"The Most Eligible Bachelor"
Summary: Summer and Seth are leading separate lives now, but what happens when Summer's story for a leading magazine forces them together?
Disclaimer: I'd like to stake a claim on Adam Brody's dimples, but really, I don't own any of the O.C. characters or story lines.
Chapter Eighteen: The Announcement
Seth's cell phone alarm went off at nine o'clock the next morning, as he and Summer were supposed to meet up with Ryan and Marissa at ten to head back to Newport. After hitting the snooze feature three times, it was 9:24, and he figured he better wake Summer. He shifted his body so he could see her peaceful face snuggled against his chest. He smiled for a moment, and then bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Mmm, good morning," Summer mumbled sleepily against his lips. "What time is it?"
"It is now 9:25," Seth told her, before cover her lips with his again. Rather than kiss him back, she shot up, knocking heads with Seth in the process and jumped out of bed.
"Cohen! We were supposed to have an hour to get ready. Now I have, like, 30 minutes!" she yelled, frantically running around the room collecting her things. "I still have to pack and change and put on make up and-"
"Whoa, Summer," Seth said, crossing to where she stood and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Chill out. It's not like we have an appointment in Newport, it's just my mom and dad, and it won't matter if we're 20 minutes later than we said we'd be. I mean, come on, this is me, I'm always late," Seth smiled but became confused as Summer nervously looked down. "What is this about? Why do you seem nervous to go to Newport?"
"It's not about Newport."
"What is it then, Sum?"
She held her gaze to a spot on the floor, and quietly said, "It's your parents."
Seth looked at her in disbelief, a laugh in his voice. "Are you serious? Wh…why would you be nervous to see my parents!"
Summer just glared, which immediately wiped the smile off Seth's face. "Oh, I don't know, Seth. Maybe the fact that I haven't seen them for six years, because I felt the need to break up with their only…well, only biological son, who afterwards had to go through three years of intense therapy because of it! Don't you think that, maybe, MAYBE they might be mad at me?"
An understanding look crossed Seth's face, but it quickly turned into a comforting look, as he pulled her into his arms and let his hands fall to her hips. Summer's eyes stayed firmly planted on the floor. "Summer, look at me," he said softly, not speaking until her eyes met his. "When my parents see how happy I am when we get there, there is not a chance that they will be able to be mad at you." A small grin played at the corners of Summer's lips, and Seth continued. "Besides, my parents always liked you the best out of the girlfriends. Even better than Marissa," he whispered, letting a smile of his own form, before taking her into a deep kiss.
The kissing continued for several moments, until Summer pulled back and spoke against Seth's lips. "You do realize that it's probably 10 now, right?"
"Does it look like I'm in a hurry to go anywhere?" Seth joked, motioning to his naked form.
"Well, as long as we get there by 11, we should be ok," she replied sexily, leading Seth to the bed, and leaving the getting ready for later.
"Ryan! Seth!" Kirsten squealed as she opened the front door to see her pride and joys standing there. She wrapped her arms around the two boys' necks and held them as if they'd been revived from the dead.
"Ok, Mom, we need to breathe," Seth said dryly, sharing a smile with her.
"Boys!" Sandy said cheerfully, joining the group at the door. He put his arms around their shoulders and turned around to look at Summer and Marissa, his eyes getting wide. "Summer! It's been a while. Seth didn't even mention that you were coming," he said, exchanging sideways glances with both his son and Kirsten
Seth just shrugged. "I thought I'd surprise you the way Summer surprised me," he said with a wide grin. Sandy and Kirsten, whose first reaction to seeing the young brunette was a bit apprehensive, let out the breaths they had been holding and smiled at their son.
"And Marissa. You must think we're so rude. Come here," Sandy said, shifting his gaze to the blonde and holding his arms out for a hug. Marissa smiled and then hugged Kirsten as well.
Seth watched Summer's face intently and noticed a strange pain flash in her eyes. He quickly moved to her side and put his arm around her, not to go unnoticed by his very observant parents. After an awkward moment of silence between the sixlet, Sandy decided to try to alleviate any tension.
"Should we go in?"
"Yes," everyone answered at once. They quickly moved to the sitting room, where Kirsten offered everyone drinks. After it had been decided that they would all have some wine while they waited for Julie and her husband of two years, Keith, to get there, the group sat and started some small talk.
"So, Summer, what brings you back to the west coast?" Sandy asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.
"Well, I work for Cosmopolitan now, and I am writing a story about the youngest most successful men on the west coast," she explained.
"I've read your work," Kirsten said. "You're articles are quite entertaining."
"Thanks," Summer said, with a sweet smile.
"So, who are the guys that your interviewing?" Sandy asked.
"It's funny you should ask. Somehow, they selected a couple of 'talented' young men from Newport," she said, indicating who the 'young men' were by glancing at Ryan and Seth. "But if you ask me, they're using the word talent quite liberally," she joked.
"Hey! I'll have you know that it is not easy to write AND draw graphic novels, while running an empire of comic glory," Seth said, attempting to sound offended.
"Comic glory, Cohen? I think you're stretching it a bit," Summer quipped back. Sandy and Kirsten raised their eyebrows at each other, interested in what was happening between their son and his ex-girlfriend.
"I see your involved with someone, Summer," Kirsten said, holding up her ring finger. Summer's face turned instantly red, and she quickly moved her hand out of everyone's view.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. It's just a ring I got a long time ago," she said, raising her head just enough to see Seth's crimson cheeks. As if by some strange miracle, the door bell rang.
"Oh, that's probably my mom," Marissa said, disentangling herself from Ryan's embrace and rising to answer the door.
"Oh boy!" Seth said, sarcastically. Ryan just glared at Seth, who winked at him and gave him the thumbs up.
"Ohhhh, Marissa!" they heard Julie shriek from the entry hall. After a couple of moments of silence, followed by the clicking of high heels on the marble floor, Julie and Keith, followed closely by Marissa, appeared in the sitting room.
"Seth! Summer!" Julie said in a fakely excited voice, moving to give the very surprised pair hugs. She glanced at Ryan, bitterness in her eyes. "Ryan," she nodded.
Marissa rejoined Ryan. "Better now than later," she whispered in his ear, before clearing her throat to speak to everyone. "Ok, the reason that Ryan and I gathered everyone here was because we have some pretty exciting news."
"You got her pregnant!" Julie rudely interrupted. "Isn't one illegitimate child enough for you, Ryan?"
"Mom! I'm not pregnant!" Marissa yelled. "Before my mom decided to interrupt me," she said, shooting daggers in Julie's direction, "I was going to say that Ryan and I are-"
"Getting married," the usually quiet Ryan finished, ear to ear grins covering his and Marissa's faces.
"Oh my god, this is WONDERFUL," Kirsten exclaimed as she crossed the room to hug Marissa and ogle over her ring.
Sandy quickly joined her and put his arm around Ryan's shoulder. "You did great, son. I'm glad you're so happy," he said, giving Ryan a heartfelt smile followed by a hug.
Julie, whose jaw had not yet left the floor, sat in complete shock. "Marissa, you have got to be kidding me! You can't possibly think I'm going to help finance this!"
Marissa's face instantly dropped, and she had a flash of high school, when she constantly fought with her mom over this. "Mom, when are you going to grow up and realize that this is my life, and I love Ryan."
"Don't talk to me like that, young lady," the red headed woman said, eyes narrowing on her daughter.
"Or what! You're going to ground me? I'm 25, Mom, seriously. If you don't like this, then why don't you just-"
"Leave," Kirsten finished, hand perched on her hips and an intense glare in her eyes. "I don't like how you're talking about my son and the way you're talking to my future daughter-in-law. So unless you want to congratulate them and have some champagne, why don't you just leave?"
"Kiki, you're right, I'm so sorry," she replied, obviously worried about the prospect of being on Kirsten's enemy list. "Congratulations, Ryan, Marissa," she said, a fake smile plastered across his face. Keith also crossed the room and extended a hand to both Ryan and Marissa.
Seth, who had been sitting back and watching quietly as the drama unfolded before him, suddenly realized that Summer had been in the bathroom for ten minutes. He rose and ascended the stairs in search of his dream girl. He went down the hall to his room, thinking that's where Summer would be, but stopped at the door when he heard soft crying. He quietly opened the door and moved towards the bed, where Summer lay face down.
"I thought I'd find you here," Seth said quietly, laying down and facing Summer. He reached out his hand and rubbed soft circles on her shaking back.
"Just hold me, Cohen," she said, between sobs.
A/N Any ideas what's going on with Summer? I guess you'll have to wait until my next update. Hahaha (sounds like evil laugh). Review, Peace.