DISCLAIMER – I wish.
A/N – Thank you everyone for all the reviews!! They are awesome!! Oh, and yes, I recently turned 12…But anyway, on with the story, please keep leaving your reviews!
---------------------------------
Somehow, ringing Seth's Cohen's doorbell for the second time in one day was even harder then doing it the first time.
The first time she was only telling him that she was carrying his baby, even though he didn't love her anymore because she had slept with some guy she didn't know….
This time, she had to ask him if she was able to live with him, because she had left home after her father refused to believe she was carrying a comic-book-geek's child.
She rang the doorbell once, and her arms automatically dropped to her sides, as heavy as lead-weights.
"Maris…Oh, Summer."
It was Ryan, and as soon as he saw who stood on the Cohen's doorstep an expression mixed of confusion and sympathy appeared on his face. He went in to hug her, and, as surprised as she was, she hugged him back, lightly patting his back.
"Hi Ch…Ryan," she said. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to call him the old nickname. "Chino" just didn't feel right anymore.
"I was expecting Marissa." He told her pulling away. "Uh…are you here to see…" he trailed off.
"Seth," she finished for him, with as little emotion in her voice as she could, but she could feel and hear the pain that came across, and she was sure that Ryan could as well.
He nodded, but before moving aside to let her in he said, "Um Summer. Seth told me about…you know…How you're…"
"Pregnant." She said, her voice cracking as she said it.
Ryan nodded awkwardly. He didn't know what to say in a situation like this. "Um…I'm…I'm sorry?" he flinched. He didn't think that was the right thing.
Summer looked at him, her large brown eyes growing misty. "Me too." She said, walking past him as he moved aside.
As she dragged her heavy suitcase up the stairway, thoughts of what she would say to Seth spun around in her head.
Seth…I'm sorry for what I did…I never meant it…
He wouldn't believe her.
I know you hate me, but…
He'd deny it. But she knew the truth.
I love you Seth.
She would never hear him tell her the same thing.
She knocked on his door as quietly as she could, hoping that maybe he wouldn't be there, he wouldn't be able to hear her. She didn't want to face him. One look at his brown eyes and her knee's would go weak. One look at the look in them when he looked at her…and the world would come crashing down around her.
"I'm studying…" she heard Seth's distant voice come from inside the room. "…Naked!" he added as an afterthought.
Summer opened the door. "We still have a few weeks left of summer Seth," she said. "And what would it matter if you were naked?" she tried to smile, but it came out weak.
As she entered, Seth jumped off the bed, where, may I add, he had been talking to Captain Oats, fully clothed.
"Summer!" he said, smiling.
It was so forced.
"Hi…" she said.
"Um…what's with the suitcase?" he questioned, glancing at her feet.
Oh God. What would she say…
"Seth I'm sorry for what I did I never meant to hurt you I didn't mean any of it but…but I left home my dad didn't want me to have the baby I want the baby I don't know if you do because I know you hate me but…but…but I need somewhere to stay and and…and you're the only person I could think of you're the only person that would ever let me in and and I…IloveyouSeth."
She said it all without taking a breath, everything that was spinning in her mind, everything she could think of. She had somehow maintained her composure until she had said the last words. That was when the misty substance in her eyes grew to water and flowed down her cheeks.
Seth felt his heart thump as she poured out her soul to him, and miss four beats as she said those words…I love you. Almost like it was saying: "I love you too."
"Summer, I…" he moved towards her, feeling his arms raise as he wrapped her in a warm hug. He felt it.
She did too.
This one was for real.
"I really did never mean it…" she whispered, her words almost muffled as she buried her head in his chest. "I always loved you…"
"I know you didn't mean it Summer," he said, running his hands through her soft, silky hair, letting the strands fall through his fingertips. "And I…I…" he faltered.
"You can't say it can you?" asked Summer, not raising her head. She wasn't quite ready to see the truth in his face.
"Do you know how much you hurt me Summer?" he asked her, reliving all of the awful things she had done, the pain he had felt, anger bubbling inside him.
She shook her head. "I never realised. I never thought. I'm sorry. I see how much it hurt you. And its tearing me apart…I never would have done it…"
Seth exhaled deeply, and Summer could feel his chest vibrating as he breathed. "What's done is done," he said in a flat voice. "We can't change the past. But we can change the future."
Summer finally lifted her head, and looked right up at him. Staring into his eyes now, she realised how tall he was. She had never seen it before. It made her realise how small she truly was. Small, vulnerable, and alone.
"I don't want my past to be our future…" she whispered.
"I don't want that either," he said, hugging her tighter. "And I'm going to try. I know I still feel it for you Summer. It's in me. One day, I will say it. Soon."
"Soon?" asked Summer. That sounded too good to be true.
"Soon." Seth assured her. "I promise."
"You promise…" Summer mumbled into his chest. She could feel him breath. It comforted her so much. But the best part, was hearing his heart beat. His heart, that was still in love with her. The heart that was taken by her.
"I promise." Seth said, stroking her head, letting her dark hair fall between his fingers. "And this time…My promise will mean something."
