Marissa didn't feel like being in her house so she decided she should go see Ryan and talk about things. What Alex said was really upsetting, but in some ways she knew it might be true and that worried her even more.

She knocked on the pool house door and waited for an answer.

"Give up Seth, I'm not coming out."

"It's Marissa. Can we talk?"

She heard movements and a few seconds later, Ryan let her in.

"Hi," Marissa said nervously.

"Hey."

An uncomfortable and awkward silence followed.

"I just wanted to explain to you why I broke up with you I guess," Marissa finally said.

"Because of Alex," Ryan stated.

"No Ryan. We weren't working even before she came back. So much has happened in our lives and I realized that I didn't have those kinds of feelings for you anymore. I will always love you and you will always be special to me, but I don't think I can ever be IN love with you. We are too different now, we've changed."

Ryan sighed. "You're probably right. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. Guess it was my ego freaking out because you're dumping me for a girl."

"I wasn't dumping you for a girl. I broke up with you because it didn't work out anymore. I honestly don't really understand how I could fall for a girl, but I did and it has nothing to do with you. Alex is just special and we hit it off. I mean, I've never had feelings for any other girls and I still don't look at girls even though I'm with one."

"So you guys are back together?" Ryan tried his best to hide his anger.

"Yes, no, well sort of. It's complicated. I just want to apologize if I've hurt you, but I think this is for the best. For both of us."

Ryan looked at her and faked a smile. "Yeah of course."

"We can still be friends right?"

"Yeah, friends."

Awkwardness followed again.

"Okay, well I'll leave you to do whatever you're doing."

"Yeah, I'll see you at school."

"Okay, bye."

Marissa hurried out. God, could it be any more awkward and embarrassing? I'll just go home, get some sleep and then call Alex to apologize for running away from her.

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Alex' cell phone was ringing.

"Hello."

"Hey Alex, it's Seth."

"Seth! Why are you calling me?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, why you are back. Why are you back? Is it because of Marissa? Because Marissa has been here and talked to Ryan today and-"

"What did you say?" Alex said in disbelief. "There as in today, not yesterday or the day before?"

"Ops, was that something I shouldn't have said?"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine Seth and I'm just here to see how everyone is doing, how Marissa is doing, but she seems to be the same," Alex said with sarcasm in her voice.

"Okay well-"

"Hey Seth, I have something I need to do that's kinda in a rush, but I'll talk to ya later or something, Bye." Alex shut the phone before Seth had time to reply and sighed.

"I guess things haven't changed," she said to herself with sadness.

"What haven't changed?" Summer said as she walked into the room.

"Oh nothing."

"Is that why you look like someone just died?"

Alex felt like she needed to talk to someone and decided she'd give Summer a try.

"Marissa is lying again."

"What, you mean with you being the only one to know about Trey?"

"Yeah, and that she said she was gonna go home, but has been with Ryan."

"No way," Summer said equally as shocked as Alex, feeling sympathy for her.

"So it's right back to where we left of even though she told me it would be different."

"But you don't know what she was doing there right?"

"No, but she lied and if I can't trust her than I can't be in this relationship. She already broke my heart once, I can't go through that again."

"I'm sorry." Summer didn't know what else to say.

"Thanks. I'd like to be left alone please. And if Marissa shows up, tell her I'm not here or that I don't want to talk to her, just say something."

"Okay, if you're sure."

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Marissa had tried calling Alex all afternoon, but she didn't answer and the brunette was getting worried so she decided to just take the car and go visit Summer's house.

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Summer opened the door, to find a sad Marissa.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah, can I talk to Alex? I want to apologize to her." Summer looked angry at her and Marissa couldn't understand why.

"Really. For what? How you acted on the beach or the fact that you've been lying to her again?"

"What?" Marissa asked puzzled.

"First of all you told her that nobody knew about Trey and she knows I do. Second, you said you'd be going home, but Seth called to talk to Alex and he accidentally told her that you had been with Ryan."

"Shit."

"Yeah, you could say that." Summer spat, still trying to sound angry, but failing when she saw how miserable the brunette looked.

"I have to talk to her." Marissa tried to walk in, but was stopped by Summer.

"She kinda said she didn't want to talk to you."

"And you'll listen to her? I'm your best friend Sum."

"Yes and that's why I'm telling you that you're doing a fine job of fucking this up before it even gets a chance to really start."

"I know, but I can explain it, I just have to see her."

Summer sighed. "Fine. She has the guest room next to my place."

"Thanks."

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Marissa carefully knocked on the door.

"I just wanna be alone." She heard through the door.

"Alex, it's me." There was a few seconds of silence before Alex spoke again.

"I still wanna be alone."

"Can I at least talk to you and explain?" Marissa pleaded.

"Fine, talk."

"Face to face?"

A few moments went by before the door slowly opened to reveal a very sad looking Alex with a hint of red eyes. Marissa knew she'd been crying and immediately felt really bad.

She reached out to touch Alex's cheek, but her hand was pushed away and Alex sat down on the bed, leaving Marissa to stand by the door. She sighed.

"Come on Alex, don't be like this. I love you."

"And I love you too, but you've made your choice. You were afraid of hurting Ryan so now you're hurting me instead. I really want us to try again, but I can't do it if you're gonna go running to him all the time. It's one of the reasons we broke up in the first place. I can't be here always wondering if Ryan is gonna do something or if the feelings you have for him will return and then you'll leave me again. I just can't. Then I'll rather go back home to my parents. At least there I can cry, be heart broken and try to fool myself to believe I don't love you without having to see you two together."

Marissa was surprised, but glad at this revelation. At least it meant she wasn't the only one that had been hurting for the past months. She felt how tears were pushing, trying to get out, but tried to blink them away.

"Alex, you need to show me some trust here. I broke up with him remember? And I love you. I've been feeling like hell the past two months because I realized you're the one I want and still you can't trust me? I know that I hurt you, but right now you're overreacting and you're being a little selfish too. I'm giving you everything I can and have, the whole me and still you don't trust me?"

Alex took a deep breath.

"Alex, look at me." The blonde reluctantly locked eyes with Marissa. "Do you trust me?"

Alex didn't answer. "Do you trust me?" Marissa felt tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. She couldn't believe this was happening and she felt it getting harder to breathe.

"I trust you," Alex finally said and silence followed. Felling relieved Marissa dried her tears and calmed down, before slowly making her way over to the blonde, sitting down next to her.

She nervously started playing with one of Alex' hands while she tried to decide whether or not to tell Alex about Ryan. She settled with telling Alex now instead of risking Alex believing she was lying to her.

"Ryan wants us to be friends." Alex opened her mouth to say something, but was cut of by Marissa. "And I know you think he's an ass and all, but I want to give him a chance and so should you. He has done nothing that says he doesn't deserve it. Just trust me when I say that I will never leave you okay?"

Alex thought about it for a moment.

"On one condition."

"What?"

"I don't want you to put him before me. I don't trust him and I still believe he could do something to try and keep us away from each other, like wanting to spend a lot of time with you, and I don't want you to agree to that. We need time together if it's going to work."

"But that doesn't count if he's in trouble right?"

"Right, just don't tell him that or he'll find himself trouble."

"You seriously need to stop being so negative."

"I'm just shielding myself from getting hurt again that's all."

"Fine, I understand. Now can I make it up to you?"

"How?"

Marissa leaned over and kissed Alex firmly, letting her tongue run over the blonde's bottom lip almost immediately. Alex answered the kiss and kissed back equally as fiercely. They let their tongues explore each others mouths for a while before pulling away to get air.

"I missed you today," Marissa said sincerely to the blonde and Alex smiled.

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