Chapter Twenty Two
"Cohen! You're not listening to me AT ALL!" Summer shrieked as she got in the car after a long days' work. Seth, clearly not listening, finally slipped out of his daydreaming.
"Huh?" He managed to say, but Summer groaned quickly when he proved her point.
"I was only talking, but nothing that interests you." Summer replied.
"Really? 'Cause you seem sorta ticked, and I wish I knew what I did." Summer turned to glare at him.
"If you would've been conscious enough maybe you'd hear me talk about a word an hour." Summer snapped.
"I'm sorry." Seth shrugged hoping he wouldn't get smacked, punched, kicked or sat on. Summer pouted, and Seth knew that his meagre sorry had worked, and it melted her heart thoroughly. "Did that honestly work?" Summer laughed, and playfully hit him.
"Shut up, Seth. I feel sorry for you. Can't watch you grovel. Not yet." Summer smiled. "You wanna hang out? Moonlight dinner… food? Movie?"
"Is this a date I smell fishing around?" Seth asked. He was turned on by the fact that Summer was asking him out.
"Possibly." Summer said uncertainly, biting her lip as she waited to hear Seth's availability for the evening. "So… you up for a little lip lock over dinner, Cohen?"
"Hmm…" Seth taunted, teasing Summer as he watched her worried face, "With you, always." Seth managed to answer despite the butterflies that were prancing in his stomach.
"You know what I wish?" Summer said looking deep into Seth's eyes. Seth nodded urging her to go on, "I wish Marissa and Ryan could keep stable, and have what we have. Because it's just inexplicable yet the most amazing feeling."
"Maybe one day, they really will." Seth assured her, leaning in for a slow kiss.
"Ryan, you know, as much as I want you to be here, you can't. I've managed for all this time without you. Don't try and be the father you're just not. You're not ready- you're still a high school guy that needs his time with the ladies. I can't hold you down." Teresa said, with her mother touching her shoulder in encouragement. Although Teresa's mother nodded, knowing it would be easier for them both, painless even, if Ryan just said good-bye.
"Marissa," Ryan winced, but the mistake had been made- he hadn't intentionally said Marissa's name instead of Teresa's, but he had to improvise, "Marissa doesn't need me."
"What were you really going to say, before that long, awkward pause?" Teresa asked turning her head.
"Just that." Ryan said innocently, looking at the immense look Teresa's mother was giving him.
"Ryan, I think it's better if you just leave. It's obvious that you can't get Marissa off your mind." Teresa acknowledged, before standing up. Ryan had a hurt expression on his face, and he didn't know how he could help Teresa, "Why are you still here? I asked you to leave. I told you I lost the baby for a reason- a damn good one. It was because I didn't need you then, I definitely don't need you now. By staying here, you're not only going to hurt me, by thinking constantly of what your life would be like, you're hurting Marissa, your family, not even mentioning Seth who didn't know what a friend was until you came along. Stop trying to be superman- you're not going to get me through this. The best you can do for my good, and your good is to leave me alone. Please." By this point Teresa was crying, bawling would more so describe the situation. Ryan couldn't believe how much she'd changed from the drunken Teresa, to sober Teresa. The drunk girl he saw yesterday was unbelievably fun- maybe something he'd usually go for- meanwhile this Teresa was so consequential, and down to earth making sure Ryan would be happy in his future, and her in her own.
"Teresa, one day you'll thank me for staying." Ryan said, as he looked at the tears Teresa allowed to freely flow down her cheek, without shame.
"You're not staying." Teresa's voice quivered in pain, as she finally put her foot down. "I don't need you! I don't want this! You claim you love me- but you LOVE Marissa! She's probably crying over you- so LEAVE. Just leave." Teresa couldn't believe she was wishing Ryan away. She was jealous as hell when it came to Ryan and Marissa together, but she couldn't keep Ryan with her even just for the sake of the baby. The baby needed a loving father who loved his potential wife- not his girlfriend.
"Teresa, sit down. Maybe you don't think we have to seriously talk about this, but we do. I do love you, and just because you think I don't, doesn't mean anything. My staying here means something, does it not? It means I want to be with you. I want to be with the baby. I want to be a father." Ryan said reassuringly, striving to touch Teresa. And he did- he briefly touched her shoulder, but faster then not she gave a cold look that made his fingers sting, he then pulled his hands away brusquely.
"Ryan," Teresa's mother started to say coolly. "On behalf of my daughter, I would like you to leave my house immediately. Can you see the pain you've caused her?"
"I remember the pain I've caused her. I see it in her eyes. But I want things to be better. I love her, and I want her to be happy with me." Ryan said looking in Teresa's eyes gently, pleading for forgiveness, remorse- sympathy?
Teresa sighed, shook her head, and laughed a cruel laugh. She closed her eyes slowly, but then her sarcastic (yet beautiful all the same smile) faded, and her face hardened, "Leave." Teresa said once more with closed eyes so that she wouldn't have to witness Ryan's expression. She willed to shut her ears, so she couldn't hear Ryan's voice. She wanted to shatter her heart herself so that it would no longer love Ryan so crazily. Ryan started to get up, as he watched Teresa and her mother. Teresa's mother nodded, as her eyes trailed Ryan. Ryan couldn't stand leaving Teresa without a long, good-bye kiss. So he leaned in, and touched his lips with hers' for the last time.
"Bye Teresa." Ryan whispered in her ear, with a warm huff of breath that made her tingle. With that, Ryan took off.
"What do you want to eat, Sum?" Seth asked Summer who was pacing calmly around Seth's kitchen.
"Liver marinated in cow fat." Summer said off the top of her head, mentioning one of the grossest sounding foods she could think off. Seth squirmed at the thought.
"Why?" He said completely grossed out.
"So we could do," Summer raised an eyebrow, "'Other' things." Summer winked at Seth, who was completely bewildered.
"Can't we do 'other' things over a nice, delicious meal, so you can thank me some more?" Seth asked.
"Yes, of course," Summer said still grinning, "But I'll need a shirtless servant to feed me." Summer sat up on the kitchen counter, constantly conjuring up more thoughts in her mind.
"Where can I hire one of those?" Seth asked, genuinely confused.
"Idiot," Summer mumbled under her nose, "I want someone just as sexy as you though." Summer hoped he would catch her drift, before she gave it away- she wanted to see Cohen shirtless. Seth nodded, as he approached her. Summer traced her finger down his chest.
"Is there anything else you want, baby?" Seth asked, his face almost touching Summer's.
"Does the word hot tub mean anything to you?" Summer asked slyly.
"Oh getting a little hot under those clothes. A tiny bikini, I'm sure, would cool you off a little bit, no?" Seth asked teasing Summer's waist with his fingers.
"I wasn't thinking a tiny bikini." Summer said, seeing that she trashed Seth's hopeful expression, "I was thinking, a little on the lines of, nothing."
"Oh, oh snap." Seth said, as Summer jumped off from her comfortable spot on the counter.
"Damn right, Cohen. You'll see Summer Roberts like no one else has seen her before." Seth rolled his eyes in pleasure as he imagined Summer, completely frail and deprived of clothes. He longed to run his finger through her gorgeous body.
"You up for it now?" Seth looked outside, and saw that it was getting quite dark underneath the stars that were playfully shining in the night. Summer looked at him, and walked up to him seductively- she grabbed his fingers and intertwined her own in his.
"Get the towels, biatch." Summer said grinning.
Summer touched the hot tub water with the tips of her toes, smiling as the water was bubbling and steaming with heat. She heard Seth creep up behind her, and touch her shoulders swiftly with his cold fingers. It sent chills down her back. Summer turned to face Seth, who was already nibbling at her collarbone with his tongue, caressing it with gentle motions.
"You first." Summer said, hinting him to strip in front of her. Summer sat at the edge of the hot tub, her feet submerged in the water. Seth obediently pulled off his shirt, exposing his chest. Then he looked at Summer's buoyant face- and he slipped his pants off, leaving him almost naked, covered only by his boxers.
"It's as much as I'll go, until I see some skin on you." Seth said, not willing to be fully exposed first. Summer got up tentatively, and dreamily pulled off her shirt- leaving her in a black bra that fit snugly. While looking at Seth, she bent down, and pulled down her pants.
"I'll do the honours." Summer said referring to the ceremony of removing Seth's pants. And so she did. Ever so carefully, as if afraid of what'd she see. After the boxers dropped to the floor, Seth looked at Summer and started fumbling with her bra- he soon managed to remove it. Then he went on his knees, and with his teeth placed neatly on the side of Summer's thigh, he pulled the thong she wore all the way down. Summer leaned in to kiss him, her chest in careful friction with his. Seth, surprised by this act, started to tickle her waist, her thighs, anything that was comfortably in reach. Summer then held his hand gratefully, and when she heard the bubbling of the hot tub, she forwarded him toward the water. The two entered the water, mouth in mouth, bubbles rumbling against their bare skin. The hot water stung the skin of their bare legs, but soon, accustomed to the water, they were in neck deep, tongues still at work incessantly. The two, finally breathless in the hot liquid, pulled away, gaping at eachothers' exposed bodies. Seth looked at Summer's perfect curves, that hadn't been so accented with clothes on. Without anything covering her slim body, Seth couldn't tear his eyes away- she was just flawless. While Summer was known to have seen the better of the best, was gaping at Seth, and what he had to offer. She stared at him from up, to down making Seth feel a little uncomfortable, knowing she was looking at him- his thought provoking self.
"You're hot." Summer said, looking at him sceptically. She wished she could touch him- she wished he could touch her, and send the same uncontrollable chills down her spine as he played with her.
"You're perfect." Seth said, before he went to kiss Summer once more. He caressed her stomach, and on the rare occasion touched her breasts where her bra had once been. With the other hand, he would massage up and down her leg. Summer grasped Seth's hips, and touched them gently with her fingertips, making little circles with her nails.
"You make me feel," Summer said, and stopped before she could say anything else. Ryan hovered on the ground, looking down at the naked couple, molesting each other with blissful kisses. Seth, oblivious to the fact that Ryan was looking down at them with disgust, continued to kiss down Summer's neck… Summer willed that Seth would stop and see that Ryan had just witnessed their little idea of hanging out.
"Seth!" Summer smacked Seth in the head, and he finally looked up, and saw Ryan his eyes bulging with amusement- seeing he caught the two at the worst possible moment.
"Ryan! What a neat surprise! Not at Chino? Really? Cause I thought this time you'd stay. Snap. We really missed you, buddy. Maybe you should just go, though?" Seth offered, after blurting out random things. Seth was angry that Ryan had seen him with Summer, and he was even more angry that he thought he could just stand there and watch them like a circus spectacle. Seth cleared his throat, urging him to leave.
Ryan nodded and went to scratch his forehead, "Im ' unna go." Ryan nodded again, and turned on his heal to leave far, far away, to where someone would half expect him, and be happy to see him.