A/N: Bad author! Bad! I, um, posted this chapter at LiveJournal weeks ago and totally forgot about So you all get a double-header. Sorry again!

As always, 60schic is the reason this story is going anywhere. She's adorable.

Part 14

The ride in the dark was twisting, turning, terror. Bright flashes of white illuminated an enormous gnarled tree. It seemed to wave ominously, the only thing visible in what was otherwise absolute darkness. The tree was Marissa, dead and screaming, her mouth contorted with rage. Her bruises had spread, masking half of her face, the other side was covered in dripping blood.

Summer cried out.

Before she knew what was happening, she was being tugged upright into a sitting position, folded into an embrace.

"It's okay Summer, it's okay."

Despite still being blurred by sleep and fear, Summer knew Seth. Knew his voice, his touch, his scent, his sleepy voice, and too often washed t-shirt soft against her cheek.

"Seth?"

"Mmm? Go back to sleep. You're okay."

"What happened?"

Seth smoothed his hand over her hair. "You had a bad dream. It's over now."

Summer shook her head against him. "I keep picturing it. The accident. Marissa dying."

Seth's arms tightened around her.

"I saw the bruise the tree left on her. At the morgue. I saw the cuts and…" Summer trembled.

"Stop."

"I can't."

"You have to, you'll make yourself crazy otherwise. How can I help?"

Summer sighed.

"I'm not entirely sure I want your help," she told him, still pressed against his chest.

"Summer…" Seth continued smoothing her hair.

"I don't think I can handle pouring my heart out to you tonight and being rejected tomorrow."

"Baby, I'm sorry," Seth whispered plaintively.

"Me too," Summer whispered back.

They sat there holding and being held for a long time. The sounds of each other's heartbeats lulling them towards sleep.

"Nothing else feels like this," Summer said finally. "You know that, don't you? Nothing feels like us. I don't want to trust you. I don't want to be in love with you. You hurt me. Over and over again. But nothing feels the way we do. Nothing feels as right."

"I… yeah, I know."

"You don't sound convinced."

"No. I know. It is. We're… yeah."

"Cohen?"

"It's just, you're the only girl I've ever loved. You were the first person I had sex with."

"I know. Me too." Summer was confused.

"You were my first kiss. By the pool at my Grandfather's party."

"That was your first kiss? Really? That's…"

"Pathetic and sad, I'm aware."

"No. It's kinda charming. If I'd known I would have made it better."

"Better?" Seth's voice implied that there was no possible way for their kiss to have been better. "Besides, if you'd known, you never would have kissed me."

"Maybe. But what were you saying? Before we got off track with the reminiscing?"

"I was saying… oh! I was saying that I know what we have is special. The thing is, I have less than no experience, Summer. I love the feeling of us, but I don't know that there isn't something better out there."

"Oh." Summer tried to pull away, but Seth's arms were unyielding.

"That came out wrong," Seth explained apologetically. "I believe that we're special, that you're the one. But I need to know, you know?"

Summer ignored the question, asking one of her own instead. "You really like her? Even though you know how special this is?"

"Summer…" Seth sighed. "I like Alex a lot, but…"

"I know I told you before that I was done waiting for you, but if you ask me to wait now Cohen, I'll wait." Summer informed him. "You may not be convinced, but I know how special what we have is. I know how serious it is, how rare."

"You would seriously wait for me?"

"I would try."

"Wow. That's. Huh. Summer Roberts is in love with me. Summer Roberts is willing to wait for me. I can't even begin to try to grasp that concept," Seth admitted.

"I am. You're… you're so ridiculously special Cohen. Why can't you see that? I want what you are. I want us."

"I will never get tired of hearing that," Seth nuzzled Summer's ear.

"Regardless, you have a girlfriend." Summer reminded as Seth's hands began wandering her body.

"So? You have a boyfriend."

"No, I don't."

"You broke up with Zach? For me?" Seth asked.

"For me," Summer clarified. "But, yeah."

"Then, just for tonight?" Seth pleaded, pressing a kiss against Summer's forehead. "Alex would never have to know."

"No." Summer tilted away from Seth as much as she could. "You're a good guy Seth. It's part of what makes me love you. If you do this, if you cheat on your girlfriend…"

"So basically you're a dangling carrot."

"Excuse me?"

"You're my temptation. The prize I can never quite get to," Seth sounded exasperated.

Summer rested her head back against his chest. "The second you're single. The instant you're really ready for us. I'm here."

"You will be? You promise me Summer, that we'll be together again?"

"I can't make a promise like that Cohen. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? A week from next Tuesday?"

"Summer," Seth was exasperated.

"Yes Cohen, I promise. If I have any control over anything, we will be together again."

"Okay."

"I'm tired now."

"Alright," He began to rock her gently in his arms. "Go to sleep sweetheart."

Summer's eyelids fluttered shut and her breathing slowed. She felt Seth lower her back on to her bed of cushions.

She reached out blindly, eyes still shut, and caught a piece of clothing. "Stay," she murmured sleepily.

"You sure?"

"Please?"

Seth complied, laying down next to her and curling himself around her.

Feeling safe, Summer fell asleep comfortably pressed against Seth.