HELLO POSSUMS!

It's me! I'm back after an entire month of being absent!

I'm not going to bore you with details about where I've been or why haven't updated. Just know that if you read and review I will update. It's a simple math really… Read + Review Update

CHAPTER 25

The course of true love never did run smoothly…

It was the day after the wedding and Summer was still shaken up about the whole Zach situation. Summer and Ryan were in their apartment catching up with all their reading and papers they had fallen behind on. Ryan wasn't really getting anywhere, thoughts of Zach manhandling Summer kept plaguing his mind and he couldn't keep his mind of Zach's words. Finally, he decided that enough is enough and he closed his books with a sigh. "Okay, I was hoping that you would bring this up on your own but clearly you aren't planning on doing that so I'll just have to railroad you. I know you and Zach had a bad break-up but and I guess it's my fault for not pressing you for details. I think that I probably took it for granted that you knew all about my bad break-up with Marissa and I didn't realise that you were, no offence, just about as screwed up as I am. Zach said a few things yesterday that made me realise that I had to talk to you about what happened so now I am going to give you the chance to tell me what went down because it kills me to know that someone hurt you and I don't know about it…"

During Ryan's speech Summer felt her heart sinking. During their entire relationship she thought that she would get away from rehashing her painful past with Zach. She didn't know how she was going to let Ryan see that it wasn't because she didn't love him that she hadn't told him the complete truth regarding Zach, it was just that it was too painful to reopen all those old wounds. Ryan's trust in people trust was at best frail and if she told him that she didn't want to talk about her history with Zach she ran the risk of losing his trust, and if she lost his trust, she could just as well lose Ryan entirely. Damn you Zach! Summer thought resentfully. She hated that after all this time he was still able to affect her and her life so appallingly. She sighed as she realised that she was going to have to choose between keeping Ryan and keeping her pain locked away. To her, the choice was undeniably clear – Ryan was the only thing that mattered to her. During the entire she was debating within herself Ryan just kept looking at her and the look of love in his eyes almost brought Summer to tears. That look made Summer's choice even easier.

Summer released a breathe that she had subconsciously been holding before speaking. "Okay, I'll tell you but no remarks please, let me get this out first. When you left I had no idea who I was anymore. I couldn't be the shallow Newpsie anymore because I had saw the bad side of life and I couldn't be all broody because in all honesty, nothing bad happened to me, it all happened to you. When Zach came along he was, at first, the constant force I needed in my life. He was everything my father wanted for me, water-polo player, honour student, son of a senator, everything. Then things started to get bad and in my screwed up mind I think, no, I know, I blamed myself for everything. At first he was just verbally abusive but systematically it grew worse, but he never hit me where it would leave scars – he was smart like that. It culminated into one big fight where he broke my arm in two places. My father hit the ceiling when he found out, until then I had been able to hide everything from him but he pieced it together and made me get a restraining order against Zach. The Newport community remained blissfully unaware because Senator Stevens begged us to keep it quiet and I wasn't prepared to have my dirty laundry washed in public so we all agreed. That's why I chose to come to Portland. When we first got together I was very scared that it would be a repeat of my previous relationship but you restored my faith in people…" Summer was in tears at the end of her diatribe but Ryan's look of love and devotion never wavered for a second. Ryan reached over to Summer, pulled her close to him and said "Sum, I would never, ever, do anything to hurt you like that and hearing you say what happened makes me wish that I beat the crap out of that guy. I'm furious at him for what he did but I'm also grateful that he did what he did…" When Ryan saw Summer's confused look he continued "Think about it, if he wasn't such a psychotic asshole, you would probably never have come to Portland and thus never have, shall we say, reconnected, with me. You see, in the end we have Zach to thank for us being together!" Summer couldn't help but laugh at Ryan's ridiculous, albeit true, rationalization. She snuggled into his chest and softly said, "Let's forget about everything for a while. Let's just sit here and be…" Ryan chuckled, pulled Summer closer and said, "yeah, I think I could do that…"

The next three months were pure bliss for Summer and Ryan. If possible Summer fell more in love with Ryan with every passing day. When he had a night shift at the hospital he would buy her, her favourite breakfast even though he would rather just crash. Unbeknownst to Summer Ryan had secretly bought an engagement ring. Even if they don't get married for the next five years, Ryan thought to himself, he would atleast have something tangible binding Summer to him. The ring wasn't something spectacular but he knew it would mean more to Summer than any expensive ring ever could. He had the proposal all planned out and for the two weeks leading up to it he was like a little kid in a candy store.

Summer couldn't understand why Ryan was so giddy. For two whole weeks solid he was all scatterbrained and secretive. When he told her that he was planning a romantic diner at their flat she was intrigued. Even more so when he told her to "dress up". She kept on running scenario's through her mind but she couldn't think of a single reason for the diner. She was positive that it was neither one of their birthdays or their anniversary.

She choose a black, knee length, off the shoulder Donna Karan dress because, when in doubt, go with a LBD. When she emerged from their bedroom (to where Ryan had banished her earlier in order to set everything up), she was greeted by the sight of Ryan in his tux and their living room bathed in the light of a thousand, or so it seemed , candles. The sight nearly took her breath away. "Ryan… You shouldn't have…" Summer gushed but Ryan only shrugged and lead her to the table and pulled her chair out for her. "Mi lady…"

They spent the entire diner comfortably chatting about everything and nothing but Summer could see that Ryan was visibly nervous. When they finished dessert, white chocolate mousse, Summer's favorite, Ryan took her hand and lead her to the couch. He kept hold of her hand as he looked deeply in her eyes and said "There is something really important I have to ask you…" Here it comes, Summer thought to herself. "I have never been more happy in my life than when I'm with you. Looking back at all the bad we had to endure I see now that we had to go through it in order to get where we are now. I would go through it all one hundred times if it meant that I we would be together in the end. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Summer, I love you more than life itself and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Summer Roberts, will you…" Ryan didn't get the chance to finish his sentence because his cellphone started to ring. Summer didn't realize what Ryan was trying to say so she reached for his phone. "No, leave it, they'll call back I want to finish this." Ryan said, clearly irritated by the call. "Ryan, what is it's someone or something important? It could be the hospital phoning. You have to get this." Summer said as she handed Ryan his phone. Ryan gave Summer back his phone and said "No. This is more important." Summer once again didn't grasp what Ryan was trying to do so she answered his phone on his behalf.

"Ryan's phone, Hello."

"Hi, can I speak to Ryan please?" the voice on the other end of the line said. Summer recognized the voice but she couldn't quite place it.

"Sure. Who can I say is calling?" It was a cheap trick to find out who was on the other end but she didn't care.

"Marissa. Marissa Cooper." As Marissa said her name Summer handed the phone to Ryan, clearly pissed off.

"Here Ryan. It's your other girlfriend…" she said and angrily stalked off into their room and slammed the door.