None of it belongs to me.

Eight months later...

"Am I totally insane for trying this?"

"Trust me."

"Why should I trust you when I could get my friggin leg bitten off in true Jaws form in any second?"

"Because...I'm devilishly handsome and no one can resist me?"

"Let me try."

"Okay, okay. Because I would never want your friggin leg bitten off in any form because I love your legs and would really miss them if even one disappeared."

"I'm not doing this."

"Yes you are."

With one hand around her waist, Seth led her to the middle of the ocean and sat her on the surfboard.

"What if I split my head open?"

"I'll catch you before you split your head open."

Summer shook her head vigorously and turned back around to look at her boyfriend.

"How do I get up? Because if I'm going to do this I'm not going to do half assed. Because I only want to split my head open once."

"You crouch and then push up."

"Maybe you could do it and I could watch."

"You're going to have to learn this eventually."

"Why? So I can become a professional surfer? Yeah, that's doubtful."

"Because you can't tan all the time."

"Watch me."

"Just try it."

Summer grumbled and muttered under her breath something about no care for her well being.

"Hey."

He put his hand on the back of her neck and turned it to him. He kissed her on the lips twice and on each cheek.

"You're going to be fine. I swear."

"You, I can believe. The scary Steven Spielberg movie out there? Loses a lot of your credibility."

"You're going to kick so much ass at this. And if any shark comes near just growl at it. You're scarier than any stupid great white."

"Ha ha. You're so funny."

"Why thank you. I try."

She started shaking her hands and stretched her neck.

"What are you doing?"

"No idea."

"Okay. So I'm going to tell you which wave to take and you're going to stand up after it grows enough power that it's taller than me. You ready for this?"

"I'll never be ready for this."

"You were the one who didn't want to wear the wet suit."

"No. If I die, I want to die not looking like a seal."

"You still didn't have to wear something that small. Ten bucks says at least one part of it comes off. And I am not looking for some floating bikini top."

"You mean you don't like it?"

"That is definitely so not the problem."

"Well if I come out of this alive, then I might let you take it off."

"I look forward to it."

"That's a huge if."

"Summer, you're not going to die."

"That's what you say, Mr. I've-been-doing-this-since-I-was-thirteen."

"Trust me."

He kissed her again, deeper this time and cupped her chin through her already salty beach hair. He pulled softly on her lips and winked.

"I'm actually going to do this? We're not just going to talk about it, and then go back onto shore to the safety where there are no sharks?"

"Just water polo players. And yes. You're going to do this."

"But I..."

"Summer. Trust. Me."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because you don't seem to be doing it."

"I'm on the goddamn board. That isn't enough trust? My scrumptious hot-dog-like legs are dangling off a surfboard that looks so much like a cracker it is not funny."

"You've been in the ocean before."

"First of all, that was way over there. Second of all, I wasn't on a cracker-like board. It's a completely different story."

"But you still look scrumptious way over there."

"Aw. You're cute. Let's talk about that more on the goddamn sand."

"Nope. You're going to do this. Let's go."

"Wait."

She grabbed his head and pulled him up against her. She kissed him hard and ran her fingers through his hair. She took one of his hands and put it on her side as one of her hands wandered down his back that was finally getting some color.

"What was that for?"

"'So kiss me hard, for this will be the last time that I let you.'"

"Um, okay, what?"

"It's a song."

"Yeah, I know. By complete sell outs to the emo category. But what does it have to do with the whole thing?"

"If I lose a leg, or an arm, or even have a bite or scratch on any part of my skin, you're never getting any ever again. Think about that before we go paddling out there to the shark infested waters."

"Let's go."

"You didn't even think."

"Because you're going. Right now."

"But Cohen..."

"Going."

He pulled the tip of the surfboard into deeper water and Summer squealed just a little bit. He turned his head to look farther into the ocean as Summer tried to talk him out of it.

"That one. You see? Right there. You're going to do that one."

"What?"

"Wait until I say, then start paddling like your legs depend on it."

"I thought you said my legs wouldn't..."

"Right...now. Fast, beautiful."

She started paddling and he watched the wave start to lift her up. She had her eyes closed, but after a few seconds, she stood up shakily with her arms out straight. She opened them and looked down at her feet and at the shore she had been dying to get to seconds before.

"Omigod, omigod, omigod, oh my god..."

She shrieked and let her arms fall to her sides and started laughing. She was a little trust fund princess without that big a trust fund and she had gotten on the first try what took people thousands of tries. Screw fucking them.

She washed into shore and turned around with the hugest grin on her face as she saw Seth swimming in. His grin was nearly as big as hers.

"See! Oh my god, you were so awesome. I told you, you weren't going to die. That was so good. What are you thinking?"

Summer kissed him in front of the whole beach and pulled away with a half smile on her face.

"This doesn't mean I'm ever skateboarding in my life."

He laughed and hugged her so her feet lifted off the ground. She giggled and kissed his cheek as he put her down.

"I'm not going to have to do that again, like, right now, right?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"I don't want to."

"Okay. Let's go find Ryan and Marissa."

"It's disgusting; they're all back together and all over each other all the time."

"Yeah, some people have no decency."

He slipped his hand farther around her waist and kissed her.

"Oh ha ha. You really are funny."

"So I've heard."

Summer saw Marissa sitting at a table with Ryan, drinking a glass of water and eating a hamburger, and she ran over and sat right on the side of their table.

"Oh my god, Coop. I, as in me, went surfing. I went in on a way and didn't kill myself at all. Oh my god!"

"So you actually got her out?"

Ryan raised his eyebrows and Summer hit his arm.

"Yes, he did. I was out there, surfing. And I kicked ass, right, Cohen?"

"Yes you did. You kicked ass." Seth nodded his head slowly and Summer smirked.

"See?"

She hit Ryan in the arm again.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For not believing me."

"So what was the first one for?"

"For making fun of me."

"I'm sorry."

She hit him again.

"Okay, that one?"

"For lying to me."

"Okay, just stop the hitting thing."

"If you're nice."

"I'll be nice."

"You better be. Or I'll get Cohen to kick your ass. Or...oh! I'll get Mrs. Cohen to kick your ass."

"So now I can't kick his ass?" Seth asked.

"No offense at all, baby, but have you seen those arm muscles?"

Ryan tried not to blush but Summer leaned over and pinched his cheek before he could hide it.

"And we all know that Mrs. Cohen could kick either one of your asses. Hard too. She could make you stand in a corner."

"Or she could spank you," Marissa suggested.

"I think that's your job." Seth pointed at Marissa.

"Ew. Okay, with the sharing?"

"Oh god, Sum. Just stop," Marissa laughed.

"I'm sorry I just don't need the details of...yeah. Sorry. Not interested in your twisted love life."

"Since when is it 'twisted?'" Ryan got back into the conversation.

"It's just confusing. One week you're on, the next you're crying, and the next you're all over each other. It's like, you guys, make up your minds."

"We'll try to remember that next time," Marissa said sarcastically.

"That's all I'm asking." Summer grinned.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, letting his arm fall around the back of Marissa's. Summer stood up and took Seth's hand.

"Walk with me."

He nodded and smiled quickly at Ryan and Marissa before letting her pull him away from the restaurants and back to the ocean. She crossed her arms but uncrossed them when she realized that the position deprived her of his warm hand.

"Cohen?"

"Yeah."

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That we would work. All these years, and you knew. You really are smarter than me."

"Believe me, Summer, I'm not."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'm not, Summer. Stop saying stuff like that. You're smart. Really smart. No matter what you think."

"I said okay."

"Okay."

He took his hand out of hers and wrapped it around her shoulder instead. She folded herself into both his arms and stood in front of him.

"You know, there is such a big possibility that you're too good for me."

"Why?"

"Because you're so good to me."

"You deserve it all."

"Right. Because I've lived my entire life as a saint."

"That's not the point."

He kissed her as softly as he could and wrapped his arms around her tighter when he felt her shiver.

"Are you cold?"

"Not really. You can still hold me though."

"Oh, thank you."

He smiled and she looked up at him with eyes that were just starting to reflect the sun going down. He winked carefully and she kissed him again. She let her arms slip under his, around to his back, and swept her tongue across his teeth. He exhaled softly and let his hand wander up to the back of her neck, and over to her cheek.

"Summer."

"Hmm?"

"You shouldn't...you shouldn't say things like that about yourself."

"What?"

"Calling yourself stupid and that. Because, I mean, you're not. And it's just...if you say it enough, you'll really believe it."

"Cohen, I..."

"No, I'm serious. You're beautiful, and you're brilliant, and you're perfect just how you are. And if you can't see that, you're seriously missing out."

"Cohen, I've spent...my entire life with people who were thinner and smarter and prettier and..."

"That's a lie."

"I wasn't done."

"Sorry. It was a lie, though."

"I was saying, when you grow up around people that you think are better, I don't know, I think I have something to prove or something."

"You're perfect."

"You have to say that."

"No I don't."

He kissed her again and trailed his lips down to her shoulder.

"Seth."

He looked back up at her and she grinned.

"This is going to be good."

Slowly, he nodded and took her hand again. They walked farther along, kicking the waves as he made her laugh. Whenever he looked at her, he always really seemed to take her all in. He always had. Seth was more than any stolen goodnight kiss in the dark. Summer knew that, even when he pissed her off. If only she could really tell him how much he meant to her. She never really could have everything she wanted, could she? If it was any other guy, she'd be able to throw those words around. But this guy was different. This guy that knew how to make her feel like she was more than a spoiled rich girl. A guy to look twice at.

Aw, and it ends full circle. I actually really liked writing this story so I hope you guys had as much fun with it as I did. Thanks for reading to all you guys that made it through all twelve chapters. All the chapter titles are lyrics from songs, usually mentioned in the chapters, so go download all those songs, very good ones. All right, so I guess this is it. A sequel is doubtful, but possible, so keep your eyes open just in case. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me and as always please leave a review. Peace and love...