So here's chapter 8 of "I Belong To You"!

I'm so happy that you liked my story so far and thanks a million for everybody who reviewed until now! Please keep reviewing, it really means a lot to me!

I hope you'll this chapter as well, I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger here ;)

Steffi

Chapter 8

When Seth woke up the next morning, he saw that Madison's side of the bed was already empty. Sleepy, he got off the bed and walked through the apartment, searching for his girlfriend but not wanting to wake Summer. In the kitchen he found a small note from Madison, saying that she had a lot of work to do and needed to work longer than usual, which was a strange thing because Marissa always closed the shop at six, every day. There had never been the need to work overtime.
Seth rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the last bits of sleep and the exciting night before, and went to brew himself some coffee. While the water was pouring down the machine, he stepped onto the balcony and inhaled deeply. When he opened his eyes, he could see how the ocean came to life for the day. The sun shone already bright above Newport Beach, feeling warm and relaxing to his skin.

Little by little, every piece of the night before went through his mind again. First Summer's appereance at his apartment and the incredible bad shape she had been in, his fight with Madison, the examination in the emergency room, the tons of questions by a social worker Summer had to answer… then the visit at the police station, where Summer had to relive her nightmare all over again, telling every little detail of the beating from last night and the beatings that had been happening all the years before.

And last but not least, the long talk he and Summer had had when they arrived home at 2 a.m. Summer had told him everything, all the things that had been going on in her mind since the day her father had died, everything about Eric and what an idiot he had turned out to be, and most of all, about the baby she was going to have. She told him that Eric had found the sonogram and had assumed that she had an affair, and that that was the reason why he had been so hard on her this time. All this talking had made Seth thinking. All the years, he had thought that Summer was his best friend and that they knew everything about each other, but out of all the things she had told him last night, he realized he didn't even know her at all.

The only good thing about it all was that Eric had been caught only twenty minutes after Seth had informed the police. He had not only been brutal, but also stupid enough to stay at home in front of the tv after Summer had escaped. Eric was now sitting in remand, waiting for the trial he deserved. Only thinking about everything that happened the night before made Seth feel exhausted. But it made also clear that he'd never let anything going to happen to Summer ever again.

Seth breathed the warm air in and wondered if it was true that Madison really was at work. She kept behaving strange every day. And now, since last night, as Summer had appeared, she was even more strange. Seth shook his head and abolished all thoughts about Madison. He needed to talk to her when she was back from wherever she had gone.

As he walked back inside, he saw a very weary Summer standing in the kitchen door, watching him with a weak smile on her face. Seth couldn't help but notice the soft look she gave him.
He smiled back. "Morning. How you feelin'?", he kindly asked, coming over to her.
Summer sighed and wrapped her white satin Bademantel around her. "Not so good," she honestly answered, "Everything hurts."
Seth gave her a concerned look and examined Summer's facial wounds. Her face was swollen and brightly colored from all the bruises she had.
Summer noticed Seth's concerned look and had to smile despite her pain. How could a person have just got out of bed and look so handsome at the same time?
She studied his face hard, trying to figure out what he was thinking. When his hand moved to her cheek, stroking it to check further on the bruises, the touch sent a shiver down her spine. Not one of those bad shivers she had when Eric touched her, but one that made her feel very comfortable and warm inside. Summer couldn't believe how much she loved him. With that thought, she blushed immediately and turned her face away.
"It's okay," she said shyly, "it'll be gone in a few days." And more silently, she added, "I'll never forget what you've done for me. I owe you so much…"
Seth shook his head. "I'd do anything for you, and you know you don't owe me anything." He said kindly. "But I think you should see the doctor again today," he added, his look still concerned.
Summer nodded. "I will. But…"
Seth bent his head. "But?"
Summer hesitated to answer, because she was afraid that what she had to say might have sounded stupid.
"Hey, Summer, you can tell me. What's the matter?"
Summer shifted from one foot the the other. "I don't wanna go alone. I'm still kind of scared that he might appear somewhere. I know, that that's not possible, but still…"
Seth smiled. "Did you really think you'd have to go through this alone?" He took her hand and gently squeezed it.
Summer smiled back.
For a moment, both of them just stood there and looked at each other. Summer could feel the sparks in the air. She wondered if he was feeling it, too? Only when she noticed that he was stroking his hand with her thumb, she quickly pulled her hand away. What was she thinking? He had a girlfriend! But the longer she looked at him, the bigger became the longing she felt for him. Or was she just attracted to him because he was the one who had rescued her?
Finally, Seth turned around to see if the coffee was already done. He held the can up in the air. "You want any? Wakes you up," he said with a smirk.
Summer shook her head and patted on her belly, which could be seen only if you knew it was there. "Can't, Cohen." She answered, smiling. But I'll take a milk, if you don't mind."
Of course Seth didn't mind.

Over breakfast, Seth could see that Summer wasn't feeling well and that she was still scared. Besides her bruises, she looked very pale, and her mind seemed to be anywhere else, far away. He did the best to cheer her up, and when she went to take a shower, he came up with - what he thought to be - the greatest plan ever.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Seth sat on the couch in the living room, reading the newspaper, and enjoying the fact that he had a whole week without work in front of him. He had taken a week off just to be there for Summer – and since the company was all his, this wasn't a problem. The only thing that was still bothering him was Madison and where she might have gone. She couldn't be at Marissa's, because Ryan was supposed to be arriving from Boston today, so the two of them would probably hang out – and moreover – make out all day. Again Seth didn't bother to think the thought through, and he didn't even have the time to, because Summer came out of the bathroom, her beautiful dark hair hanging loose around her slim shoulders. Since her top from yesterday had been sprinkled with blood, she wore one of Seth's t-shirts and jogging pants, in which she looked even more fragile than she already was.
Amazed by her beauty, Seth couldn't react for what seemed an age.
When Summer smiled and walked up to him, he felt the love for her, the love he had never stopped feeling. Slowly, he regained his consciousness. "That shirt looks cute on you," he managed to say, still feeling extremely attracted to her.
Summer smiled. "I know," she said, giving Seth a smirk. Then her gaze went out of the window, her face seeming stiff.
Seth tried to lighten up the mood and wanted to present Summer his amazing plan for the day. He sat up straight. "Hey, I've got the greatest idea for today. First, we're gonna see the doctor. Okay, that's maybe not the greatest thing we could do, but it'll be like the icebreaker. And after that, we have lunch on the pier, charter a boat and sail around, relax in the sun, and just let all the sorrow behind us. What do you think?" He waited impatiently for her answer. To his disappointment, Summer didn't smile.
He could only see that her face had become even harder than before. She seemed to be concentrating on something. Closing her eyes, she said, "I don't feel well, Cohen." One hand went to her belly, and she made a fist.

Summer knew that there was something really wrong going on with her. Seth went on without noticing. "No, come on, this is gonna be so much fun! Just you and me, maybe we could go see Ryan and Marissa, make the Fantastic Four becoming fantastic again!", he chimed.
Summer shook her head, her breathing becoming heavier, and the color draining from her face. "Cohen, I'm serious, I don't feel well," she said, and before she could continue, a terrible pain came flushing through her body, making her whince. "Ou… oh God…" was all she could manage to say. With every second that passed, the pain became heavier, making her mind go numb. She couldn't concentrate on anything else.
Suddenly, she felt Seth reacting to the situation. He lay his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. "Hey, Summer, what's wrong?" He sounded concerned.
Summer couldn't answer at first, the only reaction she showed was to curl up on the couch, breathing heavily, and hoping that terrible pain would go away.
Seth grew more and more anxious the longer he saw Summer lying on the couch, whincing and moaning. When she didn't answer, he became really scared and shook her slightly. "Summer, tell me, what's wrong? What is going on?"
Finally, Summer could manage to say a few words. "It hurts so bad… the baby… Cohen…"
Eventually, Seth understood what was going on. He jumped off the couch to call an ambulance, decided they would take too long, ran over to the couch again and softly lifted Summer up. "I'm taking you to the hospital, everything's gonna be fine…" he whispered in her ear. And when he saw the blood stains on the couch and on her pants he knew what was going on, but still, he confirmed, "You're gonna be fine…"
Without locking the door, Seth left the apartment with a whincing Summer in his arms, hoping they wouldn't be at all too late.