As Time Goes By
Ch. 6 – Broken
Ryan awoke in an unfamiliar place. He looked around and all of the previous day's events came rushing back to him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Ryan could smell the coffee brewing and this familiar scent lured him into the kitchen. He entered and found Kirsten and Sandy sitting together doing a crossword puzzle. They seemed much happier today. Ryan didn't know how they could be so mad at each other one day and hopelessly in love the next doing Sunday morning crossword puzzles out of the newspaper. Ryan brushed these thoughts away, because just thinking about thinking made his head throb.
"Morning", Kirsten greeted. "Did you sleep well? You fell asleep on the couch and I didn't want to wake you."
"Yah, it was great. Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it", Ryan said.
"Well you know you're always welcome here", Sandy joined in the conversation.
Ryan went to the coffee pot and poured himself a large cup of the special Samoan roast. He sipped the coffee slowly which felt good on the back of his throat.
"So what were you planning on doing today?" Sandy asked him.
"I figured I'd just hang around here. Relax. I've got a lot of thinking to do", Ryan replied.
"Well I'm going to go into work for a while. I have a new housing development I need to evaluate", Kirsten informed him. "So I should be home by five."
Ryan just nodded his head and trudged his way back to the pool house. He opened the door and stepped in. It was the same as when he had lived there in High School. Kirsten and Sandy hadn't changed a thing. Ryan sat down on his old bed and quickly realized that sitting here and doing nothing was going to get old really fast. He decided to go down to the crab shack. His old place of employment. Maybe hang out at the pier. He decided this was a good plan, grabbed his jacket and headed back through the main house and out to his car.
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"Seth do you want anything?" Summer called to him as she gazed into their empty refrigerator.
"What do we have?" Seth asked. "Bottled water and a couple of slices of cheese?"
Summer rolled her eyes. "Okay so we need to go grocery shopping", she said as she made her way back to the couch. "Hey do you know where Coop is? I haven't seen her in like a day."
"No, but she probably has something to do with Ryan going back to Newport", Seth told his girlfriend.
"Wait, why is Ryan in Newport?" Summer asked.
"I don't know he said he'd explain to me later but he still hasn't called", Seth informed her.
"Oh", Summer said uninterested. "So what do you want to do while we wait for Chino and Coop to come back?" she asked and then placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
"We could do this", Seth said eagerly.
Summer smiled and nodded her head. Their faces gravitated towards each other as if they were magnetic. Seth kissed Summer and she moaned as Seth's tongue explored her mouth. They continued making out until Summer pulled away to breathe. She laid her head down on Seth's chest and he stroked her soft, chocolate brown hair.
"I wish we could stay like this forever", Summer said.
"We can", Seth replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Summer asked.
"It means that as long as you don't go anywhere, I'll always be here", Seth explained to her. "Summer I love you. I always have, well since I was ten. But I mean I guess I've loved you for as long as I remember which is since I was ten. Or maybe I loved you before that and I just didn't know it—"
"Seth!" Summer interrupted his rambling.
"Sorry. The point is I love you and I always will", Seth said as Summer laid her head back down on his chest.
Summer thought about this for a long time. Seth wasn't going anywhere for a long time. He had just said that. So she had some time to think things through. She didn't know if Seth was the guy for her. The one she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. But, he was the only guy that she had ever had a long term relationship with. The only guy she had ever truly loved. The only guy who had cared genuinely for her and not just about getting in her pants. And that scared her, but was comforting at the same time. Sometimes she thought it was just easier to move from person to person. All of which, she had no feelings for. Because to her, it was less complicated that way. If no feelings or emotions were involved, no one could ever get hurt. She enjoyed the security of knowing that if she got bored with one guy, there was inevitably another one waiting for her. But when you fell in love, you could never get out. It was like being sucked into a whirlpool. And right now Summer Roberts was in love. She was being sucked into Seth Cohen's love and she needed to get out. Before anyone could get hurt.
Summer's thoughts snapped back to reality. "Seth, I love you. You know that. But I can't do this right now."
"Oh sorry. Are we moving to fast? We don't have to do it right now", Seth said.
"No Seth. Not this. This", Summer said.
Seth was confused.
"I can't be with you right now. I'm sorry", Summer said. A genuine look of sadness and regret plastered across her face.
She pushed herself off of Seth, grabbed her purse, slipped on her Gucci sandals. The she ran out the door and away from the guy she loved most in the world.
Seth sat bewildered. Had they not just been making out less than five minutes ago? He got up and went to the phone. He was going to call Summer. Seth picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone number. It rang three times and then her automated voice message began.
"Hey! It's Sum. I'm not here right now so leave me a message and I'll get back to you later. Ciao!" Summer's chipper voice came through the phone.
The phone beeped and Seth recorded his message. "Hey Summer. It's Seth. We need to talk. What the hell just happened because I'm confused? Call me back when you're ready to talk. I love you. Bye", Seth into the phone in a very sullen voice.
Seth pressed the "end" button on the phone and set it back in its cradle. What had just happened? Had Summer broken up with him?
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Marissa rapped on the door to room 317 impatiently. Finally Mark answered the door, hastily trying to put on his shirt, while blocking Marissa's view into the apartment.
"Hey, is now a bad time?" Marissa asked trying to see around Mark's sinewy figure.
"Actually, yah, it is. I was just leaving. I'm—". Mark was cut off.
"Mark baby, who's at the door. Just tell them that whatever their selling you don't want, and come back to bed", a women's voice came from inside the apartment.
"Guess I'm not the only girl on this campus you're screwing", Marissa said a little too loudly.
"Marissa it's not like that", he said trying to explain himself. He grabbed her arm as she began to walk away.
"What is it like then? I guess I'm just getting what I deserve. I cheated on Ryan and now you're cheating on me", Marissa said.
"It's not like we agreed to be exclusive or anything", Mark said trying to justify his actions.
"I can not believe you just said that, jackass. See ya", she said as she stomped away.
Mark sighed and closed the door, then joined his house guest back in bed.
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Marissa arrived back at her dorm clearly upset. Seth was on the couch watching TV sipping a bottle of Fiji mineral water. He noticed her walk in and turned the TV to mute. Despite his near state of depression over the whole Summer fiasco, he needed to know what was going on between her and Ryan.
"What the hell did you do to Ryan?" Seth asked.
"Excuse me. I didn't do anything to him", Marissa lied.
"Bullshit", Seth stated bluntly. "He left school you know. He's in Newport. And no one can upset him enough to make him leave town except for you; Marissa Cooper.
Marissa looked hurt. "Fine, you wanna know what happened?" she asked Seth.
"No I don't. I don't wanna hear it from you. Because knowing you, you'll probably try and twist the story and make it seem like this whole mess was Ryan's fault", Seth angrily said.
"Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted", Marissa stated. "And obviously, since I'm such a bitch who won't tell the truth, I'll be leaving. For good. I'll stay with a friend. And tell Ryan not to worry about me."
"Oh I'm sure he won't. Bye now", Seth replied rudely.
Marissa was close to tears. She grabbed her purse and her cell phone and stormed out the door.
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A/N- Hope you liked that chapter! Sorry if I made Seth a little too mean. I know he's not that mean on the show but whatever. He needed to be mean for this situation. Don't forget to review! Thanks!
-Nicole