Sorry for the delay on this chapter. My computer has a virus and i am actually about to run a system recovery so all of my information will get erased. I have been spending this time backing up what i can, namely this story. This has happened before.

xoxo Jules

Lemme kno what you think!

Chapter 29: "Too Late"

Summers POV: "Too bad he never told her"

"What's up with Ryan?" Alex asked me as I rested beside her against her pillow. Thankfully her cast was due to come off in a matter of weeks, a fact for which she was more than grateful.

"I donno, I think that something must have happened with Marissa. Jimmy was over here earlier and I overheard him telling Kirsten how she was going to a rehab center for the two weeks before school."

I felt so bad. Marissa and I were friends. Since we left the Hartford House I was there for her and she was there for me. I just hope that now, when things get settled that is, our lives don't head in two different directions.

"Oh Harbor." Alex muttered.

"What about it?" I asked nervous at the prospect of going to a normal school.

"Nothing, you'll see." Alex smirked

"Whadda ya mean?" I asked again

"All that I mean is this year at least we all have each other."

Alex glanced out of the window where moving trucks were pulling up to the house right next to the Coopers.

"What's going on over there?" She asked me

"It looks like someones moving in." I said in a no duh tone.

"Weird, that house has been empty for years." She stated simply

"Why?"

"Well apparently there is some conspiracy theory cause like 10 families ago this plastic surgeon died when he slipped down the steps after catching his wife with the gardener. Apparently every woman that has moved in since has had some "horrific", botched plastic surgery experience." Alex said with a chuckle at the end. "Maybe this one will just stick to botox."

I grinned at her. I had been keeping Alex company like this talking about nonsense everyday since she broke her leg.

Right then there was a knock on the outside of Alex's bedroom door. Alex and I both gave each other questioning glances. We hadn't expected anyone seeing how Sandy and Kirsten were both at work and Seth, Ryan, and Luke had headed to the beach.

"Come in." Alex groaned.

The door creaked open and in stepped a man that I didn't recognize. He was tall tan and built. He had curly golden locks that hung around his face and a killer white smile.

I couldn't read the expression on Alex's face when the guy entered the room.

"Um, can I help you?" I stuttered looking between the guy and Alex wondering what the hell was going on.

"I donno." The guy slurred out as I felt him eye me up and down. "Can you?" He finished.

"Wh- what are you doing here?" Alex asked staring holes into the boy.

"Well nice of you to ask. I just moved back to Newport, two doors down actually." He shot her a toothy smile.

"Well nice of you to stop by." Alex said flashing a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah." He gave a mischievous grin. "Nice to see you again." He gave Alex a little wink as he turned to leave. "See you at school."

As soon as he was gone Alex let out the breath that she had been holding in ever since he entered the room.

"Who was that?" I turned and asked Alex utterly confused.

"That was him…" Alex half answered.

And then it all came flooding back to me. Him… Gabe…

"I was never able to bring myself to break up with Gabe which I regret, but luckily for me he moved with his family. In my mind I know without a doubt that if he had stayed the same thing would have happened all over again.

People say that the past is the greatest indicator of future behavior, especially when the person doesn't learn their lesson. I let Gabe get what he wanted up to the farewell fuck and a couple on visits after that. And then as quick as night turns to day he was gone for good and I was left to pick up the pieces alone…well there was Luke."

I remember the story loud and clear. He had taken control of her long ago, … I wonder if he still has that hold.

"Gabe…" I said showing Alex that I understood. She stared absently out the window as her eyes brimmed with tears.Suddenly her head snapped toward me.

"You can't tell Luke!" She said, her voice anxious

"What? Alex, Luke should know, maybe he could help!" I weakly attempted to convince her

"No, he would just worry!" Alex said firmly

"What if they run into each other at school?"

"Harbor's a big place, they will probably never see each other and if they do I'll figure it out then." Alex said shaking her head adamantly "You've got to tell me, promise me, that you will not say anything!"

I sighed. I didn't think that she was in any position to battle.

"Alright, I promise." I gave her a weak smile, well what I thought was a weak smile until I saw the weaker one that Alex returned.

"Thanks."

And then again her eyes drifted out of the window.

Marissas POV: "She deserved much better"

"Marissa… Marissa… MARISSA!"

My head snapped to attention as I heard somebody call my name. I don't know how long I was spaced out but I bet it was a considerable amount of time considering that there was a doctor standing inches from my face shining a flash light in my eyes. I could feel my pupils shrink as I sunk back into reality. Startled I felt my body hit my chair like those dreams where you are falling and then finally hit the bed.

I bit my lip nervously when I saw the look she was giving me. Dr. Carroll had been personally assigned to me when I was checked in. She was required to stay with me at all times, monitor me while I ate, etcetera. There is also a nurse that comes in during the night to watch me while I sleep. Something about seizures and night terrors and stuff that people always go through during withdraw.

"Oh… sorry…" I stuttered looking down at my hands

"What were you thinking about?" Dr Carroll asked me.

Honestly I didn't know, it was like my head had floated off into space or something.

"I wasn't thinking about anything." I said as I briefly met her eyes letting her know that I was serious.

She nodded at me smiling.

"So," She said as she pulled out her clipboard. "Let's get down to business then!"

I gave her a nervous smile as I stared again at my hands and shifted nervously in the white scrubs that they had given me to wear.

"How long have you been using?"

Hum… How do you answer that question? I was always around it.

"Marissa." Dr. Carroll again said snapping me out of my reverie.

"Um…" I began biting my lips "My mom used stuff when she was pregnant with me so I don't… well I guess that I don't really know what counts or whatever…" I confessed.

She nodded and wrote something down. I always hated that, how they critique you.

"Do you know what she used?" Dr. Carroll again made eye contact with me.

"Um, I don't really know, I think just mostly pot, maybe a little bit of coke. The hard stuff really started after I was born." I chewed even harder at my lip.

"So what is your drug of choice?"

My head snapped up. Nobody had ever asked me my drug of choice before…

"Um… I donno… coke I guess…" I subconsciously scratched my nose.

"Did you use things other than that?"

"I would probably smoke more than anything." I confessed again

"Cigarettes?" Dr. Carroll asked me.

"Pot." I said without thinking. "I smoked pot, cigarettes too… I tried 'shrooms, I messed with acid for a minute, I popped some E, … I used smack a time or two but I'm not the biggest fan of needles and it reminds me of my mother. I did coke a lot." I had never been so honest about the things that I had done. It was just so easy to downplay it all, excuse it as nothing.

"And this is all … recent?" Dr. Carroll looked surprised.

"Yeah, pretty much…"

I was waiting for her to say that there was something wrong with me. Tell me that I was going to have to be a permanent inpatient or that there was no hope for me. I was waiting for her to tell me something, anything… but all that she did was take another note.

"How do you feel about your father?" She asked seeming out of nowhere.

Jimmy, that was a weird topic, our relationship wasn't exactly normal.

"He's alright." I said simply

"Just alright?"

"I don't know, I mean he's pretty cool I guess. I don't know him too well but everyone who does seems to think that he's alright." I smiled a little bit at the thought of Jimmy. He seemed to be a great guy but it was like somewhere deep inside I had this irrational fear that he will leave me. Maybe one day he'll just decide that I'm too much to deal with, or I'm a bad influence on his other kids and just toss me to the side.

She nodded and smiled at me again. I just sat on the hospital bed with my legs crossed staring out the window. I had a great view of the ocean. The sun sparkled off of it as the boats headed out to sea.

"He's a good guy… I want to get better."

It seems like the words floated from nowhere, but maybe it was time to let go of all of this. There was no use to holding on to this pain in a life that knows nothing about the old one. I used to dream that I would be able to get out of all of this but I never really actually thought that I would. Now that I am away from all of that insanity I have to start over… Now it's just a matter of figuring out how.

Setting the stage for the future chapters.

What will happen when Luke finds out that Gabe is back?

Where is Marissa the first day of school?

Will Seth and Summr become official!

Will Ryan finally get to talk to Marissa?

KEEP READING! (and reviews are stellar please)