Title: When It All Just Fits
Author: Sara and Lizzie
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Obviously, its not ours.
Summary: Summer, scared at the intensity of her relationship with Seth, left him four years ago. Since then she's been all over Europe. Finally, four years later, she wants to return home to Seth. Funny when she does, he's engaged. Not like that's going to stop Summer.
"You saw you had this coming, misplaced, now it's not about running." – The 88
Summer sighed. She was lying on a lounge chair by the Cohen's pool next to Marissa and Ryan, across from Seth and Molly. Molly was chattering incessantly about wedding details, and Summer was considering suicide. She had more fun yesterday during the painstakingly awkward drive home from LA.
Not only did she not want to hear about Seth's plans to another girl, but Molly was boring her to death. The only consolation was she looked amazing in her pink Lacoste bikini and Seth kept checking her out.
"Seth." Molly said bossily. "Take your shirt off, you'll get tan lines."
"I'm ok." Seth said."
"Seth, you're going to get lines!" She insisted. Summer's face turned a deep shade of red, as she realized that Seth wouldn't take off his shirt because of her nail marks on his back.
Seth smiled tightly. "I'm already burned. I'll leave it on."
Thankfully, Molly let it go. Kirsten sauntered out to the patio. "Summer, where are you staying?" she asked, giving them all a much needed break from the meticulous planning that Seth didn't even care about.
"I stayed with Coop and Chino last night." She said. "But that was kind of gross."
Marissa turned her own shade of bright red, and Seth raised his eyebrows at Ryan who attempted to look innocent. Summer rolled her eyes at the spectacle and the four of them laughed.
Kirsten smiled. "Why don't you stay with us? God knows, we have enough guest rooms."
"Oh Kirsten, you don't have to do that." Summer said.
Molly smiled tightly. "You're right Summer. Kirsten, there will be enough people coming for the party and the wedding without-"
"I think I can judge who I want to stay in my house, thanks." Kirsten interrupted without any edge to her voice.
Summer looked awkward. "Really, Kirsten. I can stay at my dad's."
"Your dad is in...." Kirsten trailed off, trying to remember.
"St Bart's." Summer supplied. "Again."
"Right. It's no trouble Summer. Please feel free to stay here."
Seth chimed in. "Sum, please. You can have my old room." Summer locked eyes with him, and smiled. A flutter of old intimacy passed visibly between them as they both remembered everything they had shared in that room.
"Well, if everyone's sure, I'd love to. Thanks." Summer said, blushing.
Molly turned on Seth, looking completely mortified, but Kirsten saved the scene by sitting down and asking what everyone was up to that day.
"Summer and I are going shopping." Marissa answered. "And the boys are going sailing." Molly digested this information, and felt very alone. They were a perfect foursome that she didn't fit into.
She turned to Seth. "You're going sailing? What am I supposed to do all day?"
Seth smiled at her, weighing his options. Before he could answer, Summer burst out, "Why don't you come shopping with Coop and I?"
Molly's eyes grew large in shock, then narrowed in suspicion. "Shopping, huh? Sure. I'll go."
Kirsten raised her eyebrows, and made a move back toward the kitchen, while Ryan and Marissa exchanged looks and stifled their laugher. Summer looked oddly pleased with herself and Seth looked like he might be physically ill. Molly took this in and Stood up abruptly. "Well, girls, let's go get changed."
Marissa and Summer rose to follow her.
No sooner had they left, than a car pulled into the driveway. Out stepped Ana Stern. She hugged Ryan, the Seth. "I thought you could use a voice of reason Mr. Cohen."
Fifteen minutes later, sailing plans were put off, and Ryan, Seth and Ana were seated in a beachside restaurant.
"Seth." Ana began.
"Ana." He mocked. "Ryan."
"I'm serious. Talk to me. To us." She said, gesturing at Ryan. "We want to provide you with guidance."
"By breaking off my engagement?"
"By preventing you from making the biggest mistake of your life." Ana countered.
"So because Summer Roberts cruised back into town, all of sudden Molly is the biggest mistake of my life?"
Ryan spoke up. "You still love her."
"I plead the fifth."
"Seth, don't be so cavalier about this." Ana advised.
"What do you want me to be about this?" Seth asked, sounding slightly hysterical. "I cheated on my fiancée. And although I won't admit it, I'm not even in love with my fiancée. I see that reality is screaming, there's no way you can marry this woman, but I made a promise and I can't break-"
Ana held up her hand. "You don't want to leave Molly like Summer left you."
"That's ridiculous. This isn't the same thing." Seth said quickly.
"It's true. Summer left you just when you were both getting into real life. You had these big dreams, and big plans and this big love and she left. And you can't do it to Molly. That's what's keeping you." Ana reveled in the glory of her psychoanalysis, and looked pleased with her own intelligence.
Seth worked on trying to prove her wrong. Not an easy task, because he knew how right she was. "What do I do?" he finally asked them, in desperation.
They shrugged in unison. Ryan spoke. "Neither of us can tell you that, Seth. Talk to Molly. Talk to Summer. Give it a few days. You'll figure it out."
As Ryan was giving Seth this profound advice, across town, the girls had surprisingly managed to shop comfortably. There was no talk of Seth or any boys. The only point of tension was the obvious fact that Summer was richer than Molly, which angered Molly to no end.
But they were able to civilly give each other fashion advice. But Molly wasn't as at ease as she may have appeared. She knew something going on. She wasn't sure what, or if she could prove it, but she didn't trust Summer.
And maybe she had taken on the roll, of Molly Flynn, massive pessimist, but she could practically feel dark clouds gathering on what had before looked like a clear horizon.