Hey, I hope everyone is enjoying the story. If you do read this, please review it, I love reading your comments. This chapter was difficult to write, but I hope you all like it. I make these things for you guys, so please, please, please review!
p.s: Despite this chapter's title, this is not the end of the story. I plan on making a few more chapters.
Chapter seven: No happy endings
Seth had gotten up early that day, very early for his usual routine. He got up in the hopes of being able to get out of the house without running in to his mother. He quickly, and quietly walked downstairs only to find his mother already up, and drinking a full glass of merlot.
"Great, this should be fun...just be stealth Seth, be very stealth." Seth whispered to himself as he started tip-toeing to the the door. His nearly succesfull escape was ruined by a loud, obnoxious "HEY!" from his inebriated Mother.
"Oh look, my mother, the cheating wino, what magical screw-up do you have in store for us today?" Seth said with a lethal sharp edged sarcastic tone that made his mother look upset.
"Now wait just a minute there almighty Ironist! What gives you the right to criticize me?" Kirsten said in a clearly intoxicated tone.
"The fact that you kissed another man just a little over a month after your husband, and my father died! I don't want to talk to you right now, I'm leaving for a while...don't wait up. What the hell am I saying, you'll be passed out by noon" Seth said while grabbing his keys and heading towards the door.
"Seth! Wait, don't go!" Summer said running down the stairs. She grabbed onto Seth's shoulder, and spun him around. "Listen...She's drunk, we were supposed to talk to you today but..." She was cut off.
"Wait...you're on her side? Summer, she kissed another guy? You and my dad were never that close, but we were, and she makes me sick! They were together for 30 years, and now, a month after he's gone, she's already moving on? This is messed up, and I'm not gonna put up with it" Seth said angrily looking at Summer, and occasionally shooting his mother an angry look.
" She didn't mean to hurt you Seth, she never would, it's just a weird time right now, for everyone. Look, don't be out to late ok? I'll try to get her to calm down so we can all talk" Summer said pleading with Seth to forgive his mother.
" I don't want to talk to her Summer. I'm kind of hurt though...You took her side without hearing my side...Well, whatever, I'm leaving, so yeah." Seth said before walking out the door. Summer looked back at Kirsten with a sad look, which Kirsten returned.
"God I make myself sick" Kirsten said putting her hand over her eyes to cover up her tears.
"Kirsten, you just need to rest. He'll be back later, just go get some sleep, and try to sober up a little. We need to get him to trust you again...I'll talk to him tonight." Summer said consoling Kirsten before hugging her, and wiping her tears away.
-meanwhile in Hawaii-
Ryan was at his hotel room packing up his suitcase for the long journey home, with, or without Marissa. He had to stop, and sit down at times because his emotions had gotten the better of him. So much had changed in a matter of weeks that he wasn't sure if any of it meant anything at all. A knock at the door took him away from his packing, and brought him to the door to see Theresa.
"...Hi, I know I shouldn't be here, and you might not want me here...but I had to see you again." Theresa said fiddling with her fingers in nervousness.
"Well, wanna come in?...It's kinda messy, but you should be used to that from me by now" Ryan said with a fake little laugh. He knew Theresa shouldn't have been there, but he also knew he wanted to see her too. "Want a drink, soda, coffee, beer?" Ryan asked while pushing his suitcase off the bed, and letting Theresa sit on the mattress.
"Um...no...But I do want to talk to you... I know you are leaving today...but I wanted you to know that all that stuff I said...was a lie." Theresa said as if it caused her pain to say those words.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked sitting next to Theresa on the bed.
"I don't love you...I don't want you to take care of my kid...I just don't want you around anymore" Theresa said trying to convince both herself, and Ryan that she meant the words she so painfully had to say.
"Why are you doing this Theresa? I know this is all bull. You kissed me for chissakes!" Ryan replied to Theresa's obvious lies.
"Because I figured it would be easier to let you go if you thought I didn't care about you!" Theresa said, sounding almost relieved to tell Ryan the truth
"Theresa...I know things have always been weird, and strained for us...but I always cared about you...and I think I always will. You don't have to let me go, we can still be friends." Ryan said trying to make things easier for both of them.
"I don't want to be your friend Ryan. The friend card died for me when I gave birth to your son. Ryan, I love you, and I think I always have...If you leave, again, I'll be alone." Theresa said rubbing his freshly shaven face with her thumb.
"You won't be alone...you'll have jake, and your mom, and..." Ryan was cut off.
"You know that's not what I mean...I know you don't care about me the way I care about you...but..." It was Theresa's turn to be cut off.
"I still care about you Theresa...I think we'll always care about each other in some way or another...I'm just not sure right now is a good time for us to be together." Ryan replied with an unsure look.
Theresa's face contorted into sadness, and she sniffled back tears. "I thought I would be well prepared for this...but, I guess not huh?" Theresa said reaching her hand up to wipe away her tears. Before she could, Ryan did the job for her. Theresa accepted Ryan's touch gladly, and as she stood up, she realized how much he meant to her. "Well, I'll see you around Ryan Atwood...don't be a stranger." Before she could walk away, she turned herself around, and kissed Ryan deeply, and passionately in a way that they had not kissed in over 11 years.
Ryan broke away from the kiss as soon as he could, and had a shocked look on his face. "I...I...I think you should go Theresa." Ryan said regaining his breath.
"I'm really sorry...Goodbye Ryan Atwood." And with that, she walked out of the room, and out of Ryan's life again.
Outside the hotel, Marissa was getting out of her car when she saw Theresa walking from the hotel entrance. Marissa was shocked, not even letting the thought of her visiting someone other than Ryan have a chance to exist. Marissa walked up to Ryan's room, which had the door still wide open.
"The door's wide open. Someone could come right in here, and say...spend some private time with their ex-boyfriend...hmph?" Marissa asked with a half angry, and half sad expression.
"Marissa...Nothing happened, I promise you." Ryan said walking toward Marissa, and trying to touch her face, but she moved away from his embrace. "What's wrong?" Ryan asked sadly.
"How am I supposed to know that?" Marissa said nearly in tears.
"Because I wouldn't lie to you Marissa, nothing happened."
"Then what was she doing here then?"
"She came to say goodbye. Marissa, trust me." Ryan said almost discusted with her lack of trust.
"...I trust you but...Everything between us is always screwed up when she is around...And I..."
"That's not her fault, it's mine!" Ryan said cutting Marissa off.
"So what, now your defending her?" Marissa asked angrily.
"Yeah, because I'm the screwed up one in this relationship no matter how much you try to destroy yourself." Ryan said in a louder tone.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Marissa replied harshly. The two of them had never argued like that, Theresa brought the worst out in them.
"I mean your always hurting yourself, if it's alcohol, or depression, you're always trying to mess up your life, but I'm the real messed up one. I love you Marissa, but I always find a way to mess us up, maybe this isn't any different!" Ryan said spilling his true feelings.
"Maybe you're right...Maybe this isn't any different. As long as she's in your life...I don't know if we can make it." Marissa said in a much more depressed tone.
"She's out of my life Marissa...I only want you." He said trying to smooth things over.
"No she isn't, she has your child. I've been in denial this whole time. Just because we want her out of the way...That's impossible now." Marissa said in full-blown tears.
"W...What are you saying Marissa?" Ryan asked scared for her answer.
"I'm...s..s..saying...I don't think this...we, are going to work." Ryan's eyes closed, as if he had been shot as she spoke the words. She walked out of the room leaving him alone, in shock. Ryan punched the closest mirror in the room, cutting his hand. He let the blood run out, not caring about the pain. What's the point of pain when you have nothing to feel pain for.
-meanwhile in Newport-
Summer had let Kirsten get sober most of the day, then helped her clean-up, and get ready for Seth's return home. Summer had made dinner, and sat at the table, waiting for Seth, who returned home not too long after.
"Sweety! I made dinner, come on!" Summer said in her light, inviting tone.
"I'm not hungry Summ, sorry." Seth said heading up the steps.
"Well...can we at least talk?" Summer said from the bottom of the steps.
"Nothing to talk about." Seth said looking back down the steps at his wife.
"Are you kidding? All you ever do is talk, Come on, I made you fajita's!" Summer said waiving him on to come down the steps.
"No, because my mother is in there, and instead of enjoying the fajita's, I'll have to hear the second leg of the Kirsten cohen apology tour, and I'm not in the mood for that." Seth said glibly.
"Seth, come on, she didn't mean to hur..."
Before she could finish, Ryan walked through the door, alone.
"Hey Ryan" Summer said waving to him. He didn't wave back, he just made the smallest of nods in her direction.
"Hey bro, is Marissa here, when's she comin back?" Seth asked from the second floor.
"She's not coming back...goodnight." Ryan said in the most lifeless of tones. Seth looked at the ground in sadness, and Summer patted Ryan's back as he walked straight into the poolhouse. Kirsten ran up to Summer, and Seth in confusion.
"What happened?" Kirsten said scared.
"We don't know." Seth said walking into his room. Everyone in the Cohen house was miserable, and there was no end to the sadness in sight.