A/N: Thanks for your reviews, guys! So this is the last chapter before Seth makes his grand entrance (if you call it that), so hang in there… if I get the same kind of response as I have for the other chapters then chapter 4 will be up in no time. And again, you'll have to trust me that there will be some fun S/S moments and a happy ending. Okay?

This chapter's shout outs go to: Im not home, taseynell, cl, spiffykay, could-be-summers-twin, kursk, fastforwardd and ramsychick. Thank you all for reviewing so quickly!

So here is chapter 3…

It had been a month since Summer's first date with Nick. In that one month they had (as she calculated): seven dates, fifteen coffee breaks, gone to two concerts, and three "group hangs." She had also spent three nights in Nick's dorm room. She hadn't done the deed yet, although her early morning subway trips of shame back to her apartment had left Jed more than curious.

"Summer, honey," Jed said as Summer entered the door in yesterday's clothing. She and Nick had gone to Smoke, a jazz bar not far from Nick's dorm, for the Friday night Latin Jazz session. After three hours, two sets, and a giant pitcher of sangria, Summer gave up any hope of getting onto the subway to get back home. So she curled up in Nick's twin extra long bed and went to sleep. Not, of course, without a big, sloppy, drunken makeout session.

"Nothing happened," Summer replied, heading towards her room.

"Uh huh, Summer. Then where is my bagel?"

"What?" Summer didn't get what Jed was saying half the time. Perhaps Cohen hadn't rubbed off on her as much as she thought.

"Where is my bagel? If you are coming back so early this morning in yesterday's clothing, you're either doing the walk of shame or you woke up this morning and wanted to get bagels so badly that you donned yesterday's clothing to skirt out. Although, making an early morning trip in a satin top…"

"Fine, Jed, I slept over at Nick's. Happy now?" Sometimes Jed could be too much.

"No."

"No?"

"You haven't spilled yet."

"You're going to have to get me a mimosa, then."

"How about I make you some toast and pour you a glass of orange juice." Summer huffed.

"Fine, just let me change," she said before going into her room. She put on her normal hoodie and pj pants and reentered the living room, where Jed handed her breakfast.

"So, did you…" Jed tapered off. Summer focused on her toast, taking off the crusts and biting demurely into the edge.

"Did we what?" Summer knew exactly what Jed was talking about but didn't want to indulge him so easily.

"You know… um, how do I put this gently… have sex?"

"That's blunt."

"Gentle is not my strongest quality."

"Well we didn't," Summer said, confidently. Jed just shook his head.

"Summer, Summer, Summer. Here I am, lonely without my cuddle buddy, and she's just leaving me to cuddle with another man. Why do you need a boyfriend if you have a big gay teddy bear right here who will do the same?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Are you sure, Summer? Because, this month…"

"I'm not defining my relationship."

"Okay," Jed said. He watched Summer play with her toast. "Didn't mean to get to you, Summy. Why don't we have a cuddle session." She put down her plate and followed Jed into his room.

Summer had no qualms about spending the afternoon in Jed's arms. He was patient enough to hear about all of her problems, even if he sometimes had untraditional solutions, and was always able to cheer her up. Plus, she was the only guy whom she could lay in bed with for an entire day without him trying to feel her up, or make any other sort of advance. She pictured Seth to be the same way. Sometimes, in Jed's embrace, she would pretend that Jed was Cohen, inhaling his scent, and she'd talk about Princess Sparkle in great detail. At those moments Jed would often be a bit confused and Summer would look up at the blonde haired green eyed man and realize that it wasn't Seth, letting her face drop.

"If you don't mind me asking, Summer," Jed said.

"I mind," Summer retorted, jokingly.

"You seem to like Nick a lot."

"I guess." Summer squirmed uncomfortably in Jed's embrace.

"So… why haven't you guys, um."

"Done it?"

"Yeah. We're in college, and he clearly likes you and…"

"Because I haven't."

"Ever?" Jed's eyes enlarged. "But Summer…"

"What."

"You're gorgeous, if I may say so myself. And you seem to have quite the guy following. Does this mean…"

"Yes, Jed. I'm a big tease. Prude. The "everything but" girl. Say it. It's not like I haven't heard it already," Summer replied, getting upset.

"No, no, no, Summer," he said, holding her closer. "I don't mean it in a bad way… but, why?"

"I don't know. I just always think about Cohen and…"

"I hate to shatter your dreams, Summer, but from what you told me, Seth has been dating this Anna girl for over four years. Don't you think they've…"

"I know, I just sometimes think that holding out will give me that extra shot…" Summer tapered off, trying to collect her thoughts. "You know what? You're right. I'm a lost cause and Seth probably thinks I've done it anyways. I think I'll call Nick right now." Summer started easing out of Jed's bed.

"Summer?"

"What."

"It's 8 in the morning." She let out a "humph" and went back into bed with Jed.

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"Mmmm, Nick," Summer murmured as he kissed her neck. He started planting kisses down her chest getting closer and closer to her breasts. Summer shifted a bit uncomfortably under him. The dorm room bed was not, perhaps, the most comfortable thing to be making out on, especially considering that it was lofted over his dresser and Summer constantly feared that she would fall a good four feet with any sudden movement.

The two continued to kiss, fondle, remove various pieces of clothing… Summer abruptly stopped.

"What's up?" Nick asked, lifting himself off of Summer. He was wearing nothing but boxers and Summer stared at his toned abs.

"Are we going to… um…"

"Have sex?" Nick asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to?" Summer paused for a moment. Was this what she wanted? She liked Nick a great deal but was she ready to give it up for him? Would this end any chance she had of being with Cohen? Summer pushed the thoughts aside. Cohen was a lost cause – she lost her chance years ago. It was time to move on.

"Yes, yes I do," Summer said, as she straddled Nick and kissed him hard.

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On the subway ride home Summer could not stop thinking about her actions earlier in the evening. Sex was nothing like what she had envisioned. She thought that it would bring them closer, that Nick would be gentle, that their bodies would meld into one. Instead, the more experienced Nick was rough and basically ignored her during the act, flopping on top of her as soon as he was finished. Maybe she should have told him that she was a virgin. Summer shuddered. She felt dirty. She wanted to go home and shower and wash away the night. Summer got off at 14th Street and walked back to her apartment, letting tears run down her face.

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Is it over between Nick & Summer? What has Seth been up to all this time? Review because Seth comes into the picture in the next chapter.