Ch.10
Summer couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face.
"Daddy," she whispered.
Her eyes welled with tears. The guilt she felt for what she said at his funeral...it felt like a she was drowning.
She shuddered.
Seth stirred. His eyes fluttered open.
"Hey," he whispered into her hair. "What's wrong Summer?"
She sniffled.
"I said some horrible things to my dad today Seth. Some really, awful things."
"Well you were mad at him baby...you didn't know the truth."
"But now I just feel so...ahhh" she threw her hands up in exasperation.
Seth softly kissed her cheek.
"It's going to be ok...everything is going to be fine."
She shook her head.
"I have to go see him."
Seth shot up.
"What?"
"I have to go to the cemetery...I have to talk to my dad."
"Summer, it's the middle of the night...there are people out there trying to hurt you...I don't think sneaking out at 2 a.m is such a good idea."
"Seth, I have to do this. I can't live with myself for another minute."
She sat up in a frenzy.
"I'm going."
"Will you just stop and listen to me for a damn minute?" Seth yelled.
She faced him, shocked. Cohen had never raised his voice to her before.
"Sit down Summer," he said harshly.
"Why are you being so mean?"
"JUST...sit for a second. Please." he begged.
She sat down on the bed. Seth paced in front of her.
"I don't think you understand the severity of the situation," he said trying to calm down. "This isn't a game. You can't just leave, in the middle of the night..."
"Seth-"
"Listen to me!"
She bit her lip.
"Summer, do you understand how much I love you? I mean, do you really grasp it?"
She searched his face, confused at what he was saying.
"Of course I do Seth...and I love you..."
"I don't think you really get it Summer." He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, grabbing her hand. He gently stroked it with his thumb.
"You are everything to me." he said softly. "Everything."
She stared at him.
"I have loved you from the moment I first saw you...did you know that?"
She nodded, unable to speak.
"You were getting off the bus. It was our first day of second grade. You had on this navy blue dress with a white ribbon in your hair."
"How do you remember that?" she asked.
He smiled.
"That was the first day of my life Summer. The first time I saw you, I felt alive. Don't you get it? I'm nothing without you."
"That's not true," she said shaking your head. "Cohen, you are so much more than you give yourself credit for. You're smart, and funny, and handsome...any girl would be lucky to have a guy like you."
He looked at her.
"I don't want just "any" girl Summer. I want you."
"You have me Seth."
"Then don't leave me. Please. Don't go running off somewhere, doing something that puts yourself in danger. If anything ever happened to you..."
She winced at the pain in his voice. She hated making him feel this way.
She leaned toward him, her forehead touching his.
"I love you Cohen. More than you'll ever know."
He gulped.
"But you're still going to go...aren't you?"
She started to cry.
"He's my dad Seth...I have to go."
He wiped his eyes.
"Then let me grab my coat."
"You're coming with me?"
He stood her up and pulled her close.
"Wherever you go, I go." he muremred into her neck.
She closed his eyes. She always felt so safe when she was with him.
"Thank you Seth."
He pulled back ,giving her one of his famous winks.
"What can I say, I'm too selfish to be apart from you...even if its only for a minute."
She smiled.
A few minutes later, they we're ready to go.
"Go on out to the car," Seth said. "I'm going to go tell Ryan we're leaving...just in case."
She nodded and left.
Seth looked around, making sure no one was watching.
He walked over to the closet, pulling out a large box from the top shelf. Opening it, he reached inside.
"I'm not taking any chances tonight," he said to himself .
"If anyone tries to mess with us...they're goin to regret it.
He walked out of the pool house towards his car, leaving the empty box on the floor.
He hopped in the car.
"Everything ok?" Summer asked.
"Of course," he said reversing out of the driveway.
"We are good to go..."
Sandy gasped, his eyes popping open.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Kirsten asked rubbing his back.
"I dont know...i just have this bad feeling."
Kirsten sighed.
"We're all a little on edge...come on, try to go back to sleep."
He wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her scent. It always calmed him down.
"I just have this feeling honey...something bad is about to happen."
Kirsten shut her eyes, not responding.
She didn't want to tell him that she had the exact same feeling.
Instead she just kissed him.
"Goodnight Sandy," she smiled.
Marissa looked at the clock.
3 a.m
She smiled as she looked at Ryan. He looked so peaceful sleeping.
"I'm not sleeping," ryan said, as if reading her mind.
"Sorry...you just looked so cute."
He smiled.
"What are you still doing up?"
"I was going to go check on Summer."
"I'm sure her and Seth are fine Marissa."
"I know that...but i'm still worried. I cant help it, it's the job of the best friend to be worried."
Ryan hit her with a pillow.
"Alright," he said defeated. "let's go."
They held hands as they walked towards the poolhouse. Ryan and Marissa had taken over Seth's room while he stayed with Summer.
Ryan opened the door quietly in case they were alseep.
He stopped.
"What is it?" Marissa said coming up behind him.
She looked around.
"Hey...where are they?"
They looked at each other.
"Seth?" Ryan called out, running towards the bathroom.
Damn it. he thought, not finding them.
"Ryan, where could they be?" Marissa cried.
"I dont know..."he surveyed the room. "Maybe they're-"
He stopped breathing when he sae the box.
"What? What is it?"
"Oh no," Ryan said grabbing it, looking through it. "Jesus, he didn't..."
"Ryan, what are you talking about? What is going on?"
"Seth took it..."
"Took what?"
He gulped.
"My gun."