The next couple of weeks were uneventful ones for Seth. He went to school, did his homework and assignments, and when time permitted, he squeezed in some 'Prevention of Ass Kicking' classes with Ryan. His foster brother was busier now with his own schedule of school, soccer, and Marissa but he was always conscientious of making time for Seth. A fact that didn't go unnoticed and was appreciated by his student. There had been no sign of Andy and his gang since the first day of school. That was just fine by Seth. He had no desire to go looking for them to test out his shaky skills.
Other than their classes together, he only saw Summer a couple of times. They saw movies over the last two weekends – her choice of film, of course. Before saying goodnight at the end of each evening, he'd asked if she'd spoken to her father about their relationship yet. The answer was no. She continued to make excuses and it was truly starting to irritate him. He kept his temper in check, however, and decided to give her some more time. But in actual fact, she'd had two months to tell him and had chosen not to. He wasn't sure how much longer this could go unresolved before things would come to a head. It was an unwelcome thought and one that he pushed to a far corner of his mind.
While his memory loss continued to plague him, it had become quite second nature. He hated it but had gotten used to it. His lack of interest in things was starting to wear him down, though. He hadn't touched a comic since the day of the big purging of his room. Occasionally, he played some video games with Ryan or his dad. Admittedly, it was fun but nothing to get excited about. Whenever he was in his car or his room, he turned on the radio to listen to the newest tunes. There were a few catchy songs out there but nothing special. Then again, judging by his former CD collection, he hadn't exactly been into the Top 40 countdown. His tastes had certainly not been mainstream.
He didn't even care much about school, although it was his senior year. Translation – the most important year before college. It wasn't like his parents had brought up the subject yet but he was sure they expected him to go. After all, his father was a lawyer and his mother a brainiac executive. He was mildly surprised that Grandpa wasn't trying to mould him to take over the family business. Perhaps he figured there was too much of the Cohen blood running through his veins to be up to snuff. While he wasn't entirely against the idea of college, there was really no subject that grabbed his interest. He liked English well enough and History was okay but he didn't see the point in majoring in those kinds of subjects. People did it, of course, but it just didn't seem very practical. The largest part of the problem was that he felt like he'd missed the first three years of high school. Now he was just thrown into the tail end of things and expected to go on as usual. It was frustrating, confusing, and he chose to deal with it by not thinking about it.
Another day of school had ended. Thankfully, it was Friday. Seth stood in front of his locker, unloading some items from his bag that he wouldn't need this weekend. Every little bit helped. His bag usually felt like a ton of bricks. Textbooks were evilly heavy.
"Hey, Seth. How's it going?" called out a voice above his head.
Straightening up, Seth found Justin at his side with a friendly smile on his face.
"Going good. How're you?"
"Excellent. Listen, man, I'm having a little party at my place tomorrow night. You and Summer should come." His smile widened into a grin, revealing startling white and perfectly aligned teeth. "In fact, invite everyone you know and help me spread the word. It should be a blast. What do you say?"
Perfect timing. Seth had talked to Summer on the phone last night and she'd been complaining that they hadn't gone to one party since the start of school. The last party that he could remember was some lame ass gathering for a kid's twelfth birthday. Wait, that had been his own twelfth birthday.
"Yeah, I'll pass it on," Seth replied. "Sounds good."
"Great. Later."
As Justin walked further down the hall, he stopped to chat with another guy, no doubt continuing to spread the open invitation. Seth spotted Marissa and Ryan coming his way. Just as they were about to pass by Justin, he called out, "Hey, Marissa! Party at my place tomorrow night. You can't miss it."
She glanced over at him and gave a half wave of acknowledgement but she didn't reply. The couple came to a halt in front of Seth.
"What do you think?" Seth asked, directing his question to Marissa.
"About what?" Oh, that party?"
"Yeah." He slammed the locker door shut and slung his bag across his shoulder. "We should go. What happened to the fun we all were supposed to be having? I haven't experienced any of it yet."
Marissa shrugged. "I don't have any plans. Sure, we could go."
"Ryan?" Seth asked.
"I've got an assignment due Monday..."
Seth exhaled with exasperation. "Come on, bro, are you kidding me? Knowing you, it's probably halfway done already. That's what Sunday night is for. Don't bail on me."
That's all the coaxing it took for Ryan to give in.
"Okay," he said simply.
Later that night on the phone, Summer was ecstatic about the party. She mused aloud about what she'd wear and wondered if the occasion called for a new outfit.
"Whose party is it, anyway?" she asked.
"Justin." Seth paused for a moment. "Um, his last name is Voss, I think."
The abrupt silence on the line struck him as odd after the endless stream of chatter he'd had in his ear. "Summer?"
"Yeah, I'm here." She sounded strange, as if she was tense.
"Something wrong?" he questioned.
She spoke quickly. "No, it's nothing. It doesn't matter anyway. So what time should we go?"
His curfew on a Saturday night was midnight. But he had no idea when these things tended to get going. "Anytime. You decide."
"Eight o'clock, then?"
"Sure. Should I pick you up?"
"No, don't bother. I know where Justin lives. He's out in your direction anyway. I'll just meet you there, okay?"
"Fine. See you there."
They hung up soon after. Seth was disappointed but not surprised that she hadn't passed his little test. Her refusal of his offer to pick her up wasn't out of concern in inconveniencing him. It meant that she still hadn't had that little chat with her father. Patience, he told himself. He needed to be patient.
But that line of reasoning was starting to wear thin and pretty soon, it was going to snap.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Following Marissa's directions, Seth turned right and slowed as they drove down a street that was lined with cars on both sides.
"Looks like he invited the whole school," Seth said dryly.
Ryan's head kept swivelling, scanning through the window. "I don't see any empty spots," he reported.
"Well maybe if a certain someone hadn't been almost an hour late, we wouldn't have to park a mile away."
"How many times do I have to say sorry?" Marissa snapped from the back seat.
"Guys, just give it a rest," Ryan said, sounding exasperated.
Tired of arguing, Seth shut his mouth and turned down the next block, only to encounter more cars.
Marissa suddenly shot her arm out over Seth's shoulder. "There's a spot!" She pointed off to the left. It was a little tight but he managed to parallel park with success on the first try. They all jumped out and made their way to the party zone.
Other than the street having become a parking lot, one would never know there was a hopping event going on inside the imposingly large, lit up house. Not from the front, anyway. As they got to within a few feet of the front door, music could be heard only faintly. Not bothering to knock, Marissa opened the door and let herself in, with Ryan and Seth following close behind.
It was like being plunged into another world. All of Seth's senses were simultaneously walloped as he looked around with wide eyes. Blaring music and loud, overlapping voices filled his ears. He could smell pot mixed with a rainbow of various perfumes and colognes. The resulting fragrance was not pleasant and made him slightly nauseous. In this corner, a group was happily snorting cocaine. In that corner, a couple was making out on the floor and practically going horizontal. And everywhere in between, people were drinking, laughing and dancing. Well, maybe flailing was a better term. And this was just the foyer to the house. Extra chairs, tables and a stereo had been thoughtfully set up by the host.
Marissa had already found a friend to catch up with, leaving Ryan with Seth. He practically had to shout in Ryan's ear to be heard. "Have we been to other parties like this?"
"Some," Ryan replied, also raising his voice. "They're all pretty much the same."
This sure beat his twelfth birthday bash. "Cool," Seth commented quietly, mostly to himself.
"What?"
"Nothing. Who's Marissa talking to?"
"I have no idea. Want to go out back? I can't think in here," Ryan complained.
Although this seemed to be the hub of the action, Seth shrugged. "Sure."
"I'll just tell her where we're going."
As Ryan left his side, the host himself made an appearance in front of Seth.
"Hey, man!" Justin greeted him. "Did you just get here?"
"Yeah. Had some parking trouble. I was expecting valet service."
Justin laughed. "Well, the beer's flowing freely so help yourself. I saw Summer on the patio. She looks amazing. Have fun!"
With that, he moved off to mingle some more. Ryan came back and they started heading to the rear of the house, dodging and weaving through the crowd. Once they stepped through the sliding glass doors to the outside air, Seth breathed in deeply. Okay, maybe it was better out here. His lungs certainly appreciated it and the atmosphere was less frantic.
Some people had come prepared with bathing suits, so the pool was being put to good use. Hold on, now. He squinted, unable to believe his eyes. Apparently, some people didn't care if they had proper suits or not. Naked skin was all the fashion nowadays anyway.
He tapped Ryan on the shoulder with one finger. "Ryan, check out the..."
"Where have you guys been?" demanded a familiar voice. "You're, like, an hour late."
Seth turned to see that Summer had snuck up on his blind spot, staring daggers at him.
"Sorry," he apologized quickly. "Man, you look amazing." He was aware he was repeating Justin's words but they happened to be true.
"I saw you ogling the bare breasted bimbo over there, Cohen. Nice try."
Ryan's eyebrows shot up at that statement and he instinctively glanced over at the pool area, checking out the sight for himself. "Chino! Would you be doing that if Coop was here?"
He dragged his gaze back to Summer, lip curled in amusement. "I plead the fifth."
Summer snorted with derision. "Guys and boobs. I just don't get it."
"Hey, that could be a great new musical." Seth laughed at his own joke and Ryan cracked up too. They both stood there, laughing themselves silly. Summer didn't get the reference and simply glared at them.
"Have you two been smoking something?"
Seth got himself under control but made the mistake of looking at Ryan. That set them both off again and she shook her head at them. "Sad. Both of you are just sad. So where is Coop?"
Composing himself with some difficulty, Seth was able to answer. "She's talking to someone inside. And she's the reason we're late, by the way," he added.
But Summer didn't seem to care about that anymore. "I've been saving us some chairs. Come on." She led them over to a corner of the deck. The largest cooler that Seth had ever seen was just a couple of feet away, filled to the brim with ice and beer. Summer already had one in her hand. He wondered if he should. Hell, why not? He bent down and plucked one out. Ryan hesitated but he finally reached down as well.
As they settled in, Seth glanced over at his girlfriend. "I was serious, by the way. You do look amazing. I like your hair like that."
She smiled, obviously pleased. "Thanks."
Her hair had been upswept somehow, though he didn't see any evidence of pins. Her hair was so smooth and silky, it was a mystery to him how the style managed to hold. But it exposed her neck, making it seem longer and more alluring. Her skirt was flowered and flirty, with a matching sleeveless top. Flowers weren't her usual thing but tonight, she looked the picture of charming femininity.
She had been watching the patio doors and suddenly stood up, waving. "Coop! Over here," she called out. Marissa waved back and made her way over. "Want a beer?" Summer asked, already getting to her feet.
"Uh. No thanks."
Her friend looked startled. "Why not?"
"I haven't been drinking much lately." Marissa sat down, crossing her long legs and bobbing one sandaled foot up and down.
"Since when?"
"A while. What's the big deal?"
Shrugging one shoulder, Summer took her seat again. "No biggie. Just wondering."
"Sorry we're late. It's my fault, as I'm sure Seth already told you." Marissa cast him a sidelong glance and he made a face at her. "My hair wasn't cooperating and then I found out Caitlin stole the dress I was going to wear, along with two others. She was playing dress-up with a couple of friends so I had to chase them down. I wouldn't have minded so much if they hadn't picked out three of my favourite outfits." She chuckled lightly. "At least they have taste."
Seth sipped at his beer as the four of them caught up on what had been happening the last few weeks. Now that the routine of school had started, they each had their own schedules and busy lives to attend to. It was nice to be together in one place other than school. The beer went down Seth's throat oh so smoothly and tasted great. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but when he went to take another gulp, it was all gone. It just so happened that the cooler was conveniently within arm's reach. He leaned over and grabbed another can.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Ryan asked, his voice soft and tinged with a hint of disapproval.
"Sure I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You're not great at holding your liquor."
Seth made a dismissive sound. "That's the old me. The new me can handle it just fine. Okay, dad?"
Though his eyes narrowed, Ryan said nothing more, continuing to sip at his own drink.
Marissa and Summer had taken off on their own tangent, gabbing about some TV show they were both obsessed with. Seth found himself drifting, gazing around at what other people were doing. He looked longingly over at the pool but the topless babes had moved elsewhere. He was fuzzily aware of the fact that a nice buzz was overtaking his brain. This was the happiest he'd felt in quite a while. Who would've thought something as simple as beer could have this great of an effect? Tilting the can up to his lips, he was surprised to find it empty. Well, guess that was that. He thought about reaching for another but Ryan's warning came up like a red flag. The last thing he wanted to do was puke. Maybe it would be wiser to play it safe tonight.
Beer had another sure effect on the human body. Seth stood up, grateful that he wasn't wobbly or dizzy. "I've gotta pee."
As he turned towards the house, he heard Summer's sarcastic voice behind him. "Thanks for that enlightening announcement."
Once inside, he tried asking a couple of people where the nearest washroom was but they were totally clueless. He wandered aimlessly for a long minute or two, poking his head into a few rooms that were inhabited by more partygoers. Not the kind of room he was looking for, though. This was not good. He was beginning to feel a little desperate.
"You need some help?"
He looked down into a pair of clear green eyes. The girl had a friendly face and was smiling up at him.
"Washroom?" he squeaked.
"This way." She grabbed his hand and led him quickly down another hall. Opening the door for him, she stepped aside as he ran in without even thanking her.
A few minutes later, he emerged to find her waiting for him.
"Thanks. You saved my life."
"Glad I could help. I just got myself another beer and thought you might like one." She held out the can towards him. It glistened enticingly with droplets of cold water.
He paused, tempted. "I probably shouldn't."
"Why? Not a big drinker?"
"Something like that."
"Well, it is a party, after all. If you can't enjoy it now, when can you?"
Now, that was an excellent point. Though there was plenty of alcohol at home, he would never dare to touch it. That would just be too risky. Here, however, was the perfect opportunity. Who knew when the next party would come along? Well, in actual fact, there was probably a party going on every weekend but he didn't exactly have his mailbox filling up with invitations.
He accepted the beer. "Thanks."
She grinned approvingly. "You're welcome."
Seth moved to the side as someone came dashing down the hall, making a beeline for the washroom. It was obviously a popular destination.
"You're Seth Cohen, right?"
Taking a gulp of liquid, he nodded. She continued on. "I'm Tanya Bradshaw." Noticing that she had her hand extended, he shook it.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
"We're actually in one class together. History."
Now that she mentioned it, he did recognize her. "That's right. You sit by the window."
"Right." She lowered her voice, as if speaking conspiratorially. "When Jenkins gets particularly boring, I can look outside."
Chuckling, he found himself drawn into conversation with her. She was bright and bubbly, but not in an airhead sort of way. She spoke with intelligence and had an engaging personality. They talked mostly about school and bemoaned the amount of homework and assignments they'd been given lately. He hadn't realized it but somehow in the last few minutes, she had moved closer to him. Close enough that he could see specks of gold in her green irises. Though one hand remained curled around her can of beer, the other reached up to touch the ends of his hair. "You know, I'm totally envious of your hair. I've always wanted curly hair but mine is stick straight."
He regarded her shiny blonde locks. "You're, uh, hair is nice," he said lamely.
"Thank you." As she pressed herself even closer, he took a step back until he was against the wall. "Not afraid, are you?" she teased.
"I just don't think this is a good idea."
"You think too much." With that gentle rebuke, she threw an arm around his neck and launched herself upwards, kissing him full on the mouth.
While one half of his brain was screaming that this was definitely not a good idea, the other half was guiltily enjoying it. Wasn't this every teenage guy's dream? It was a wild and crazy party and he was acting the part.
But common sense soon ruled out and he yanked himself away. "I'm flattered," he said a little breathlessly. "But this is wrong."
She was ever persistent. "You're awfully cute when you blush. I don't remember the last time I saw a guy blush."
She managed to lock onto his mouth one more time before he disengaged himself again. But before he could speak, a shrill voice cut through the air.
"Cohen!"
Oh, good Lord. His stomach dropped to the floor as Summer marched down the hall towards them, eyes blazing. "What the fuck?" she spat.
"Um, I think I'll just leave you two alone," Tanya mumbled, suddenly the meek mouse.
"I never took you for a slut, Tanya," Summer said bitingly. "Why don't you carry on and hit on someone else's boyfriend?"
"I didn't know you two were going out."
"Yeah right. Do I have 'fool' written on my forehead? Take off before I pull your dyed, fake blonde hair out by the roots."
Looking positively fearful, Tanya wisely scampered away before Summer could wreak her revenge. Dark, stormy eyes focused on Seth next. "Are you going to say something or just stand there with your mouth open?"
"She...she kissed me. I didn't come on to her, I swear."
She pursed her lips, scrutinizing him carefully. "It looked like you were kissing her back."
Admittedly, he had the first time, but not the second. Summer didn't need to know about the first kiss.
"I wasn't. She kissed me and I was trying to stop her when you showed up."
"I can't believe this. How many times do I have to see you kissing someone else? First Anna, then that chick in Vegas, now Tanya. I need a freakin' score card to keep track!"
He was distracted by an unknown factor in her statement. "What chick in Vegas? I was in Vegas? When was this?"
Summer rolled her eyes in obvious frustration. "It was...a while back. There were these women that turned out to be..." She trailed off and didn't finish the sentence. When she finally continued, she sounded tired. "Just forget Vegas. I don't want to talk about it."
"Why?"
"I just don't! This is too hard."
Now he was confused. "What's too hard?"
"I know it's not your fault you don't remember but I hate going over and over things with you. Some of the stuff is embarrassing and I don't ever want to think about it again but if I have to explain it to you, it's like I'm reliving everything all over."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How is this suddenly about you? I'm the one that lost my fucking memory!"
"Don't yell at me, Cohen!"
Had he been yelling? He didn't think so but he wasn't sure. Realizing he was still gripping the beer can – practically crushing it between his fingers – he tossed it aside. It was almost empty anyway.
When he spoke again, it was in a calm, measured tone. "Have you told your father about us?"
She was caught off-balance by the question from left field. "I...you're changing the subject."
"Sure am. So have you?"
Her admission was quiet. "No."
"Thought so. What happened to the faith you were going to have in us?"
"What happened to you not being a jerk?" she countered acidly. "I haven't even heard an apology yet."
"You want an apology? Fine. I'm sorry I kissed Tanya. In fact, I lied to you before. I did kiss her back the first time. And for that, I really am sorry. But I'm also sorry that you care more about what your father thinks about me than standing up for us. That's really shitty of you, Summer. And I think you know it."
Her cheeks were stained pink to match the flowers on her skirt. "Well, that is just a glowing apology. You're acting like that kiss doesn't even matter! Sure, you said the words 'I'm sorry' but you're really not, are you," she accused. "You probably even enjoyed it. Not that you would admit it to me. Let's face it, Cohen. You and me just don't work. I should have broken off with you months ago when I first thought about it."
Her eyes widened slightly with surprise, as if she hadn't meant for that last sentence to slip through. But it had.
"So let me get this straight. You were insanely pissed off about the way I took off sailing, even though I wrote you that letter that said it had nothing to do with you. But you were going to break up with me because your dad doesn't like me. Is that pretty much the gist of things?"
She seemed to struggle with her reply, as if not sure what to say. She finally resorted to a one-word answer. "Yes."
"Well, that just sucks. Thanks for laying the guilt trip on me for months now. You said it first. Maybe we don't work together."
She gazed at him with miserable, tear-filled eyes. "So that's it then? It's over?"
He swallowed, fighting back his own misery. God, he couldn't believe he was saying this. "I think so."
"But you...I...you said you love me."
"I do. But maybe all this time, I've been in love with the idea of you. Sometimes, I feel like I don't even know you. Maybe the love is just an illusion. I don't know anymore."
He knew the words were hurtful but they were raw and honest. Before the tears could actually spill over, Summer fled down the hall and out of sight.
Forming a proper fist, he punched the opposing wall, disappointed when it didn't crumble to pieces.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The door lock on the Ranger popped open obligingly with the handy remote key. Yanking the door open, Seth attempted to crawl in.
"Seth! Wait a minute!" called out a voice from behind. Sounding out of breath, Ryan opened the door a little further and stood with his back against the inside panel. "Are you okay?"
"Just splendid. Why, what have you heard?" Despite his best efforts, Seth could not seem to manage the task of getting into the vehicle. Why was the seat so damn high?
"Summer came running out of the house, crying. She basically dragged Marissa away so I guess the night's over." He paused to watch as Seth finally hoisted himself into the driver's seat. "How much have you had to drink?"
"Not much." Seth cursed as he dropped the keys onto the floor mat. When he tried to lean forward to pick them up, his forehead smacked the horn. Startled by the blaring honk, he jerked back and almost fell out the open door. Ryan's steady hand guided his shoulder until he was upright again.
"Not much to drink, huh?" Ryan said, sounding somewhat amused. "How many beers?"
"Three," Seth muttered.
"That's a lot for you." Reaching down by Seth's feet, Ryan retrieved the keys. "Shove over. I'm driving."
In a terribly ungraceful move, Seth contorted his long limbs and plopped himself down into the passenger's seat. He waited for Ryan to utter the next logical question. It didn't take long. "So what happened?" Ryan asked, as he pulled out onto the street.
"Give you one guess."
"You broke up?"
"Ding, ding, ding."
"Wow. I thought you guys were doing okay."
"We were. But Summer wouldn't tell her dad about us so that pissed me off."
"Okay. I can see your point there."
"And then Summer caught me kissing someone."
Ryan winced sympathetically. "Ouch. Just now at the party?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
"Tanya Bradshaw."
Ryan seemed to recognize the name. "Oh yeah? She's in my English class. Cute."
Seth shot him a look. "That's so not the point. So then we had a huge fight and it's now officially over." His stomach nearly revolted as Ryan came to a sudden, jarring stop. "Would you take it easy?" he implored. "I'm in a delicate condition, here."
"It's a red light. What do you want me to do?"
"Just try not to stomp on the brake."
They rode in silence for the next several minutes. And as each minute ticked by, Seth felt more and more queasy. He wasn't going to make it. "Ryan, pull over. I'm gonna hurl."
As Ryan hastily pulled over to the curb, Seth pushed open the door and retched, emptying his stomach. Once that pleasantry was over, he took a quick glance up and down the sidewalk, relieved to find it void of any witnesses. He felt something prodding his arm and found it was a box of Kleenex that Ryan must have retrieved from the back seat. He wordlessly took the offered tissue and wiped at his mouth, then slammed the door shut. "Thanks. Proceed."
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Good. They would make it home in plenty of time to meet their curfew. With luck, his parents would be asleep already and he'd escape any questions. At least something had to go his way tonight.
Had Summer broken up with him or the other way around? She'd said it first. 'You and me don't work.' Those had been her exact words. And she'd been ready to break it off with him months before. Even before he'd left home. So although the decision had been mutual, she'd stepped towards it first.
Great. He didn't know if that made him feel better or worse.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Summer hadn't cried like this since the day she'd seen Seth at the hospital. It had taken her a while to get herself under control so she could speak coherently. Marissa had kept patting her on the back and making consoling noises as they'd walked to her car. Marissa had offered to drive and Summer had thankfully handed her the keys. She probably would have driven straight into the nearest tree.
During the drive, Summer relayed the whole story, starting from the point where she'd seen the kiss. "So first he tells me that she came on to him and kissed him and that he never kissed her back. Then he says that was a lie and that he did kiss her back. I mean, he said he was sorry but he really didn't sound like he meant it."
"That's so crummy," Marissa sympathized. "I can't believe him. So you broke up with him because of that?"
"Well..." Though it would be so easy to say yes, Summer didn't want to lie to her friend. "I did some stuff too so Cohen was mad at me. We started fighting about everything and it was just horrible." She sighed. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Do you love Ryan?"
Marissa hesitated but she answered the question softly. "Yeah."
"Have you told him?"
"Mmm hmm. Why are you asking me this?"
"Just wondering."
"Do you love Seth?"
Summer felt the sting of hot tears again but she blinked them back, determined not to start crying again. "I don't know. Sometimes I think I do but I wish I didn't. I wish I didn't care!"
She wished a lot of things. She even wished she'd talked to her father about Cohen. But it was too late now. Besides, Cohen had proven himself to be just another prime jerk. She was better off without him.
And if that was the case, why did she feel so heart broken?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The party continued on in full swing at Justin's house. The host made his rounds, making sure his guests had enough food, liquor and fun. He caught up to one of his best friends out on the patio. "Can I refresh your drink?" he asked.
Tanya glanced up at him and smiled. "No thanks. I'm good."
He took a seat beside her. "I saw Summer running out of here, crying her eyes out. You wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?"
She batted her eyelashes at him playfully. "A lady never divulges her secrets."
He laughed. "Well, things worked out even better than I planned. I don't know yet for sure but I think they actually broke up. You must have really done a number on him."
"It wasn't anything drastic. Just a couple of kisses. And even though it was a favour to you, I honestly didn't mind. He's actually pretty cute."
He snorted with disbelief. "Cohen?"
"Yeah. He's got the sweetest brown eyes."
Justin shook his head and reached into the cooler for another beer. Yes, indeed. Even better than he'd planned.
A/N: All right, go ahead and throw stuff at me. I know you want to. There, feel better? Good. Now that you got that out of your system, I'll gently remind you that every good drama needs some conflict before it gets all better by the end. Okay? Okay. I almost feel like I should apologize for this exceedingly long chapter. I considered breaking it into two parts but it read better as one whole.
I forgot to mention last time a thank you to AshNight2 for letting me know the tidbit about Seth being found in Portland. I found that very interesting indeed.
To those who have been asking about Seth's memory: As much as it pains me to say this, I will not confirm if or when he will regain his memory. You don't really want me to ruin the story outcome, do you? I appreciate the curiosity and in some cases, the quite impassioned pleas, but you'll just have to keep reading to find out (insert evil laugh).
And finally, as always, thanks for your reviews. I especially appreciate the ones that mention certain lines that stood out or any other specifics. Not that you have to mention those things...I just find it especially thoughtful. In any case, I love all my reviewers. You guys are the best!