Chapter 2
"The unexpected friend"
She continued to look forward as the familiar figure sat down beside her. He wrapped a reassuring arm around her and she was surprised how comforted and calmed she felt.
They both sat there in silence thinking over everything that had happened and what it meant.
He had sat there in the pool house listening to it all. Trey had been the beginning of the end to the relationships that the four of them shared. Things like that change everything and it just so happened that this time it wasn't for the better. They had yelled at each other Summer holding her ground about the way Seth had treated her for months. She was right. He hadn't handled everything well, he had reacted in the typical self indulged Seth way and now he had lost Summer. Ryan really didn't want to take sides but he had watched Summer leave and he could see that she was hurting.
Summer finally turned to look at him and she looked straight into his eyes.
"It will be alright" He said, like everyone did in a bad situation.
"How will it be alright?" She snapped
He thought about it and shrugged his shoulders "I don't know it just felt like the right thing to say" He smiled at her
She laughed and wiped a tear from under her eye
"That's better" He noted as a smile flicked across her face and as quickly as it came, it was gone
For some reason Summer felt like she could confide in him. His arm was still wrapped around her and she needed someone to talk to. Coop had gone off the rails and no one else would really care
"I know I shouldn't have done it but I had had enough"
"Summer I am no expert on all this relationship stuff. You have seen the state of me and Marissa and I don't even know how I messed up this time" He smiled weakly "You're right something has happened to Seth. He has changed, but part of that is to be expected"
"I know but.."
Ryan cut across her "I am not saying its right what he is doing but for once he is messed up for a reason. Rather then just being Seth like it seems everything he has known for years is all confused and he doesn't know how to handle it"
Summer listened to what he had to say. "Wow Ryan Atwood talking" She joked
"Well I had something to say" He replied
"See now I just feel like I should stand by him and that I have let him down"
Ryan shook his head "What you did and said was right. I am not taking sides but you have done the best thing. You have saved the both of you saying something you would regret"
"But I regret this"
Ryan felt a little uncomfortable, like Summer things between him and Seth had changed as well. They didn't talk like they used to and sometimes it felt like Seth had forgotten his existence. He would be polite but that was all.
Summer could sense his unease "I'm sorry" She said simply holding back the tears
"For what?" He raised an eyebrow
"For getting you involved"
Ryan smiled at her and shook his head "You didn't" He breathed deeply "I came to talk to you"
"Yeh I know but..."
"No buts"
"I am sorry about Trey too"
They had never really talked about the Trey situation. Ryan had been quiet for a few days, more quiet then usual and then usual. At the funeral he hadn't cried but looked sad. Summer could see he needed comfort from Marissa but she wasn't there to give it to him. Neither was Kirsten. Over the last 2 years Summer had seen how much he respected her as a mother and her problems had taken a toll on him too.
At night Ryan would lay awake and he would cry. He had never cried before and he would never do it in front of people. In Chino crying was never seen, it showed you as weak and got you beaten up as well. He didn't understand the tears. He had never gotten on with Trey but he still loved him as a brother. But thanks to him he had lost Marissa and caused all the problems.
"Thanks" He looked away from her
"I have never lost someone like you but I know it must suck. I don't want to say the wrong thing. I am here if you need to talk."
That's all someone had needed to say for weeks, that they were there if he wanted to talk. He never would as he never let his guard down but everyone else had been preoccupied with their own problems. Sandy had Kirsten, Seth did have Summer and it seemed like he had no one. He was used to that from Chino but the reassurance that someone was there was enough to make him smile
"thanks" He smiled weakly at her