Chapter Six
"How are we gonna get inside?" Trey asked he and Summer sneaked up to the back porch.
"Shh, I didn't lock the sliding glass door" Summer giggled, "And they're probably still asleep so we should be able to just sneak in no problem."
"Or not," Marissa's voice rang out to both of them. She stood on the back porch with her arms fold across her chest. Trey and Summer looked like high school children caught sneaking in after curfew. "Ryan and I got up this morning to find both of you gone… You guys are soaked, what happened?"
Summer broke out into a giggle and pointed at Trey, "Trey threw me into the ocean…. Well first he ran into the ocean like a crazy man, then he threw me into the ocean."
"Guilty as charged… but she wasn't complaining then."
"Who said I was complaining now?" She playfully slapped him in the chest.
Marissa quizzically raised an eyebrow at the two of them, she started to smile about the situation, but instead felt a disapproving look cross her face. "Ryan could you bring me a couple of towels from the bathroom…" She called back into the house.
"Yeah that's probably a good idea, I need a shower." Trey smiled and shook some of the ocean water from his hair.
"Here babe," Ryan came from the back door, and quickly noticed his brother and Summer, "What the hell happened to you two?"
Trey laughed and took a towel from Marissa, "Long story bro, I'm gonna go take a shower but I was thinking maybe we could go look at a few places today… I mean I'm sure you're sick of having your big brother sacked out of your couch…"
"Yeah man that sounds great." Ryan smiled almost excited about the chance to spent time with his brother.
"Cool, well I'm gonna go grab a shower, get ready and we can start the day." Waved back to all of them, but for some reason his hand motioned in the direction of Summer, before he made his way into the apartment.
Ryan's eyes followed Trey into the house, then moved back to Summer, who by this point had wrapped herself up in the other towel. "Ok so you wanna tell me why you and Trey are both soaking wet?"
Marissa held a finger up to Summer, then answered the question for her, "He threw her in the ocean."
"Oh… okay…" He paused and thought about it for a moment, "No wait not okay, what!" Confusion infiltrated his voice.
"Exactly what I said, he threw her in the ocean…" She turned away from Ryan and back to Summer. "Sweetie could you go inside for a bit… I think Summer and I need to talk for a while."
"Sure but I still don't get the whole part about Trey throwing you into the ocean." Still confused he opened the sliding glass door and walked back inside. Apparently he was going to have to ask Trey.
Marissa gave wait until the sliding glass door had completely closed, "So you gonna tell me what's going on?"
Summer sat down in one of their deck chairs and shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I get for water at four this morning, and Trey's not on the sofa… So I glance out the window to see if you're home, and if Trey was here went you got home, since I know you didn't get until after I went to bed…. But when I go check your room, there's no Summer here either… So I'll ask again," she smiled a little bit this time, "What's going on?"
"Nothing, we're friends, at least I think we are. I mean Trey's not so bad once you give him a chance, and that's all he really wants is a chance to be a new person.. So I'm just trying to give him a chance…"
Marissa raised her eyebrows at the way Summer spoke, "Are you sure that's all it is?"
Summer knew Marissa knew her better than anyone else, and she was seeing deeper into Summer's words and actions. Quickly she buried her head into the towel and sighed, "I don't know Coop. I don't know if that's all it is. I mean Trey's different from anyone I've ever met. I mean when he talks he really is just a man who wants to take advantage of his new lease on life. He's a man who wants to truly live, and when I'm around him he makes me want to live. He shows me things that I've always looked at but never seen. I've never seen anyone treat the world the way he does…"
"Summer you've known him, what four days now?"
"It doesn't matter, I know him, he's opened up to me at least a little bit he has. I can't remember ever feeling the way I do when I'm with Trey."
Marissa sighed and let her eyes fall, "Okay but what about Seth?"
Summer took a deep breath, held it for a moment and slowly exhaled, "I love Cohen, I do, but… I don't know Coop… I mean you have to admit there's something about those Atwood boys."
Marissa laughed along with her, "Yeah I guess there is."
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"So what do you think?" Ryan casually asked Trey as they stood in the middle of the studio apartment.
"It's not much but I love it, then again anything is a step up from where I've been staying." Trey stopped and sighed, "Unfortunately I don't quite have the money to cover the rent and the deposit."
"You may not but I do."
"I don't want your money little brother, I told you I'm not here for a hand-out from you."
"It's not a hand-out, it's helping out. It's the least I can do…" Ryan paused and ran his hands through his hair. "I spend so many years angry at you for what happened. But I was more than capable of making my own decisions and I should have been angry with myself, you didn't put me in juvie. I put myself there because I could have told you no. See now when I think about, we've all got some kind of plan, some kind of destiny… If I hadn't landed in juvie I would have never met Joey, would have never learned to box, wouldn't have landed in the hospital so I could meet Marissa… A lot of things would have been different if I had told you no… I mean maybe when I finally said yes; maybe I would have landed in prison next to you… It wasn't your fault, I spent so much time being angry and blaming you, I held it so close to my chest. That's why I never came to visit, that's why I never answered letters or gave you a number to call… I was angry at you when I should have been angry at myself."
Trey put his hand on Ryan's shoulder, "I wasn't exactly the kinda big brother you could look up too. I kinda sucked at that job."
"Yeah but a lot of people don't get the kinda second chances we get…"
"Yeah I guess Atwoods are like cats we got nine lives…" Trey gave a small laugh at his own joke.
"Yeah, you're kinda right… So let's start the new one, let me help you out…" Ryan cut his eyes to the side to meet his brother's.
Trey sighed and held his hand out, "I'm gonna pay it all back."
The two men smiled and nodded at each other, they were turning over a new leaf, and making amends. They were older, wiser, and had the chance that most men of their pasts and backgrounds don't get.