Chapter 27: And Now It Feels For You Only
A/N: I know some of you thought this would never come. Believe me, so did I. I last posted on October 23, 2005. Since then, my life went to shit and back again. The person I had a crush on – the person I started writing this story for – my boss, my best friend, my confidante – had me fired. I slipped into deep depression, faced unemployment, and was in a daze for about a year and a half. During that year and a half, I didn't even know it, but I was falling in love with someone else. I moved halfway across the country to be with her, I'm in a Master's program, finally, and I have a job I love. I had some inspiration this weekend (not finishing this story has always bothered me), and I decided to pound some out. I hope it meets with your approval.
Please keep in mind only seasons 1 and 2 had occurred at this point in the story, though it is set in the future.
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Ryan growled when, for the fourth time in twenty minutes, he saw Seth's name appear on the LCD screen of his cell phone. "Seth, I swear to God..." he began as he answered.
"I know, I'm sorry. I just forgot to tell you to be sure to tell Mom and Dad not to stare when I bring her over, she always knows when someone is staring."
"You didn't forget. You've told me three times already."
"I did?" Seth sounded genuinely surprised. Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Yes. You also reminded me that Nana likes red wine and not white; not to mention that you want Summer to move in with us; not to tell Anna you and Summer slept together; and to help keep Kirsten and Nana in separate rooms at all times. Is there anything I've forgotten? Anything else you want to tell me for a third, or even fourth time?"
"No," Seth answered meekly.
"Good, because I'm almost there," Ryan said as he rounded the corner on the end of Sophie's block.
"Me, too," Seth replied, panting.
"What are you doing?" Ryan asked, bemused.
"Climbing stairs."
"I thought Summer's building had an elevator."
"It does. But I wouldn't get cell phone connection in the elevator."
Ryan rolled his eyes again. "I'll see you soon."
"10-4, good buddy," Seth said cheerfully before Ryan ended the call.
Seth knocked on the door to the apartment and whistled when Anna opened the door. The silk number someone might have mistakenly marketed as a dress clung sensuously to her lithe body.
"Anna, you look...smokin'." He elbowed her in the ribs as he brushed past. Summer stood at the entrance to the living room, her hip cocked and arms akimbo. Seth blushed and ducked his head as he babbled, "Of course you look smokin', too, Summer." Both girls rolled their eyes.
Seth helped them into their coats, and escorted them into the elevator and downstairs. As they spilled out on to the sidewalk, Anna made a conscious effort to walk two or three steps behind the couple, to try to observe, unfettered, their behavior towards one another.
She was disappointed that they both remained quiet for most of the journey, which granted, was only five blocks, but she didn't want to interrupt or call attention to herself, so she didn't attempt conversation, either.
As they halted for traffic at the last crosswalk, Summer subconsciously laced her arm through Seth's, a move that did not escape Anna's attention.
After several long moments of silence, Summer lifted her face skyward; Seth also looked up.
"Now," she whispered, a second before downy snow began to fall around them.
"How do you do that?" he asked, almost incredulously. "How do you know things you can't see?"
Summer shrugged, a little embarrassed. "It's like, because I can't see, everything else kicks in. I hear better, and smell better. It's funny, the things that I never paid attention to before just stand out now. Like ambient noise becomes important and I just notice things."
"Okay, but how did you know it was going to snow?"
"Well, I knew when we walked outside because of the moisture in the air, and then a breeze swept over us and I just knew."
"That's amazing," Seth marveled, and looked to Anna for confirmation. Anna nodded her agreement as the little white man on the crosswalk lit up. They walked the rest of the way to Sophie's apartment with Seth bouncing on the balls of his feet, full of nervous energy. Somehow, Anna ended up in front of Seth and Summer as they approached the front door of the brownstone, and she lifted her fist to knock with a little uncertainty.
"Hey!" Sandy crowed when the door swung open. "Come in, come in!"
"Thank you, Mr. Cohen," Anna answered politely.
"Oh, it's Sandy, call me Sandy," he chided her gently.
"Sandy," she blushed as she repeated his name.
As Sandy helped Anna remove her coat, Seth did the same for Summer.
"Listen, how many kids with ADD does it take to change a lightbulb?" Sandy asked to break the ice.
"How many?" Summer replied boldly.
If Sandy was surprised, he didn't show it. "Hey, you wanna go ride bikes?" he rejoined, eyes twinkling.
Seth rolled his eyes when the girls laughed, then he lagged behind to talk with his father. "Don't stare at her, Dad."
"Was I staring?"
"Well, no. But just, don't."
"Ryan already told us," Sandy whispered, just before they entered the living room. Then, more loudly, "I'm making meatloaf enchiladas, they're almost ready." He rubbed his hands together proudly.
Anna wrinkled her nose. "Meatloaf enchiladas?" she asked dubiously.
"Hey," Seth warned with mock seriousness, "Don't knock them until you try them." He turned back towards his father. "What's for dessert, Daddy?"
"Ryan is making tapioca pudding," Sandy's formidable eyebrows rose as he pushed his son toward the kitchen. "Go help him."
Seth's protest was lost as Sandy put one arm over the shoulder of each girl, and accompanied them into the living room. "Anna, Summer... would you like to sit down?"
Kirsten rose from her, setting down the book she had been reading. "Summer, sweetheart." She enveloped Summer in a warm hug, whispering her ear how beautiful she looked. Kirsten drew back, then reached for Anna. "Anna, you look lovely, too."
"Thank you, Mrs. Cohen," Anna replied, flushing under Kirsten's scrutiny.
"Have you seen Mom?" Sandy asked his wife, loosing his tie.
"I think I saw her go into the kitchen with the boys. I've been hiding behind my book," Kirsten chuckled.
"Ahhh," Sandy wandered off in search of Sophie.
Kirsten sat down and patted the sofa next to her. "Come, sit down."
Daintily, Summer settled herself next to Kirsten; Anna felt clumsy as she stumbled as she moved to sit on Summer's opposite side.
They sat in awkward silence for almost a minute. Finally, Summer's long-dormant sense of graciousness rose to the surface.
"Kirsten, how have you been?" she asked quietly, almost sheepishly.
Kirsten smiled enigmatically, revealing nothing. "We've been fine. Nothing new in Newport – same old backstabbers and bitches."
Of course, Sophie chose that moment to poke her head in, and overheard her daughter-in-law's remark.
"Oy, you talk like that in front of the children? Summer, when you're done, come and help me, bubbala." Her springy curls disappeared again, and Kirsten rolled her eyes.
"Pardon me, I'll be in the ladies' room," she rose from her seat, taking her book with her.
Ryan wandered into the living room, still drying his hands on a paper towel. "She's in top form," he commented ruefully. As if on cue, an indignant shriek erupted from the kitchen, and Seth came racing out as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. He sped past Ryan, through the living room, and into the back hallway.
Ryan rolled his eyes and sat down in an armchair across from Anna.
"My day off shouldn't feel like I'm teaching kindergarten," he muttered.
From the bowels of the apartment, they heard Seth's whine,
"But Mom, I have to go!"
A wry smile twisted Summer's lips, and Anna chuckled outright.
"He's doing that for your benefit," Ryan commented, raising an eyebrow. "Mr. Comedy."
"SUMMER! COME CHECK OUT WHAT I FOUND!"
Summer rolled her eyes, and to Anna's shock, instead of turning to her for help, rose and began to feel her way through the empty living room and towards the hall. Anna watched in amazement as she found the mouth of the hallway and began to move through it, against the wall.
Ryan noted her expression and grunted, "doesn't do that much?"
"Never," Anna noted, crestfallen. "She..."
"She clings?" he supplied.
Anna noted, mute.
"Has he talked to you about wanting Summer to move in with us?"
Anna cleared her throat, delicately. "She did."
"She's for it?" Ryan asked, surprised. "I thought Seth was trying to take everyone hostage on this."
"I think he must have been, at first. Summer didn't even want him over for the weeks when I was gone..."
"Strange," Ryan murmured.
"Then something happened...she's different," Anna continued, a hint of sadness coating each word. "It's like I came back to an alternate universe."
"What do you think would happen if she moved in with us?"
"It's either going to work out great..." Anna began, wistfully.
"Or they're going to drive each other crazy," Ryan finished.
"I honestly don't even know what to think anymore," Anna confessed, her head dropping into her hands.
"That makes two of us."
In the bedroom, Seth gently pulled Summer down to sit next to him on the bed.
"I was in Greenwich yesterday and look what I found!" He placed his prize in her hands and waited patiently for her to unwrap the plastic and discard it.
"What is it?" she asked curiously, feeling the slick cover and raised dots.
"Read it!" Seth's excitement was palpable; next to her, he vibrated with energy.
"The Amazing Spiderman, Volume Six Hundred Seventeen," Summer read laboriously, unable to believe her own ears, her own fingertips.
Seth was practically floating.
"You found comic books in Braille?"
"I know! It's like kismet, Summer. Kismet."
"It's like, geeky as hell, Cohen. What makes you think I want comic books in Braille?" she snarked.
"Oh, don't lie. The literary 'genius' of Salinger and Flaubert barely hold a candle to Stan Lee."
"Oooh, Cohen, you're like...Prince of the Dorks."
"You may call me Lord Sauron," Seth announced imperiously, pretending to buff his nails, then dropping his hands when he remembered she couldn't see him.
Summer turned a laughing face to him, tossing the comic book to the bedspread. "Oh, Cohen...I much preferred Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Rowr."
Seth took her mouth in a passionate kiss, stopping only long enough to murmur, "You're unbelievably sexy when you speak Tolkien."
Their tongues tangled sensuously, Seth's fingers threading through her chestnut curls.
"Say something else," he entreated breathlessly.
Summer grinned, "Meriadoc Brandybuck," she whispered. They giggled before kissing again, their momentary joy transcendent.
From the doorway, Anna stood in absolute shock. She'd opened the doorexpecting to find the two arguing, per usual, and instead, they were seconds away from ripping one another's clothes off.
"What the fuck?" she demanded imperiously.
Startled, Summer and Seth abruptly parted, panting.
"Anna, it's not what it looks like," Seth began.
Anna laughed mirthlessly, the sound cruel in the dim, cool room.
"Is that what this is all about? Sex?"
"No, Anna...I didn't...I mean, we didn't..."
"Yes, you did," Anna refuted, incredulous. "You did, and you will, and fuck what I think about it."
"No, I meant..." Summer tried again, frustrated as hell she couldn't see her beloved friend's face. "I tried to tell you, but..."
"Oh, go to hell!" Anna cried, slamming the open door against the wall. She turned and hustled down the hall, grabbing her coat from the coat rack, ignoring Sandy and Sophie standing in the kitchen doorway, looking utterly perplexed.
"Anna," Summer followed her, carefully maneuvering along the wall. She heard the front door slam, and she didn't bother with her coat or hat, she followed Anna outside, closing the door behind her.
"Anna!" she called. To her relief, her friend had not gotten far.
"What?!" Anna spat, whirling around from where she was standing on the sidewalk, trying to hail a cab.
"Why are you so angry?" Summer demanded. "You wanted this!"
"I didn't think it was going to happen so soon!"
"You knew I was still in love with Seth! You knew he would try to get in my pants! He's Seth! Are you really trying to tell me that you're surprised?"
"I don't know what I am, Summer," Anna yelled back, choking up. "I have to go," she blurted before turning on her heel and running away.
"Anna!" Summer cried helplessly.
The front door cracked open, and Ryan stood in the doorway. Sighing, he pulled Summer back inside, wrapping her in a hug as she shivered in the circle of his arms.
"What did she think was going to happen?" Summer muttered, her teeth chattering.
"I don't know," Ryan murmured against her sleek raven locks. "She didn't tell me."
TO BE CONTINUED... (Very soon, I promise, I already have it written). :P