Safe With You || Seth Cohen

||22||

I walked along with Seth and Ryan to the Mermaid Inn. Apparently Ryan left his watch in Theresa's room. It had been a week since Theresa left. Mine and Ryan's birthday cake and went. We were both now 17. We'd had a small party at the Cohen's with thankfully no drama.

"So when did you take your watch off, exactly? During the deed or.."

"Seth, gross!" I told him. I really didn't want to hear or even picture Ryan and Theresa together.

"Yeah, you wanna wait in the car? Because I can totally pick this up myself." Ryan told him.

"No, it's cool, I got more questions. I don't understand did you take it off during foreplay-"

"No, no seriously you can stay in the car, turn the radio on, leave the windows up."

"Cause I like to leave the watch on-" Seth stopped himself as he realized who he was talking to.

"Maybe you don't want to continue that sentence." Ryan told him and Seth nodded quickly. I mentally facepalmed at the fact that Seth basically revealed that he and I have slept together.

The three of us were silent as we walked up to the front desk. "Excuse me hi. I'm the guy that called about the watch that was left here."

"Yeah, room 204, right? Such a nice girl was staying there, beautiful too. Your girlfriend?" The man asked.

"No, she's not." Ryan said quickly. The man looked at me then. "Oh, I see you've already moved on."

"Okay, gross. He's my brother. Do you have the watch or not?" I asked the man.

He looked embarrassed as he held it out to Ryan. Ryan grabbed it and we left then.

"Ugh! So gross!" I complained as we reached the parking lot.

"You okay?" Seth asked Ryan. "I'm fine man, I mean Theresa's back with Eddie where she should be, right?"

"Yes absolutely. Listen man, this is a good time for you okay. Ryan Atwood, this is clean slate Ryan. Finally you have no women to protect from violent goateed factory workers or pill popping depressive maniacs." Seth told him.

"I guess you're right. I really do have a clean slate."

"You do! I mean, Seth is right, since we got here you've been involved in drama. I mean, Oliver, Luke, Eddie.."

"I'm getting exhausted just hearing about it." Seth stated. "I am kinda tired." Ryan replied.

"You should be but you're gonna get a break because you deseve it. I think I'm gonna declare this month...angst free Ryan month." Seth stated.

"A month? You thinks it's gonna last all month?" Ryan asked in disbelief. "Definitely not." I told him.

"Angst free Ryan week then."

"Hm, okay, thanks bud." Ryan said with a smile.

"Hey, what's Luke doing here? Did you tell him about your watch?" Seth said, pointing to where Luke was standing outside of a room.

"No, why would I?"

Julie walked out then and kissed Luke. I knew it. I'd seen that odd encounter between them at the party. Ryan, Seth and I hid beside the car as Luke headed past us.

"It didn't even last the night."

~~~~

I sat with Ryan and Seth in the poolhouse the next morning.

"I knew something was weird with them at the party." I told Ryan.

"It's so cheap and tawdry to have an affair at a motel.." Seth said.