Hey. I didnt hear from many people about the last chapter which was a surprise considering how it ended and all, really tho i want to know what you think. There may be about a week or so until the next episode seeing how i am working straight through the next two weeks coaching a camp. Anyhow PLEASE review.

xoxo Jules

Chapter 27: "Carry on"

Summers POV: "But no respect for herself"

Ever since Seth asked to talk to me before dinner I've been filled with this like totally irrational nervousness. I mean, I know it's nothing bad, really I do. I just can't help but wonder what if he's like "you're the worst person I know and I was playing you" or something. See, I told you, irrational. Right?

Lightning cracked again from outside my window. I couldn't sleep. I hated thunderstorms. They brought back so many memories. So many times that I just wish I could forget. But it seems though, with every crack of lightning and crash of thunder it all comes back to me.

I couldn't take it anymore. I thought about going into Alex's room, but she was so hopped up from the medications that they gave her since she broke her leg, and Ryan's all the way in the pool house which I would never walk to in the rain. That only left Seth.

I tip toed down the hallway. Why? I don't really know. When I got to his door I knocked softly. There was no answer. I knocked again, calling his name softly this time. Still nothing. I then tried the knob surprised to find that it was open. I stepped inside. Seth was sitting in bed awake holding some plastic horse.

"Hey sleepy head." He greeted me

"Hey." I said loosing my guts and wondering why I had even come in the first place.

"What's up?" He asked crossing his legs. I see only glimpses of him when the lightning struck.

"Nothing. I was just looking for the bathroom." I lied lamely

"That's not true. You knocked on the door as you called my name!" He said. I could tell by his voice that he was grinning.

"Oh well yeah. I really don't know why I'm here, so I am just going to go to my room now." I was so glad that it was dark so that he didn't see my face turn bright red.

I pivoted on my foot in the doorway when he called me.

"Hey, you can come in if you want. We can chat for awhile or something."

I didn't want to seem like I was leaping at his offer so I acted as though I contemplated it for a moment.

"Sure, why not." I entered his room, closing the door behind me.

I took a seat beside him against his head board.

"It's the first night that we've all slept alone since we got here." He said. I knew that that I wasn't the only one who was feeling it.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird." I involuntarily jumped when there was a loud crash of lightning.

Seth looked at me with a concerned expression.

"You alright?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just hate storms." I pulled my knees to my chest.

Seth nodded.

"Is there any particular reason?" He asked looking over at me.

I tried not to drudge it up, but again memories came flooding through my mind. I don't know what possessed me to speak, but I did.

"It was storming like this the night that they took me away from my mom." I told him. "I was eleven, and she and I had just moved back to Chicago from Phoenix. We just got a new apartment a couple of weeks before. I guess people in the new place saw people coming in and out of the apartment a lot and got suspicious. They started asking questions. Looking at my mom there was no secret what she did for a living. So I guess a neighbor called the police one night."

Seths voice broke in.

"You don't have to keep on going if you don't want to." He assured me

"No, it's fine." I swore.

Maybe for the first time it was fine. I'm not the same girl anymore.

"The police came, my mom was in the living room with a John. There was smack on the kitchen counters and coke on the table. She was fucking him on the couch when they knocked. She like a high, drunken, fool answered the door ass naked leaving everything out. They tried to come in, my mom wouldn't let them. I guess the neighbors had told them that I was a woman and her daughter because I later learned that they were looking for me too. I was back in the room with a friend of my moms… I didn't want to be… he was ontop of me…"

My voice quivered…

"… inside of me. I couldn't stop crying, I was telling him that it hurt too bad. My mom had made me turn for three guys the night before and my body just couldn't handle anymore… I was so young… but he didn't care… the police pushed past my mother and her John ran… They opened the door to the room where I was, he hadn't even bothered to lock it… They grabbed him from on top of me and cuffed him. It all seemed like it was happening so fast."

I held back tears. Thinking about this all almost made me feel like a scared eleven year old girl again.

"Everything after that was a blur. Someone came in and wrapped me in a blanket. Sirens and police radios flooded together with the thunder. I got picked up and put into an ambulance. By that point I had passed out. When I woke up it was white, everything around me. I was in the hospital."

"I'm sorry Summer." Seth said genuinely.

"Don't be." I forced a small laugh.

"Was that when you went to Hartford House?"

"No. I was placed in foster care first. The family was really nice. They had two older daughters. They had wanted to adopt me, but my mom wouldn't give away her rights to me. Eventually the man, Rick, got a job transfer and they couldn't move me to another state. That's when they placed me with my second family. I guess they knew my situation so I guess the father knew how vulnerable I was. For two years until I was thirteen I think, he would come into my room every night. I was scared, but it was something to hold onto. And he was so nice to me… Then one night his wife caught us. She told me that I was a slut and a whore just like my mother. I believed it. That was when I was sent to Hartford House."

My eyes had just adjusted to the light. I could feel Seth's eyes burning into my own.

"You're an awesome girl Summer. People are pervs and jerks but it's really not your fault."

Few people had tried to tell me that over the years, but the ones that did I never really believed. With Seth for some reason it's different. He doesn't only say the words, but he acts like he really believes them.

"Really." He said

I just nodded with a small smile. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"Let's get some shuteye."

We laid back on the bed and he wrapped his arm around me. Such scrawny arms devoid of muscle, had never made me feel so protected.

Ryans POV: "She finds love in all the wrong places"

I woke up to the sound of construction going on in front of the house. Some things never change. Yawning I stretched. The sun was so bright out, especially after the night before. The night before. Marissa. Marissa?

I turned over to realize that I was in bed alone. Last night had been so perfect, like everything that had been building up since we ran was finally released. The world and all of it's problems came to a screeching halt. None of it mattered any longer. It was just us.

Then my mind began to race. When did she leave? Why did she leave? Did she regret this or even worse think that I took advantage of her? Maybe she just left because she didn't want Jimmy to wake up and find her gone. If she went home maybe I could catch her.

I quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a white tank top and headed out the door. The hot pavement burnt my bare feet, but I didn't care. I had to make sure that everything was okay. The last thing that I want her to believe is that it's all about sex. I'm not that guy.

I knocked on Jimmy's door. I had to wait a few minutes before Jimmy finally opened it. He was on the phone.

"One second Dr. Lewis, I know-"

I guess the person on the other line said something because Jimmy's face turned to a scowl.

"Today at three? PM? Isn't that a little soon?"

He waved me into the house.

"Okay, I'll see you then." He hung up and the turned to me. "Hey Ryan, what's up?"

I shifted from foot to foot. The house other than Jimmy seemed empty.

"I was wondering if Marissa was around?" I asked hopefully.

"Actually she Rhett, Caitlin, and Sophie went shopping for back to school clothes. They shouldn't be back for awhile considering that Caitlin has my credit card and is hell bent on not only dressing herself but Marissa as well." Jimmy smiled a weak smile. I could tell that he was thinking about something.

"Alright, I'll try back later." I said about to turn

"We have someone coming over around three actually to work out some stuff with Marissa."

"We'll I'll try to make it before. It'll be quick." I added

Jimmy just smiled and nodded again.

"See you Ryan."

"Thanks."

I remember what Marissa had told me about Jimmy wanting to put her in a detox program before we were to start school. Maybe this was just a meeting, but if it wasn't, if they are going to take her away today I need to talk to her. She needs to know that I care about her. A lot.

After I finish my placement test I will talk to her. It will be alright. It has to be.

It wasn't a hit and run.

What do you guys think?

btw: I will probably be releasing a Marissa Volchuk story sometime soon. I know that he "killed her" or whatever, but they are both extremely dynamic characters that i would like to experiment with. When i type i never have anything planned it just comes out, so we'll see how that one goes.

Please review! Thanks much!

xoxo Jules