Disclaimer: I feel like this part is probably no longer needed in this story because you should know by now that I'm not Josh Schwartz and that I don't have any affiliation with "The OC."

A/N: My actual note is at the end of this chapter. I don't want to keep you guys in suspense too long with an opening note so – yeah… here's the awaited chapter!

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"Hi, Cohen."

Seth stood there agape, the bag of chips still in his hand, not knowing if he was experiencing a mirage or a miracle.

"Cohen?" Summer stepped forward, more confidence coming to her voice. "Are you okay?"

Summer reached up to touch his face but he pulled away, jolting himself from his daze. "What're you doing here?"

"School starts Monday," Summer smiled and answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Seth shook his head. "No, I know that. What are you doing here?"

"Oh," Summer nodded faintly, realizing he wasn't going to make this easy on her. "I came to see you. I've missed you."

"Ah -" Seth started but was cut off by the short, bubbly blonde who – out of the blue – appeared behind Seth and put her hand on his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

In translation to Summer, that short, bubbly blonde bitch just put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. Or soon-to-be-boyfriend's shoulder. Or ex-boyfriend. Or on-a-break boyfriend. Hell, Summer didn't even know what Seth was at this point because he wasn't reacting very well to her surprise appearance.

"What's going on out here?" the girl asked.

Seth turned towards her, putting his hand on her arm to stop her from coming any further out the door. "I'm just talking with a friend for a minute. I'll be right back in." From the looks Summer was shooting, a rage blackout could appear any minute and he didn't want his new friend to be the target.

The girl didn't take notice of Seth's warning eyes and decided to introduce herself to Summer. "Hi, I'm Lisa. I work with Seth at the comic book and video game store down the street." Lisa extended her hand to shake Summer's but Summer ignored it, instead turning her gaze back over to Seth.

"You're working at a comic book and video game store?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Ryan told me you came here early to try getting an internship before all the other college students came back into town."

Seth nodded. "I did."

"Then why the hell are you working at a comic book and video game store?" Summer shouted. The girl retreated back into the apartment, noticing it probably wasn't the best time to ask questions or pose introductions.

"Because I couldn't find one that would let me start immediately and I needed some way to pay for this apartment seeing as I was down a roommate!" Seth bellowed back.

Summer winced inwardly. That was definitely a jab on her part since she was the reason he was down that much needed roommate.

"I'm sorry," Summer backed down, lowering her voice.

"Yeah," Seth snorted. "About what exactly?"

"Everything."

"Well, as much as that narrows it down, Summer, you're gonna have to specify a bit more," Seth replied bitingly.

"Cohen, I really am sorry. I didn't know what -"

Just then two guys appeared behind Summer, interrupting her. Both were about Seth's height, the second one maybe an inch shorter, wearing screened tees and their hair falling in front of their faces. Each were carrying six-packs of beer and strolling up the walkway towards Seth's apartment.

The first, taller one was the interrupter, "Got the good beer, Cali-boy!" He held up the beer to showcase it.

The second, shorter one was beaming as well, holding his two six-packs and noticed Summer's appearance. "Who's this one? She new?"

The guy looked her up and down and then winked at her. Summer shot him a look of disgust, "Ew, who are you?"

"I think I asked the question first, honey," the guy slid up next to her, slinking his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, Nick, back off," Seth warned him.

"Whoa," Nick held his hands, still holding the beer, up in defense, "Didn't know she was taken."

"She's not," Seth told him coldly, not making eye contact with Summer.

"I'm not?" Summer asked incredulously.

"No," Seth's eyes reached Summer's stunned gaze. "No, you're not."

"Cool, Sour Cream and Onion chips!" The taller guy, who was oblivious to the icy situation, walked past Summer and up onto the steps, taking a handful of chips from Seth's bag and then just taking the entire bag altogether.

"Dude, Gabe, you need to learn some manners!" Nick followed the taller guy, Gabe, past Seth and into the apartment.

Summer, who had yet to break eye contact with Seth, did so when she heard other female voices. She looked over Seth's shoulder and saw two more girls, in addition to Lisa, running up to Nick and Gabe. They each grabbed a bottle of beer and found places on Seth's couch.

"What is this? Like, a comic-con orgy?" Summer asked angrily.

"No, it's the world premiere of all of the Batman movies in high definition, with no commercials and never before seen footage on cable TV."

Summer laughed sardonically, "Doesn't sound too different to me!"

"Why does it matter what I do, Summer? You broke up with me!"

"Dude, you were dating her?" Nick's voice boomed, causing both Seth and Summer's heads to turn towards him. "Way to go, Cali-boy – she's fucking hott. Hotter than Jennifer Garner in 'Elecktra.' And dude, she was hott." Nick slapped Gabe's arm for emphasis.

"Ow, man," Gabe rubbed his arm lightly but nodded in response. "But yeah, Jennifer Garner's definitely a ten."

"Thanks," Summer replied, smiling towards them and then returning her gaze to Seth. "Listen, I really want to talk to you."

"So now you want to talk?" Seth scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest in an over-exaggerated manner. "It's been two months! Two months of me trying to get in touch with you in any way possible. Trying to get you to just give me three seconds to talk to you!"

"Seth…" Summer pleaded, "Please."

"Only if you'll tell me the real reason why you left. And don't give me any of that 'You weren't happy' crap," Seth held up his hands to demonstrate air-quotes, "Cause I'm not buying it."

"I thought you needed someone else. I thought you wanted someone else."

"Summer," Seth half-sighed and half-grunted. "If I wanted someone else I would have been with someone else."

"I know -"

Seth wouldn't let her finish. "It wasn't for you to decide. It was my choice. And my choice had always been you. Not anyone else."

"I didn't want you to be miserable with me."

"Fucking Christ, Summer!" Seth yelled. "I have never been miserable with you! I wanted to marry you! How do you not understand that?"

"Marriage, man?" Nick asked loudly, interrupting Seth and Summer's conversation again. "Dude, aren't you only twenty? It's a little early."

Seth turned towards Nick, "Exactly! That's how much I loved her!" Seth turned back to Summer, seeing tears in her eyes, "That's how much I loved you!"

Summer winced slightly. Loved. Past tense. That certainly stung.

"I didn't know that!" Summer shouted through her tears. "I didn't know!"

Seth shook his head and closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking back at Summer, uttering quietly, "How?"

"How what?" Summer sniffed.

"How did you not know how much I loved you?" Seth questioned her, keeping his voice quiet. "How did you not know that all I ever did was for you and for the future I was planning on having with you?"

"I…" Summer stuttered, "I… I did. I do. I love you." With that, Summer flung herself at Seth, colliding her lips with his and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Seth didn't react back to her kiss and instead pushed her shoulders away.

"Stop it, Summer. You can't solve every issue with sex."

"You think that's what I want?" Summer asked in disbelief. "You think that's the only reason why I'm here?"

"Well, isn't it? And isn't it also because you don't want to be seen as the 'bad guy;' the one who everybody hates? You just don't want anyone to hate you, Summer. I think that's why you're here. Not because you're sorry or because you love me, but because you don't want to walk around this Earth thinking that someone hates you. But don't worry, Summer. I don't hate you. So you can just go back to Brown and find another guy to worship you so you can step all over his heart," Seth told her truthfully as he attempted to shut the door in her face, his words spitting bitingly from his mouth.

Summer reached her arms out immediately, pushing the door completely open once again. "Seth! That's not it at all! How could you even think that? I'm in love you!"

"You broke up with me, Summer! You don't just pack up and move out on someone you're in love with!" Seth snapped back.

Summer sighed, closing her eyes briefly to gather herself before she launched into extreme pleading mode – a mode she wasn't completely familiar with when it came to Seth Cohen. "Even though it's really fucking hard to break up and lose someone you had such a close physical connection with – amazing sex included," Summer whispered, " – it's even fucking harder to lose your best friend. Cohen, you're my best friend. I can't lose that. And I don't want to. I'm not being stupid anymore. I love you and I really, really do not want you to date that stupid whore," Summer finished, pointing to the girl in Seth's apartment, who looked on and then, noticing Summer's finger aiming towards her, turned, striking up random conversation with her two friends seated on the other side of her.

"She's not a whore, Summer."

Summer grunted and crossed her arms. "She sure looks it."

"Stop it. You have no right to just come barging in here telling me who I can and can't hang out with."

"I didn't barge in here," Summer mocked Seth, "I knocked. You answered. Simple as that."

"Simple as that? Are you crazy? Why do you insist on jerking me around like this?" Seth yelled.

Summer sighed and her voice got quieter, "Cohen, I love you. Please don't make this whole making up thing harder than it has to be."

This time it was Seth's turn to grunt, "Who said we were making up?"

Summer stood there stunned, looking sadly to the ground, realization flooding her mind. "You don't love me anymore."

"I never sa - " Seth began, his fury falling away at a rapid pace when he saw Summer's ache in her eyes, when she abruptly looked up at him, trying to shield the sadness from her face.

"No. You know what? It's okay. I deserve this. This is what I get for listening to Bethany."

"Bethany? What's this got to do with Bethany?"

Summer ignored his questioning and continued, "And then there were girls. Lots of them. And you were drinking and we were arguing and you said all those beyond cheesy things to me that night and I just talked myself into thinking you intended them for someone else and I - oh God," Summer's hand flew to cover her mouth. "Oh God."

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Seth said earnestly as he looked at Summer's face for clairvoyance.

"No, it's okay. It doesn't matter. I'm just," Summer stuttered looking between Seth and the people in the apartment, who were staying glued to the events unfolding at the front door rather than the excitement flooding through the TV, "I'm just… I'm going to go. Umm… have a good year and… you know… good luck," Summer backed down the walkway as she casually waved and continued talking sadly. "Umm… maybe I'll see you in Newport for Christmas… or whatever. Yeah, so… bye, Seth." With that, Summer turned, facing her back towards Seth and walked quickly down the street towards the bus stop she had noticed earlier. Summer stood at the bus stop, searching frantically through her over-sized purse for her cell phone. Through her clouded vision, caused by the tears that would not cease to fall, she found it and quickly flipped it open, finding a missed call and voicemail from Lana. Summer held the phone up to her ear as she tried to listen to Lana's message, though her hiccupping sobs made it difficult. She could only make out that Lana was checking to see if she landed and to wish her luck with the "Seth situation." She snapped her phone shut, sitting down on the bench, waiting for the bus to come. Rain was beginning to sprinkle from the sky and Summer shuddered as the small droplets hit her exposed skin.

Damn Rhode Island and its four-seasoned weather.

Damn Seth for choosing to head East to attend college.

Damn her for following him.

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A/N: A little more dragging out never hurt anyone. ;)

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