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Untitled Thing - Part 3/3
Chapter Three - Seth
He knew the first time he kissed her that it was wrong, but he did it anyway. Seth made out with his best friend's wife, then proceeded to have sex with her on the couch. And later in their guest room. And finally in their bed. Many times. For many years.
Yep, Seth knew he was scum, and knew he deserved to get caught. But after so long of not understanding, he finally got why Marissa was so irresistable to Ryan. She was so vulnerable, and could seem so innocent, so childlike and in need of salvation, in need of comfort, in need of love. And damn it, Ryan wasn't taking care of her like he should.
When he found out Marissa was pregnant, he feigned pure joy for his best friend, and clapped Ryan on the back the same as Sandy did. But inside he felt his stomach clench and took the first chance he had to ask Marissa who's baby it was. She didn't know, but said she wouldn't leave Ryan, that Ryan could never know about them. Seth had agreed, for Marissa's sake but more for Ryan's. He couldn't bring himself to even consider telling Ryan the truth, and while he hoped the baby was Ryan's, for the sake of his friend's happiness, he also secretly hoped it was his.
When Jake was born, Seth had an excuse to visit the baby. Actually, a few excuses. First, he wanted to check on Ryan, who almost never left the baby's side. Second, he was named godfather for the tiny boy. And that just made Seth feel more guilty. Ryan had been the one who wanted him to be the godfather, Ryan had chosen him for the job because they were best friends. More than that, they were brothers. And yet Seth could very well be the real father of Ryan's tiny baby son. It was all so screwed up.
It wasn't hard to figure out Jake's paternity once the kid's hair grew in. Dark and curly, just like his own, and Seth knew that everyone else must be able to see it too. His own mom shot him dirty looks sometimes, especially when he hovered around Jake too much at family dinners. She must have known, and Seth wondered if Ryan knew, too. It was hard to tell, since the other young man was always so closed off, but Seth was sure Ryan did. The friendly greetings and warm hugs tapered off, replaced by stiff nods.
But things got better as Jake got older. Ryan started talking to Seth again, and they would hang out. And Seth wondered if Ryan knew that he was still sleeping with Marissa on a regular basis. He could only assume that Ryan didn't, because why would he want to be friends if he knew?
But that pathetic hope was blown out of the water the night of the Newport Group's annual fundraiser for Cancer Research. Seth hadn't been able to resist Marissa in her slinky dress, and when she had met him outside, he had unzipped her dress so he could run his hands along her bare skin, and lifted the bottom for the rest, and he had her against the wall before he knew it. It wasn't until he walked back into the party, 2 minutes after Marissa had, that it hit him what he had just done.
The look on Ryan's face was blank, but even from across the room Seth could see the pain in Ryan's eyes. It was a betrayal he wouldn't, he couldn't, forgive Seth for. Seth looked around and spotted the cold look his own mother was giving him, and he hung his head, truly ashamed of himself for the first time in years. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ryan zipped Marissa's dress up, without anyone noticing, then went to Kristen, who put a hand on his arm and said something quite that Ryan nodded in agreement to.
Later, Seth realized how much damage he had caused when his mother stopped speaking to him. And Ryan wouldn't take his calls or return his messages. He went to Marissa and learned Ryan was barely speaking to her and sleeping in the guest room. They had never intended to destroy Ryan and Marissa's marriage, never intended to so utterly devastate Ryan, but they had done exactly that. And yet they still met up and slept together regularly.
Then he'd gotten the frantic call from Marissa that Ryan was gone and had taken the children, both of the children, and she didn't know where they were. Seth managed to track Ryan down to one of the nicer hotels in town, and confronted him in the suite Ryan and the kids were staying in. It had been a disaster of Ryan calling Seth out on every single thing he'd ever done wrong, then swearing that no one, not even Seth and Marissa, would take either of his children from him. He would make sure the press and the judge found out about every single piece of dirt he had on Marissa and Seth, and he would run them through the mud to keep and protect his children.
Seth and Marissa didn't think Ryan was capable of it, and that was their mistake. The day after their lawyer told Ryan's Lawyer that they were going to fight for custody, all the papers in Southern California had front page articles about the affair, and about Seth's former drug use, and Marissa's drug and alchohol problems. They had snapped that thin string that held Ryan back from lashing out at them, they'd destroyed what love he'd still held for them, and he was going to fight dirty. For his children, he would destroy them, and he had a lot of things he could do it with. It would be better to back off and let him take the children, but neither Seth or Marissa had ever been good at doing what was best.
The End
I do have an epilogue written (In Lily's POV) that reveals what happens with the custody fight and after, but... I kinda like ending it this way, leaving it ambiguuos... people can decide on whatever ending they prefer, be it happy, sad, or bittersweet. But if people want to read the epilogue, I'll post it... just ask...
Later!
He knew the first time he kissed her that it was wrong, but he did it anyway. Seth made out with his best friend's wife, then proceeded to have sex with her on the couch. And later in their guest room. And finally in their bed. Many times. For many years.
Yep, Seth knew he was scum, and knew he deserved to get caught. But after so long of not understanding, he finally got why Marissa was so irresistable to Ryan. She was so vulnerable, and could seem so innocent, so childlike and in need of salvation, in need of comfort, in need of love. And damn it, Ryan wasn't taking care of her like he should.
When he found out Marissa was pregnant, he feigned pure joy for his best friend, and clapped Ryan on the back the same as Sandy did. But inside he felt his stomach clench and took the first chance he had to ask Marissa who's baby it was. She didn't know, but said she wouldn't leave Ryan, that Ryan could never know about them. Seth had agreed, for Marissa's sake but more for Ryan's. He couldn't bring himself to even consider telling Ryan the truth, and while he hoped the baby was Ryan's, for the sake of his friend's happiness, he also secretly hoped it was his.
When Jake was born, Seth had an excuse to visit the baby. Actually, a few excuses. First, he wanted to check on Ryan, who almost never left the baby's side. Second, he was named godfather for the tiny boy. And that just made Seth feel more guilty. Ryan had been the one who wanted him to be the godfather, Ryan had chosen him for the job because they were best friends. More than that, they were brothers. And yet Seth could very well be the real father of Ryan's tiny baby son. It was all so screwed up.
It wasn't hard to figure out Jake's paternity once the kid's hair grew in. Dark and curly, just like his own, and Seth knew that everyone else must be able to see it too. His own mom shot him dirty looks sometimes, especially when he hovered around Jake too much at family dinners. She must have known, and Seth wondered if Ryan knew, too. It was hard to tell, since the other young man was always so closed off, but Seth was sure Ryan did. The friendly greetings and warm hugs tapered off, replaced by stiff nods.
But things got better as Jake got older. Ryan started talking to Seth again, and they would hang out. And Seth wondered if Ryan knew that he was still sleeping with Marissa on a regular basis. He could only assume that Ryan didn't, because why would he want to be friends if he knew?
But that pathetic hope was blown out of the water the night of the Newport Group's annual fundraiser for Cancer Research. Seth hadn't been able to resist Marissa in her slinky dress, and when she had met him outside, he had unzipped her dress so he could run his hands along her bare skin, and lifted the bottom for the rest, and he had her against the wall before he knew it. It wasn't until he walked back into the party, 2 minutes after Marissa had, that it hit him what he had just done.
The look on Ryan's face was blank, but even from across the room Seth could see the pain in Ryan's eyes. It was a betrayal he wouldn't, he couldn't, forgive Seth for. Seth looked around and spotted the cold look his own mother was giving him, and he hung his head, truly ashamed of himself for the first time in years. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ryan zipped Marissa's dress up, without anyone noticing, then went to Kristen, who put a hand on his arm and said something quite that Ryan nodded in agreement to.
Later, Seth realized how much damage he had caused when his mother stopped speaking to him. And Ryan wouldn't take his calls or return his messages. He went to Marissa and learned Ryan was barely speaking to her and sleeping in the guest room. They had never intended to destroy Ryan and Marissa's marriage, never intended to so utterly devastate Ryan, but they had done exactly that. And yet they still met up and slept together regularly.
Then he'd gotten the frantic call from Marissa that Ryan was gone and had taken the children, both of the children, and she didn't know where they were. Seth managed to track Ryan down to one of the nicer hotels in town, and confronted him in the suite Ryan and the kids were staying in. It had been a disaster of Ryan calling Seth out on every single thing he'd ever done wrong, then swearing that no one, not even Seth and Marissa, would take either of his children from him. He would make sure the press and the judge found out about every single piece of dirt he had on Marissa and Seth, and he would run them through the mud to keep and protect his children.
Seth and Marissa didn't think Ryan was capable of it, and that was their mistake. The day after their lawyer told Ryan's Lawyer that they were going to fight for custody, all the papers in Southern California had front page articles about the affair, and about Seth's former drug use, and Marissa's drug and alchohol problems. They had snapped that thin string that held Ryan back from lashing out at them, they'd destroyed what love he'd still held for them, and he was going to fight dirty. For his children, he would destroy them, and he had a lot of things he could do it with. It would be better to back off and let him take the children, but neither Seth or Marissa had ever been good at doing what was best.
The End
I do have an epilogue written (In Lily's POV) that reveals what happens with the custody fight and after, but... I kinda like ending it this way, leaving it ambiguuos... people can decide on whatever ending they prefer, be it happy, sad, or bittersweet. But if people want to read the epilogue, I'll post it... just ask...
Later!