A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I know I've already posted today but I felt really bad for leaving it on that last chapter, so here we go...
Summer wandered back into the school hall that by now was almost deserted save for a few keen students who had stayed behind to clear up. Looking around, she quickly spotted Marissa in the corner and hurried over to her.
"Coop, do you know where Cohen went?"
Marissa looked concerned at her friend's tearstained face, but was impressed that she had returned at all; clearly Ryan had done better than she'd given him credit for "Uh yeah, he was pretty upset, I think he headed down to the docks, or try the beach maybe."
Summer's face broke into a grin "Thanks Coop!"
Summer had already turned and was dashing out of the hall but she paused and called over her shoulder "Tell Ryan Thanks. And he was right…about everything!"
"Uh ok." Marissa waved in acknowledgement; confused but pleased that Ryan and Summer seemed to have made a connection at last.
A warning sign
I missed the good part then I realised
I started looking and the bubble burst
I started looking for excuses
Come on in, I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign
When the truth is
I miss you
Yeah the truth is
That I miss you so
Summer had already searched by all the boats at the docks and found no sign of Seth, she then began to scour the beach but had almost given up hope when she spotted a lone, curly haired figure staring fixedly at the ocean as the waves lapped gently onto the shore.
Seth had been sat there for around 20 minutes, allowing the rhythm of the water to calm the torrent of emotion raging through him. For the hundredth time, he cursed himself for pushing her too far and was convinced that he had now lost her for good.
Because of this, he was entirely unaware of her ever nearing presence until she was barely a metre away from him and he heard her voice carry softly on the breeze.
"Cohen?"
Startled, Seth turned and scrambled up from the sand. Anguish shot through his body as he noticed her eyes were bloodshot from tears. Tears that he had caused.
"I'm so so sorry. I was so out of line. I just …"
"Cohen…" Summer shook her head and tried to interrupt him but he carried on regardless.
"It's just so hard being near you and not being able to be with you. But it's ok, I get it. I had my shot and I blew it" Seth turned slightly and returned his gaze to the vast ocean, He said nothing, but the inner turmoil he was experiencing was visible in his face; the part of himself that was desperate to explain was wrestling with his fear of what he might say if he tried.
Summer observed all of this as she watched him. It was clear that he had much more that he wanted to say and would likely never rest easy until he did. And at that moment she realised too that, if they were ever to make a go of things again, she needed to know just as much.
"Cohen…" He jerked his head towards her and their eyes locked.
"Why did you do it? Why did you leave me?" Summer's voice broke down to a whisper, and from nowhere her eyes refilled with tears, as it occurred to her that all her months of heartache hinged on that one question.
Knowing that he was going to have to bare his soul like he had never done before and that, for once, he couldn't hide behind witty quips and sharp one liners, Seth's confidence ebbed away and he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye anymore.
"When I left I just figured I was postponing the inevitable. You were like this incredibly beautiful, smart, funny Goddess….and I was the comic book nerd…the emo geek." Seth's voice was low and on the edge of breaking down but he took a deep breath and willed himself to continue. "I didn't deserve you and it was only a matter of time before you realised that. I figured that with Ryan gone, my cover would be blown…you'd finally see how much better you could do. And everything would go back to how it was before. So I suppose I thought that by leaving I was making it easier on both of us."
Seth broke off and glanced up at Summer who was gazing intently at him. As she stared at him she thought that this was the most vulnerable and honest she'd ever seen him…and it broke her heart.
Nodding slightly she urged him to carry on. He did so, but returned his eyes once again to the sea. It seemed to be the one shield he had left over the thoughts and emotions that he had to share.
"Only I never really thought that plan through properly. Because when I got back you were still….amazing and I was still in love with you. Only now I'd let you…"
Summer, whose gaze had dropped to the sand, jerked her head up in surprise "You're…You're in love with me?"
Seth looked across at her, utterly perplexed "Urm what? Of course... I mean…" Seth shook his head in disbelief.
Summer shrugged slightly "But…you never said" She said this quietly, aware both of how pathetic it sounded but also how important that fact had become to her over the past few months.
"I didn't think I had to. I mean… how could you not know that Summer?" Seth closed the gap between them with two easy steps and grabbed her by the shoulders so he could look into her eyes "I've been in love with you since I was Ten years old Sum... And every day, even now, I fall in love with you that little bit more... I'm so in love with you that every time I see you my hearts beats just that bit faster…" Seth knew he was rambling now, but he just had to make her see. He had to make her see herself through his eyes.
"The way that you tuck your hair behind your ears when you're self conscious...the way that you pretend to be all tough but really you cry at episodes of The Valley...and the way that you have absolutely no idea just how incredible you are. All of that Summer. All of it. I'm in love with it all. How…how could you not know that?"
Seth's voice had finally dropped down to a murmur and he gazed pleadingly at Summer who simply bit her lip slightly and shrugged.
"And I promise…" he continued "I will never hurt you again"
Summer smiled through her tears which she could no longer hold back "I know Cohen".
"And I understand now why you left... I never realised what Newport was like for you before Ryan and I am so sorry for the part I played in that and what I put you through…" It was now Summer's turn to tear her eyes away, although this was motivated not only by insecurity but by some degree of shame.
"But I swear I've changed…you've changed me. You took me with all my flaws and insecurities and you destroyed all the walls that I'd built up inside of me and you opened my eyes Cohen. You made me who I am…and I never got to thank you for it."
Summer finally looked up and her face took on a more urgent expression "So I never want to hear you say again that you don't deserve me. Because the truth is…I need you"
Seth smiled his goofy lop-sided grin and, knowing that she was probably feeling really self conscious at that moment, he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "Just saving you a job" He whispered.
Summer laughed and looked up "Oh and for the record Cohen…" She looking into his expectant eyes and left the briefest of pauses "I'm in love with you too"
"Yeah?" Seth raised his eyebrows questioningly and she nodded.
"Awesome" he muttered, smiling.
Summer giggled and reaching out she snaked her arms around his waist and pulled him close to her. She tilted her heard up and leaned her face close to his. With their lips once again only millimetres away, their eyes met and Summer nodded almost imperceptibly, willing him forward. Seth grinned and their lips came together with a passion that neither of them had ever experienced before. All of the pain of the past few months, all of the repressed desires and the longing of their hearts were shared and melted away as they drank each other in and their souls were finally reunited with their rightful mate.
A warning sign
You came back to haunt me and I realised
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover
Come on in,I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign
And the truth is
I miss you
Yeah the truth is
I miss you so
And I'm tired
I should not have let you go
So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms
And I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms.
A/N: So that was it! (the reunion I mean, not the end of the story...still lots to come!) I know I've been building to it for a while, so I really really hope that it didn't disappoint you and that you'll still stick with the story! Please review, I'd love to know all your comments!
P.S I was in 2 minds as to whether or not to include the song lyrics (it's by Coldplay by the way, in case you were wondering) but I decided to simply because the title of the whole fic comes from that song and it summed up for me that part of S/S's relationship...oh and also I just love the song, so I figured it deserved an appearance!