Thanks again SO much for the reviews. I went into my email the otha day and had like 7 reviews in a row I was so stoked! Hehe so happy. Neway here's the next chappie hope u like and please review : ) ciao

Chapter 10

One quick glance under the sheets to reveal her lack of clothing caused Summer to let out a small scream of surprise, which in turn caused Seth to leap off the bed in shock.

"Cohen, what the hell?" Summer, eyes wide with confusion, shot an accusing look at Seth.

He felt someone grab at his shoulders and was spun around to face Zach.

"Wait, I can…" He paused at the fiery sinister look that flashed in Zach's eyes.

Even though the look was fleeting, it scared the shit out of Seth.

Zach rammed Seth backwards, and Seth flinched as a picture frame fell and smashed onto the ground beneath his feet as he collided with the wall.

Between breaths, Seth tried to explain himself, but to no avail. Zach wasn't listening.

"Nothing happened… I swear! Summer was drunk and…"

Oh god, he'd gone too far.

"What? She was drunk so you took advantage of her?" Zach was shaking with anger now. It felt as if the room and the walls were shaking as well. Out of fear or anger, Seth didn't know.

"No, no, no." He held up his hands defensively and turned to Summer who was sitting upright on the bed shaking slightly, looking from one to the other as if it were a tennis match.

"Summer…" Seth pleaded.

Zach then turned to the shaken girl,

"Summer, what happened?" he said quietly, obviously trying hard to sound calm, but his voice quavered with a greater emotion.

Summer looked completely lost. Her huge brown eyes were darting everywhere but in Seth's direction. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

"I…I don't remember. I just woke up like this."

Zach grabbed at Seth's collar and with little effort lifted Seth off the ground.

"Look, man I just helped her home. Nothing happened." He stressed.

Zach leaned in and speaking close to his face whispered menacingly,

"If you touch her again, freak, you'll have me to answer to."

And with that, he let go. Zach turned, giving the impression he was leaving but suddenly, without warning he swung his arm back around and punched Seth square in the face.

Summer made a sudden movement as if she were going to help Seth, but thought otherwise. Her hand was over her mouth and her eyes began to slowly fill with guilty tears.

Seth slid slowly to the ground. He reached his hand up and gingerly touched his cheek, but surprisingly it wasn't painful. As he took his hand away and wavered it in front of his eyes he saw blood but was completely numb to any pain. He didn't even see stars. But he did feel broken. In an entirely different way to physical pain, however.

Seth tried to muster up whatever pride he had left in him and cautiously lifted himself up.

Backing towards the door, he chanced one last glance at Summer. They locked eyes for a moment, and Seth could see pain in her eyes. But at that moment, he really didn't care. He fumbled behind him for the door handle and left, humiliated and full of anger.

As he walked away from the house, away from Summer, and all the pain she caused, it begun to rain lightly.

Great, Seth thought. It like never rained in Newport.

He mentally kicked himself for not bringing a jacket, and continued to walk at high speed, wanting desperately to get away.

But he hadn't gotten far before he heard someone call his name.

Seth refused to turn around.

"Seth!"

He felt two hands grab his shoulders to physically stop him, just as Zach had, but the hands were gentler. Softer.

Seth tried to struggle against it, he was not turning around to face her. He was running away. It was what he did best.

"Seth, please!"

Summer, giving up on getting Seth to turn, jumped out in front of him.

Seth stared avidly at the ground. He would not let her see his eyes.

Summer sounded on the verge of tears.

"Cohen, look at me."

She tilted his head upwards but he shook her away and continued to walk.

"Please, Seth… look I'm sorry." She continued to speed walk along side him, trying to keep up.

With that Seth stopped suddenly, much to Summer's surprise. It took her a moment to turn back, she had kept walking when Seth had stopped.

"You're sorry? For what? What Summer? Maybe you're sorry for getting totally wasted last night and practically dragging me home to your house. Maybe you're sorry that I cared enough to stay with you. Or maybe you're sorry that you were the one who actually asked me to stay! Is that what it is? Maybe it's the last part. Where you let your boyfriend beat me up, pretending you didn't even know why I was there! God, Summer, he thinks I'm some perverted rapist of something!"

Summer actually had tears running down her cheeks now. But she didn't seem to notice.

"Cohen…"

"You said you loved me." Seth said quietly, not bearing to look at Summer.

"I…" She didn't know what to say. She could have pretended she was too drunk to remember saying that. But god did she remember. How could she forget?

"I'm so sorry." Summer said through choked tears.

"I…I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell him. Do you understand that Cohen? He's my boyfriend."

"Yeah Summer he is. Thanks for that newsflash. You knew exactly what you were doing."

Summer absentmindedly wiped the endless tears flowing down her cheeks with her left hand.

"Why did you follow me?" Seth asked in a subdued voice.

"What?"

"The other night. When I took Ryan's car. You followed me. Why?"

Summer raised her head and stared into Seth's puppy dog eyes. She could see a flicker of emotion, but couldn't discern what it was.

"You don't know?" She whispered.

All of a sudden, the light rain that had been falling began to pour down.

But Seth and Summer didn't move.

"I think I do know. Well, at least I thought I did. Now Summer, I'm not quite sure. My worst fears seemed to be confirmed back there."

Summer's bottom lip shook and she bit it, trying to control herself. She was not going to break down in front of Seth Cohen. She was already doing a good job of embarrassing the hell out of herself.

They stood there in silence, Summer hopelessly lost for what to say.

"Cohen, I told him. Back there after you left, I told him that it was my doing. That I wanted you."

"Oh great, you tell him this after I get beat to a pulp."

"Cohen, stop being dramatic! I told him ok! Isn't that what you want to hear? I'm trying to help the situation."

Seth shook his head unbelieving.

"No, Summer. You've done enough."

Seth turned on his heel and stalked off, as the rain drowned out his footsteps.

"Wait!" Summer pleaded.

But Seth couldn't hear.

She ran after him, water rising and drenching her Italian make jeans.

"Cohen, I do."

Seth turned slowly.

"You what?"

"I do, Cohen. I love you."

Before she could lose her nerve, she threw her arms around him and planted a huge kiss on his lips.