Chapter 8: No Closure Needed
* * *
Summer woke up to sunlight beaming in on her face.
She remembered the events of last night, first frowning, and then smiling, feeling the muscular arms around her. She gently lifted them off her shoulder and turned away to face Ryan.
He was sound asleep, looking handsome as ever.
All of a sudden, she heard a knock at the door.
She found herself wondering whom it could be, but threw on some shorts and a tank top and opened the door.
It was Marissa standing there.
"Umm, hi." She said, "Can we talk?"
Summer didn't really feel like talking to her unless it was her fist talking to Marissa's nose, but thought she might as well, any way.
"Sure, but not in here. Ryan's sleeping. We talked for a while after...you know."
Marissa stared over at the bed, semi-longingly. Summer noticed this.
"You could've had him, you know. He would've been happy that way." Summer said quietly.
"I know," Marissa said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Summer scribbled Ryan a note, and then the two left for the beach, each having their doubts.
Marissa was the first to speak. And she had a lot to say. "Look Sum, I know you like, hate me now, and you should, but listen up. What I did was SO wrong. I'm not expecting you to forgive me. And sure, I was to blame too. But it was mostly Seth. I love him, I mean, we're getting married in a few months! But he isn't as he seemed on the surface. He can be so cold, Sum. I'm glad you never saw that side of him, until the end. But the tiniest things...and he just disappears into work. He comes back eventually, all sweet and quirky like the Seth you knew, but still. Sometimes I miss Ryan, his devotion, his comfortable silence..."
Summer felt a BIT sorry for her. She truly did. But it didn't excuse her from being angry with her, for her and for Ryan. "You had your shot, Marissa, and you blew it. Totally blew it. Ryan hates you now. How could you DO that to him? And me! Your Best Friend! The one who totally stood by you, even if it meant her becoming a loser!"
"Let me explain. That's what I came here to do, anyway. I want to tell you the whole story. From the beginning. Seth came to me at the end of junior year. Remember, when you two were in that fight about him making a jerk out of himself in front of your dad? Anyway, we were just in it for physical reasons. Nothing more. I was with Ryan then, and it was great, but I was having my doubts about Theresa. We did it once, and then, just two days later, you got back together. I was relieved that it was going to stop, seeing that I had agreed but didn't really want to. Then it started. There was this brutal change in him. He threatened to tell you that I came onto him if I didn't sleep with him. I was scared. Then, he seemed to get back to normal. And it stayed that way. Eventually, he dumped you, so it was just me cheating. I felt horrible, but what could I do? Well, I was so happy with Ryan, that I decided to end it junior year in college. Once and for all. It worked for a year, but then he came back at the end of senior year. He said something about just one more time, and then he would leave me alone. I agreed, just this once. And that was when Ryan walked in on us." Marissa looked so sad.
Summer wasn't sure if she bought it. IT was a lot to take in, especially about someone she thought she had known so well for 2 years. But she could tell when Marissa was lying, and she definitely wasn't this time.
"Okay, I believe you." Summer sighed, an obvious question tugging at her mind, "But why are you marrying him then?"
"I don't know." Marissa said, in tears, "I don't know if I can go through with that. I want Ryan back. It's been so long, but seeing him yesterday, even though he got so mad, confirmed my fear that I don't love my fiancée. I'm not sure if I can do this."
Summer felt bad for her, but had to tell her now, before things got ugly "Marissa, you're engaged. And well...Ryan and I, we're together. We have been for a few weeks. Really, we met in New York. The day we got the wedding invitations, in fact. Last night was the first time we slept together. I'm sorry, but you already broke his heart once. I won't let you again. Now, someone new loves him. REALLY loves him. I'm so sorry. Call me if you need any help." She wrote down her number, and bid Marissa goodbye. Then, she walked back to her room.
Marissa stood there, not fully processing the information.
* * *
A/N: Sorry for the wait! How was it? I felt kinda bad about Marissa, so I decided to make her the good guy. Seth, not so much. Sorry to all you Seth fans, I love him on the show, but it just works for the story to make him a jerk. Plus, I've always felt that there's a side to him that we haven't seen. Anyway, thanks to the reviewers, I love you guys! R&R this one!
* * *
Summer woke up to sunlight beaming in on her face.
She remembered the events of last night, first frowning, and then smiling, feeling the muscular arms around her. She gently lifted them off her shoulder and turned away to face Ryan.
He was sound asleep, looking handsome as ever.
All of a sudden, she heard a knock at the door.
She found herself wondering whom it could be, but threw on some shorts and a tank top and opened the door.
It was Marissa standing there.
"Umm, hi." She said, "Can we talk?"
Summer didn't really feel like talking to her unless it was her fist talking to Marissa's nose, but thought she might as well, any way.
"Sure, but not in here. Ryan's sleeping. We talked for a while after...you know."
Marissa stared over at the bed, semi-longingly. Summer noticed this.
"You could've had him, you know. He would've been happy that way." Summer said quietly.
"I know," Marissa said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Summer scribbled Ryan a note, and then the two left for the beach, each having their doubts.
Marissa was the first to speak. And she had a lot to say. "Look Sum, I know you like, hate me now, and you should, but listen up. What I did was SO wrong. I'm not expecting you to forgive me. And sure, I was to blame too. But it was mostly Seth. I love him, I mean, we're getting married in a few months! But he isn't as he seemed on the surface. He can be so cold, Sum. I'm glad you never saw that side of him, until the end. But the tiniest things...and he just disappears into work. He comes back eventually, all sweet and quirky like the Seth you knew, but still. Sometimes I miss Ryan, his devotion, his comfortable silence..."
Summer felt a BIT sorry for her. She truly did. But it didn't excuse her from being angry with her, for her and for Ryan. "You had your shot, Marissa, and you blew it. Totally blew it. Ryan hates you now. How could you DO that to him? And me! Your Best Friend! The one who totally stood by you, even if it meant her becoming a loser!"
"Let me explain. That's what I came here to do, anyway. I want to tell you the whole story. From the beginning. Seth came to me at the end of junior year. Remember, when you two were in that fight about him making a jerk out of himself in front of your dad? Anyway, we were just in it for physical reasons. Nothing more. I was with Ryan then, and it was great, but I was having my doubts about Theresa. We did it once, and then, just two days later, you got back together. I was relieved that it was going to stop, seeing that I had agreed but didn't really want to. Then it started. There was this brutal change in him. He threatened to tell you that I came onto him if I didn't sleep with him. I was scared. Then, he seemed to get back to normal. And it stayed that way. Eventually, he dumped you, so it was just me cheating. I felt horrible, but what could I do? Well, I was so happy with Ryan, that I decided to end it junior year in college. Once and for all. It worked for a year, but then he came back at the end of senior year. He said something about just one more time, and then he would leave me alone. I agreed, just this once. And that was when Ryan walked in on us." Marissa looked so sad.
Summer wasn't sure if she bought it. IT was a lot to take in, especially about someone she thought she had known so well for 2 years. But she could tell when Marissa was lying, and she definitely wasn't this time.
"Okay, I believe you." Summer sighed, an obvious question tugging at her mind, "But why are you marrying him then?"
"I don't know." Marissa said, in tears, "I don't know if I can go through with that. I want Ryan back. It's been so long, but seeing him yesterday, even though he got so mad, confirmed my fear that I don't love my fiancée. I'm not sure if I can do this."
Summer felt bad for her, but had to tell her now, before things got ugly "Marissa, you're engaged. And well...Ryan and I, we're together. We have been for a few weeks. Really, we met in New York. The day we got the wedding invitations, in fact. Last night was the first time we slept together. I'm sorry, but you already broke his heart once. I won't let you again. Now, someone new loves him. REALLY loves him. I'm so sorry. Call me if you need any help." She wrote down her number, and bid Marissa goodbye. Then, she walked back to her room.
Marissa stood there, not fully processing the information.
* * *
A/N: Sorry for the wait! How was it? I felt kinda bad about Marissa, so I decided to make her the good guy. Seth, not so much. Sorry to all you Seth fans, I love him on the show, but it just works for the story to make him a jerk. Plus, I've always felt that there's a side to him that we haven't seen. Anyway, thanks to the reviewers, I love you guys! R&R this one!