Her Authority

nineteen

*TW: SH*
Seth and Marina arrived in Iowa. It took everything in Marina to be mad at Seth. She couldn't accept the fact that whatever the two of them had, was just an affair. It felt as if the two were perfect for each other. It felt like Marina had filled that empty void. She looked at him as they drove to his house. How could someone who treated her so well do something like this? She looked at the hand that he placed on her thigh. She questioned if what she was about to do was wrong.

"Mav," Seth said as he continued to watch the road, "is everything okay?"

"Couldn't be better," she lied.

Seth took a deep breath in and let it out. Marina watched as they pulled into his driveway. Once Seth turned the car off, Marina hopped out of the passenger seat. Seth got out of the car and walked inside, Marina followed. Kevin, Seth's dog, jumped up on Marina as she walked in. Seth put his keys on a hook and rushed upstairs. Marina pulled out her phone and started texting her sister.

3:27 pm// Maverick: you're in Davenport, right?

3:27 pm// Willow: yes, Ricky, I don't understand why you're so damn worried.

3:28 pm// Maverick: but you were allowed to be worried when Ben was cheating on you.

3:29 pm// Willow: whatever, bitch.

Marina chuckled and shook her head as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She slipped her phone into her back pocket. Seth sighed and looked at her. She smiled and picked up Kevin. The garage door opened to Marina and Seth's surprise. Marina pivoted her body towards Seth as he turned to her. Their eyes met and in that moment, it was over. She put Kevin down. Seth watched the door open and Leighla walk through. She dropped her bag and walked up to him. They kissed. Marina couldn't move.

"Babe," Leighla said as she hugged him, "I wasn't expecting you home so early."

She still hadn't seen Marina. Seth looked at Leighla with the happiest smile Marina had ever seen him wear. Damn, did it hurt to see him feel that way about another girl. He loved her so much and his face showed it. The fight that Marina wanted to have with them subsided in her. It wasn't worth telling her the truth. Leighla finally saw Marina and her face lit up.

"Maverick!" She walked over and gave her a huge hug, "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Marina said as she tried so hard not to break down, "you look so beautiful."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh," Marina gulped, "I-I um..."

She looked at Seth who had a pleading look on his face. She wanted to tell Leighla the truth. It burned her inside. Leighla didn't deserve to be lied to. Marina looked at Leighla's ring finger. An engagement ring.

"I, uh," Marina felt tears starting to form, "I showed Colby my hometown last week," she looked down, sniffling, "so this week he wanted to show me his."

"Oh," Leighla was surprised, but welcoming, "I wish I would've known. I could've planned around it."

"Oh my god," Marina shook her head, "don't even worry about it," she waved off the woman in front of her, "I will get out of your way and we can do this some other time."

Marina hugged Leighla before leaving through the garage. She didn't expect to be followed by Seth, but there he was. His hand latched itself around her elbow as he caught up to her and she spun around in his driveway. Her face scrunched up as she looked at his chest. It pained her to even attempt looking at his eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek as he reached for her face.

"No," she pulled away, "she deserves your attention."

"Maverick-"

"Colby," she looked off to the side, "you asked her to marry you. I can't ruin that for her."

"You won't," he promised, more as a favor to himself than her.

Marina shook her head while smiling, "why?"

"I don't know," his tone was genuine as he stepped away from her, "I wanted more and when I had it, I didn't know what to do and now," he gestured to their current situation, "I'm fucked."

"I won't tell her," she looked at him briefly before looking back at the ground, "that's something you can choose to do," her eyes teared up yet again, "I'm going home."

He grabbed her shoulder, "please don't. We can't end like this."

"This isn't how we end, Colby," she finally looked him in the eyes.