Seth sat on the edge of his sailboat boat, staring out across the water. The ocean breeze was blowing through his hair and making it more messed up than it was to begin with. He needed a shower. He looked at his watch, 8:30 pm. He had half an hour to check into his hotel or he’d be sleeping on shore again. And he didn’t like the sound of another sleepless night.

The boat was tied to a mooring in a small dock in Ventura. His Tahiti It had been a week sinse he left Newport, and he’d thought of nothing sinse. The whole point of him leaving for a while was to take a break, clear his head but he just kept remembering how he left things with the people he loves and hated himself for causing them so much pain.

He kept going over and over in his mind what he’d written in the letters to Summer and his parents, cursing himself for the way they must have sounded. There was so much he wanted to say to them, stuff that couldn’t be communicated through writing. He wanted them to understand, why he had to get away, but it must have seemed to them like he was running away.

All the stuff he needed to say could only be said face to face, but he hadn’t wanted to see anyone when he left. Sure, he’d said superficial goodbyes, but that wasn’t enough. He wanted to turn around and sail straight back down the coast but his stupid pride wouldn’t let him. That, and the fear that they wouldn’t want him back.

Ok, that was a lie. He knew his parents would welcome him back with open arms. They’d be mad he left, sure, but they’d welcome him back. Ryan was in Chino with Theresa, it would be weird without him there, and it wouldn’t feel like home. But he’d welcome him back too. You know, if he was there. But Summer… How could he expect a gorgeous girl like her to take him back after he just took off? It just wouldn’t happen. He still found it hard to believe that their relationship happened; it just felt like a dream.

Seth sighed and stood up, stepping off the wooden deck onto dry land. It was quarter to 9, and the hotel took about that time to get to. He slung his back over his shoulder and checked the rope was secure again and began to stroll up the quayside. He could hear the gentle waves lap up against the larger boats docked along side his, and could see the moonlight glinting off the water.

‘This. This is why I left’ he thought. It was so peaceful, he felt relaxed. ‘I know it was right for me to leave, they’ll get over it.’

Seth was fooling himself, he knew if he ever went back he’d have to sell his soul for Summer to forgive him. He knew her, he knew what he must be doing to her. She acts tough, like nothing can touch her, but inside she’s not like that at all. She’d let him get close to her, closer than any other guy, and he’d left her.

‘Way to go Seth’ he muttered to himself and turned left onto the sidewalk to begin the walk to The Harbourside hotel in which he hoped he could get a decent night’s sleep.

10 minutes later, he walked through the double glass doors into the entrance. The only other person around was a middle-aged man at the front desk who was leaning back in his office chair reading a book. He looked up when Seth walked through the door and smiled.

“Just in time” he said. “You’re lucky, I was just about to go to bed.” Seth smiled back but didn’t really know what to say. His mind was still back in Newport. “How can I help?”

“Er, a single room please, just for the night.”

The man nodded. “Sure, that’ll be $32 dollars.” Seth handed him his credit card and he handed him back a key. “Sign here please, I’ll go and get my daughter to show you where everything is.”

The man, who he identified as ‘Mr. Richard Murphy’ from the name plaque on the desk, disappeared through a door behind the desk.

Seth signed the form in front of him and put down the pen, he leant on the desk waiting.

“Natalie, you’re needed” he heard him call, then footsteps thudding down a stair case.

“Come on Dad, can’t you do it? I’m waiting for a phone call.”

“It’s won’t take a minute.”

There was a pause and Seth imagined the girl sighing and shooting her father an irritated look. God knows, he’d done that enough when his parents asked him to do something he didn’t want to do.

The handle on the door opened and she came out, looking quite annoyed. Her expression changed instantly when she saw Seth standing there. She smiled at him and he flashed her a shy grin.

“Hi, I’m Natalie.”

“Seth” he said simply. He didn’t meant to be rude, he just wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

The girl was about his age, with shoulder length blonde hair. She was wearing an old pair of jeans and a cropped green top. “I’ll show you to you’re room.”

Seth nodded and followed her silently up the stairs. The fatigue had suddenly hit him, all he wanted to do was go to sleep. Sailing a boat was exhausted work, but he hadn’t noticed how tired he had got.

They stopped outside a door on the first floor, marked ‘17’. Seth unlocked the door and stepped inside. Natalie followed him.

“There are fresh towels in the bathroom, and shampoo and soap. Kettle’s over there with tea and coffee… I don’t think there’s anything else. Breakfast is at 9, I’ll see you then.”

She smiled at him again and he smiled back. She seemed very chatty and easy going, and the way she did everything made him think she was flirting with him, but she seemed like the sort of girl who would flirt with anyone, in an innocent sort of way.

He mumbled goodnight and she left, closing the door behind her. He flung his bag down in the corner and kicked off his shoes, collapsing on the bed. He felt like he should get up and have a shower and a shave but his limbs were heavy and he couldn’t find the energy to get up. He figured no one would be seeing him before tomorrow morning so he just closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, not even bothering to change.

Seth knew his dreams would consist of the same things they had done for a week, but somehow that didn’t seem as bad in a warm, comfy bed. He was back in Newport Beach with his friends and parents. But most of all Summer. In his semi-conscious state he sadly realised that things would never be like that again with her. But he still had his dreams, where they were still together and nothing could keep them apart.

* * *

“Coop, it’s 8 in the morning. On a Saturday. What the hell are you doing?”

Marissa shrugged. “I’m taking you out for breakfast.”

Summer blinked. “What?” She sighed at her best friend’s impossibly chirpy mood and stepped aside to let her through the front door. She was dressed I her pink fluffy dressing gown and her hair was a mess. Her eyes were only half open and she still felt half asleep. “Can’t we just stay here for breakfast? We’ve got bagels.”

“Not a chance, you’ve hardly left the house sinse Seth left.”

Summer groaned. Not that name. She never wanted to hear that name again right now. Seth Cohen had hurt her, not that she’d admit that to anyone but herself. She didn’t know what she’d do if she saw him right now, but she imagined it would involve the inflicting of pain somehow and a lot of yelling.

Marissa breezed past her and up the stairs to Summer’s room. Summer shut the door and grudgingly followed. “Fine, but there better be coffee.”

Marissa sat down on the bed and Summer sent to the wardrobe to try and find something to wear. “What’s put you in such a good mood anyway?” she asked, discarding several skirts to the floor. “I thought with Ryan gone you’d be walking around like… well, me.”

Marissa looked down at the floor. “Yeah well…” She trailed off, not knowing what to say. “I guess I was just trying to forget everything.”

Summer turned around and saw Marissa’s expression change to sadness. “God, Marissa. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kill your buzz.”

Marissa forced a smile. “Never mind, I think I would have driven everyone crazy anyway.”

Summer pulled on a pair of jeans and started her search for a top. She found a yellow t-shirt and decided it would do. She then started fixing her hair in the mirror. “So, have you heard from either of the boys?”

Dammit. Could she get more obvious? She could have just said ‘have you heard from Ryan?’ but nooooo… Why would Marissa have heard from Seth? Not that she cared. She was over Cohen. Ok, not ‘over’ exactly, but she was definitely too mad to want to talk to him. But that didn’t stop her checking her cell phone every 10 minutes sinse he left.

Whatever. She stopped that mental rambling, going down hat train of thought again wasn’t the most productive way to spend her time.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom” she told her friend, who was reading on of Summer’s magazines she’d left on the floor. “Give me 10 minutes.”