Summer Paradise in December
Ch. 8 – The Way I Truly Feel
Seth walked over to the bed Summer was occupying and sat down. Summer fidgeted with her shirt for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and continuing.
"You really don't have to stay Seth. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself", Summer said.
"I know, but I like to take care of you", Seth told her. "Because when you're sick you are less likely to hit and or beat me up as a result of your rage blackouts", he said with a chuckle.
"Cut the humor Cohen", Summer demanded. "I'm so not in the mood."
Seth stopped laughing and looked straight into Summer's eyes.
"Well, since you want to stay, there is something I've been meaning to tell you", Summer announced. "I think you're awesome. I mean you're so caring and compassionate. For the past seven years I've done nothing but ignore you. And if I wasn't ignoring you I was being the pinnacle of the Newport rich girl, putting you down in any way possible", Summer confessed. "I'm not sure when that changed. I have been trying to figure it out for the past six months. Maybe it was when Anna came into the picture, maybe not, I'm not quite sure. If it was Anna, then what I was feeling wasn't really jealousy. So don't think that. I think Anna made me realize that you weren't actually going to be obsessed with me your whole life. When Anna came to Orange County you totally, actually not totally but you didn't worship me as much as you used to. I don't want to sound selfish, but as much as I denied it back then, I really did and still do appreciate your obsessive worshiping.
Seth blushed.
"And when you picked Anna, my heart broke. Because by that time, I really had come to like you. I couldn't figure it out. It was like everything I knew about everything had just gone down the drain. The popular rich girl was always supposed to get the guy. Not the new girl from Pittsburg. And you had liked me for so long, so I didn't know why you had picked Anna. I have been trying to figure it out ever since then. When exactly did I start to like you as more that a friend? I can't say exactly, probably when you told me about the poem from sixth grade at your grandpa's party. I would have made it official the next day. Because I knew how I felt and I knew you obviously felt the same way. But I was scared.
"Summer I—", she cut Seth off.
"Wait", she instructed him. I was scared that you might hurt me, that I might hurt you. Scared that I wouldn't turn out the way you wanted me to be and you would go crawling back to Anna. And I didn't want that, because all my life, everyone I've ever loved, with the exception of Marissa has said that they loved me and then left my life. My mom left when I was ten. My dad works so much now it's like he's left my life. And if things didn't work out between us, I couldn't handle not having you in my life. That's how much you mean to me. Despite all my attempts to deny my feelings toward you, I can't do it anymore. I don't want to. I like having you to take care of me when I'm sick, and I like having you in my life period. And I don't want that to change. Ever.
Seth took a moment to take in all that had been said in the past couple minutes. Summer had never let anyone in like she had just let him in. Maybe Marissa, but never anyone other than that. He sat down on the bed and took her face in his hands.
"I'm glad you finally had the courage to say what I have been wishing you'd say since the day I met you", Seth said as he kissed her on the temple. Summer smiled weakly as they heard a knock at the door.
"I'll get it", Seth said.
He opened the door to find Ryan and Marissa dressed and ready to go. Both of whom looked quite surprised at the fact that Seth was still in his swim trunks.
"Umm… hey remember that thing that you do every night around seven", Ryan asked Seth. "A little thing I like to call dinner. Which you were supposed to be having with us."
"Yah, uh, sorry", Seth apologized. "Summer's not feeling too good. So we're gonna skip dinner tonight. You should go alone."
"Is she okay", Marissa questioned clearly concerned for her best friend.
"Yah, probably just food poisoning or something", Seth informed her. "So you guys go have fun tonight and I will stay here and be Dr. Seth", he said with a smile.
With that Seth shut the door and Ryan and Marissa proceeded to go to dinner.
"Thanks Seth", Summer thanked quietly.
"Anything for my girl", Seth said.
Summer got up and went to the bathroom to puke again and Seth followed. Holding her hair back for her and stroking her back. When she was finished she brushed her teeth again and she put on her pajamas and crawled into bed. Seth went to the sink they had in their suite and got her a glass of water. Then he went to the mini-bar and pulled out a pack of saltine crackers for Summer's stomach. He walked over to the king size bed he and Summer were sharing and handed her the glass of water and pack of crackers.
"Thanks", she thanked him.
Seth then crawled under the covers with Summer and he flipped on the TV. He turned it to MTV and they watched music videos for about ten minutes. Then he flipped off the TV and cuddled up next to Summer, who was lying on her side facing away from him. He put his arm on her back and started rubbing circles on her lower back. Then she turned over and planted a gentle kiss on Seth's delicate lips.
Summer spoke, "I love you Seth".
"I love you too Summer".
And with that they closed their eyes and fell asleep with ease. Because both knew they were loved and cared for.
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A/N-Hope you guys liked Summer's confession/proclamation of love. lol. Anyhoo, please, please review! Thanx so much for reading my story thus far. By the way this is not the end of the story. Let me know where you want me to go or what you want to see done in this story and I will try to accommodate that. Thanks!