A/N- Sorry I haven't updated in a while.  This chapter is kind of just a filler chapter.  I hope you like it!

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As Time Goes By

Ch. 7 – Rendezvous in Newport Beach

            She was running.  She didn't know where to, but she needed to get away.  She had to talk to someone.  She couldn't talk to Marissa.  She was missing.  She definitely couldn't talk to Seth since he was the problem.  So the only person she could talk to was Ryan.  Over the years, they had gotten closer but they still didn't have a great friendship.  She figured this was her chance to get to know him better and for him to do the same with her.

            Summer pulled her car into the Cohen's driveway, thinking that since Ryan had "run away", so to speak, the first place he would go would be home.  She stopped the car and stepped out.  Summer walked up the steps to the large oak door and rang the bell.  Sandy answered the door a few moments later.

            "Summer!  What a nice surprise!" Sandy greeted.  "Is Seth with you?" he asked as he looked around the driveway searching for his son.

            "Actually Mr. Cohen, he's not.  That's kinda why I'm here", Summer explained.  "I was hoping I could talk to Ryan.  Is he here?"

            "He's here as in Newport, but he's not here as in home right now", San said.  "He went out a couple of hours ago.  You might want to check down by the pier."

            "Thanks Mr. Cohen", Summer said as she hopped back into her pink Lamborghini convertible. 

            Summer drove down to the pier, the wind whipping through her hair.  She was hungry so she decided to drop in at the Crab Shack to get a bite to eat.  The bell on the door jingled as she entered the familiar restaurant, which used to serve as the everyday hangout for her and her friends back in High School.

            Summer spotted an open seat near the back of the restaurant.  She made her way over to the two person booth and sat down.  Moments later, the bell on the door jingled again and Summer instinctively looked toward the door.  She smiled when she saw who it was.  Ryan walked through the door and scanned the place for an empty table. 

            "Ryan", Summer called out to him.  "Come sit over here." 

            Ryan acknowledged Summer and went to join Summer at the table.

            "What are you doing here Summer?" Ryan asked. 

            "I'm hungry", Summer answered knowing full well that Ryan wanted to know why she was in Newport, not why she was at the Crab Shack. 

            "I mean why are you in Newport?" Ryan corrected himself. 

            "Why are you in Newport?" Summer countered.

            Ryan could see that this conversation was going nowhere so he decided not to prolong it any further by asking stupid questions he knew she was never going to answer.

            Summer gave him a look that said, "Aren't you going to answer me?"

            He decided he wasn't going to fight it.  "Marissa cheated on me with her French professor, Mark", Ryan revealed.

            Summer gasped and her hand instinctively flew to her mouth.  Slowly she lowered it and placed it back in her lap.  "She cheated on you?"  Summer asked disbelievingly.

            Ryan nodded his head keeping his gaze locked on the salt shaker in the middle of the table. 

            "Wow", Summer said.  "No wonder you wanted to get away.  At least you don't have French.  Imagine how bad it would be if you did", Summer commented trying to make light of the situation.  It wasn't working.

            "So", Ryan said trying to change the subject.  "What brings you to Newport?"

            "I had to get away too.  From Seth", Summer confessed.

            "Why", Ryan asked.

            "Because…I broke up with him", Summer rushed the words out.

            Ryan's eyes practically popped out of his head.  "Why?"

            "Because it wasn't working", Summer said bluntly.

            "Come on Summer.  Don't give me that bullshit.  You guys were perfect for each other.  You were practically joined at the hip", Ryan said.

            Summer smiled a small smile at this comment.  "I love Seth.  I always will.  But I need to see what else is out there.  Experience other people ya know."

            "No I don't know", Ryan said.  Plus why do you need to experience other guys when you've already got the perfect one right in front of you?  And what about all of those guys you dated back in High School before you…acknowledged Seth", Ryan asked searching for the right word to explain what had happened.

            "Those weren't relationships", Summer explained.  "Those were flings.  Just something to keep me busy."

            "Oh, now I see the huge difference", Ryan replied sarcastically.

            Summer rolled her eyes.  "I didn't love those guys.  I love Seth and he loves me.  Or he used to.  That's the huge difference", Summer clarified. 

            "So, what are you going to do?"  Ryan asked.  "You can't hide out here forever."

            "I know.  But I couldn't be there.  I broke his heart Ryan.  I couldn't bear to see him so depressed, and know that it was all my fault", Summer explained.

            "Ok", Ryan said.  Understandable.  But what are we going to do about living arrangements?  Cuz I'm sure as hell not sharing a room let alone a bed with Marissa", Ryan proclaimed.

            "I know what you mean.  But at least you can separate the beds", Summer reminded him that the bed he shared with Marissa was actually two twin beds hooked together.

            "Yah that's true", Ryan agreed.  Hey, you should talk to Seth."

            "Yah I should.  Thanks Ryan", Summer said as she got up and hugged him.

            Ryan gladly returned the hug and Summer stepped outside to call Seth.  

            Summer flipped open her cell phone and noticed she had three missed calls.  Go figure.  All three were from Seth.  She listened to the messages and then flipped the phone shut.  She felt bad.  Seth seemed so sad.  He didn't deserve that.  No one did.  But she couldn't go crawling back to him asking for forgiveness, cuz that would mean admitting she was wrong.  And Summer Roberts was never wrong.

            Summer opened the phone again and dialed Seth's number then waited for him to pick up as she listened to the ringer. 

            "Hello", Seth answered.

            "Hey…Cohen", Summer hesitated.

            "Summer", Seth said relieved.  "Where are you?  I've been looking everywhere.  And I tried your cell phone and I asked all of your friends—"

            "Can it Cohen", Summer told him to stop rambling.  "Don't worry; I'm in Newport with Ryan."

            "Why?" Seth asked.

            "Because I wanted to talk to him", Summer said.  "And you told me he had come here, so yah."

            "So did you find out why Ryan left?"  Seth inquired.

            "Yah, Marissa cheated on him with her professor", Summer didn't go in to details mainly because, Ryan hadn't.

            Seth was speechless for once in his life. 

            "Seth, hello…Cohen!" Summer yelled into the phone trying to get his attention.

            "Oh, yah sorry.  I'm here", Seth said.  "That's just kind of unbelievable.  But I mean I believe it, I just can't believe Marissa of all people would do that", Seth began to ramble.

            "Whatevs Cohen", Summer interrupted him.  "I need to talk to you.  I need to talk to Marissa.  Ryan needs to talk to you and Ryan needs to talk to Marissa, so we're coming home.  At least I am.  I don't know about Ryan", Summer said.

            "Well you won't find Marissa.  She took off this morning.  Kind of my fault, but that's beside the point.  Anyway, she left.  Said she was going to stay with a friend I guess", Seth said.

            "Well maybe that's better.  I don't really want to talk to her right now after what she did to Ryan", Summer said.

            "So the tin man, or woman in your case does have a heart", Seth said to Summer.

            Summer rolled her eyes though Seth couldn't see her.

            "I didn't know you cared about Ryan", Seth said.

            "Yah well it's kind of hard to care about someone when you don't know them all that well.  And it's hard to get to know someone when their girlfriend is macking on them 24/7 and their best friend is always hogging them so they can have "quality time", Summer explained.

            "Ok you win", Seth surrendered.  "When are you coming home?"

            "Soon", Summer replied plainly.

            "Ok, bye", Seth said and then hung up the phone. 

Seth sighed.  Summer didn't sound sad at all on the phone.  He wondered if she was depressed, probably not.  After all she was the one who broke up with him.  Not the other way around.  As for depressed.  He sure as hell was even though he had put up a façade of happiness while on the phone with her.

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            Summer flipped her phone shut.  Seth didn't even seem affected by the impromptu break up.  She had been affected though.  She regretted what she had done, but knew it was for the best.  Summer opened the door to the Crab Shack and walked back in.  She ambled towards the table, where Ryan had been patiently waiting for her.

Summer pulled some money out of her purse for the bill and set it on the table.  "Come on Ryan.  Let's go home."

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A/N- Ok so I know.  Corny ending.  But whatever.  Sorry it took me so long to update.  Couldn't find the time to sit down and type it.  This was just a short filler chapter with some S/R bonding.  A lot of people have been asking about Seth and him getting hurt.  I haven't forgotten about that, I promise.  It should be coming up in like chapter 12 I think.  That's about it.  Don't forget to leave a review!  Thanks!

-Nicole