow, um I should- what I mean is that- I have to leave," Summer said with wide eyes.
"Y-you just got here," Seth said.
"I know but I totally forgot- I've got this thing- I have to- I mean," Summer stuttered, blinking back tears.
"We do have that thing…for the movie. At four o' clock. I forgot about it as well. But thank you all for this…day. But yes, we have to leave. Thanks again," Billy covered and ushered Summer out the door before she broke down into tears.
"You're going to propose to Lauren?" Marissa asked.
"Yes," Seth replied, lowering his eyes.
"You shouldn't have dropped that on her like that," Ryan said suddenly.
Seth nodded.
"Oh God. Oh God. I can't breathe. I think I'm having a panic attack," Summer gasped once she and Billy were in her car.
"Just breathe slowly. You'll be alright."
Summer breathed heavily and shut her eyes to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks.
"So you're really hung up on that guy, aren't you?"
Summer's eyes flashed open, "What?"
"That Seth guy, you're ex-boyfriend. You're still in love with him," Billy said slowly.
"Ok, um no! I'm like so over that, it's not even funny!"
"Don't lie to me, Summer. You never have to lie to me," Billy replied taking her hand and rubbing circles on the back of it.
"I'm still in love with him," Summer confessed.
They both sat in silence for a minute.
"I'm still in love with Cohen," Summer repeated, as it actually sunk in.
Billy nodded.
Summer rested her head against the steering wheel with a huge sigh.
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There was a knock on Summer's bedroom door.
"Sum, you alright?" Marissa asked through the door, before slightly pushing it open.
"Come in, Coop."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Summer replied, but was clearly lying.
"Sum," Marissa said knowingly.
"Hey how'd you get in my house?" Summer asked, changing the subject.
"I know where you hide your spare. Now don't change the subject."
"I just can't believe he's going to marry her."
"He won't. He just said that to get a reaction from you."
"You don't know that."
"Ryan told me that he doesn't even have a ring. He hasn't seriously thought this through," Marissa explained.
Summer didn't reply.
"So she's a heartless bitch who doesn't love him…she couldn't possibly love him like y-," Marissa started.
"Don't even, Coop. I almost told him that I loved him," Summer groaned.
"But you didn't."
"Oh come now. She couldn't possibly love you like I could. It was right there on the tip of my tongue. You know it, I know it, hell I even think that Seth knows it. That's why he stopped me. He didn't want to hear it…because he doesn't feel the same way."
"Sum," Marissa cooed sympathetically. "You don't know that. Ryan said he talks about you all the time. Ryan said you should have heard the way Seth was going on about how much you've changed and how incredibly amazing you are. He still cares about you."
"Caring is one thing, but loving someone is entirely different."
"I know. I can't say for sure if he still loves you but I think that there's still a chance that he-,"
"Coop, he doesn't! Okay? He doesn't," Summer interrupted.
"How do you know that?"
"I just do."
"Well I think that-," Marissa started.
"Look, here's the truth. Yes, I realized today for the first time in months that I'm still in love with him. But I also realized today for the first time in months that he's not in love with me."
"You, you're still in love with him? Like you don't just have feelings for him again? Like you're in love with him?"
"I am," Summer said softly. "I'm still in love with Cohen. I don't think I ever really stopped loving him. I mean I know I never stopped loving him."
"You called him Cohen," Marissa realized.
"That's who he is. He'll always be Cohen to me. He'll always be my Cohen. But I guess I'm just not his Summer anymore."
"You don't know that for sure," Marissa persisted.
"And you don't not know that for sure. He's with someone else. He loves someone else. He's moved on," Summer said in a tone that clearly stated that this conversation was over.
"I don't believe that. But I guess only time will tell if he's really moved on," Marissa sighed.