Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the OC, but FOX and Josh Schwartz do.
Authors Note: Just to clear up a few facts about time. The six years in the future is from today, 2005, so that is why the wedding is in 2011.I hope that you like this chapter, because its one step forward, instead of steps backward like the few past chapters.

Nearly four months had passed since Seth had visited Newport. He had thrown himself into his work and he seemed to be on the warpath everyday. Seth gave the impression to his clients and his peers that he lived this glamorous life outside of work, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. Every night Seth Cohen went home to an empty apartment.

This one particular evening Seth had decided to get a drink with some co-workers, or a few drinks in Seth's case. Never one to hold his liquor well, he stumbled into his building around 2 am. He checked his mail and there was only one envelope addressed to him. He fumbled with his keys and eventually made it into his apartment. He collapsed onto his bed, with his clothes from that day still on. Seth reached for the light, turned it on and began to rip into the envelope. An invitation fell out, along with an additional note.

Seth stared at the invitation and attempted to make out the printed letters. They read:

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Mr. Thomas Jones
to
Ms. Summer Roberts
on
the 17th of July 2011

RSVP's may be made to Ms. Marissa Cooper
769-986-2379
You will receive further details once you RSVP

Seth saw Summer's name and assumed it was her wedding invitation. He thought he had told her not to bother, but then again it was Summer and she ignored him anyways. Unwilling to even look at the note, Seth just closed his eyes and went to sleep.

As the sun began to peak through the curtains of Seth's apartment, he opened his eyes, but immediately closed them. His head was pounding and he wasn't quite certain how he had ended up in bed with his work attire still on. He rolled over and heard the crinkling of paper underneath him. He rolled back and grabbed the paper underneath him. Seth saw the envelope and it all began to come back to him. Summer was getting married and this was her invitation. Seth then noticed the note that had come along with the invitation.

Seth,

I know that you probably don't want to see this, but I think you should come back and stop her. She's miserable without you, I promise. There's one more thing. She was there the day you left. She was going to stop you. Just think about it.

Love,
Marissa

Seth couldn't believe that Marissa was still pushing the Summer issue. He grabbed the phone and began to dial Marissa's number. A message picked up after one ring.

"Hey this is Marissa Cooper. If you are here to RSVP for Summer's wedding press 1. If you want to talk to me directly press 2."

Seth pushed 2 and the phone began to ring. She picked up after the first ring.

"I've been waiting for your call."

Seth snapped back, "I'm sure you have."

"Seth, are you alright?"

"Yeah, just fine. I mean I haven't had to think about Summer for nearly four months and yet my best friend still sends me an invitation to her wedding." Seth knew he was lying, he thought about her every day, but he didn't care.

"Seth, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you had gotten over her. I am happy for you."

Marissa sounded discouraged, so Seth confessed the truth.

"Who am I kidding. I'm a mess. I have been since I got back home. I throw myself into work and when I come home, there's nothing. Everything is hollow in my life including myself. On the exterior everything appears happy, but on the inside it's just empty."

"What I wrote in the letter. It's true. She's miserable, though she'll deny it to anybody who asks. So are you going to RSVP?"

Seth thought about his answer, "No."

Marissa was confused, "No as in No, I'm not sure."

"No as in no, Marissa. I'm not coming back to Newport."

"But Seth…."

"I've put myself out there and I always get rejected. If she wants to be with me, then she'll have to prove it to me and come to Boston."

"You know she won't do that. I mean we both know how stubborn…."

Seth didn't hear the rest of Marissa's statement, but he could make out a door opening in the background. At that moment in Newport, Summer had walked into Marissa's apartment.

He heard her speak up again, "I'm gonna have to go. Summer's here and we have to go over her plans for the wedding. I hope I see you there. Talk to you later."

Seth hung up the phone and walked towards the bathroom. He just needed to think and in his opinion there was no better place to do that than the shower.

In Newport, Marissa hung the phone up as Summer opened her notebook. Inside were all the details to her wedding. She looked up as Marissa walked towards her.

"So who was that on the phone?"

"Uhh..my mom."

"Why wouldn't you see your mom at my wedding?"

"What?" Marissa was confused.

"You said that you hope to see her there, at my wedding."

Marissa tried to cover up, "No…I was talking about the manicure appointment I have tomorrow. She is going for a massage, so I am probably going to see her there."

Summer had been best friends with Marissa for as long as she could remember, and she could tell when she was lying. This was one of those moments, but Summer just smiled and nodded as she began to discuss seating at the reception. She wanted to know who Marissa had been talking to, and she was going to find out. She just had to get Marissa out of the house.

"Hey Coop, I'm really hungry. Do you think that you could go pick up some takeout?"

"Yeah sure. I'll be back in like a half an hour."

"Okay. You're such a good friend."

"I know."

As soon as Marissa walked out the door, Summer grabbed the phone and hit the redial button. Seth was getting dressed, when he heard the phone ring. He walked over and hit the talk button.

"Hello, Marissa is that you?"

Summer heard his voice and she froze. Quickly she hung up the phone and put it back where it had been before. Marissa had been talking to Seth. How would Seth know about the wedding, she thought to herself and then realized that she hadn't even sent him an invitation, obeying his wish. Marissa had requested one extra invitation, she said for Luke or someone, but Summer now knew that was a lie. The invitation had been for Seth.

"He can't come to my wedding." Summer mumbled to herself, "I wouldn't make it down the aisle."

Authors Note: So what did you think? Review!