Seth came to Llanview in 2001 with Natalie Balsom. Seth knew Natalie, not Jessica, was Viki Davidson's true daughter. While Natalie pretended to be Jessica's friend, Seth pretended to be attracted to Jess and became her boyfriend. But, as he went through the motions, Seth discovered that he had true feelings for Jess. When Troy MacIver told Jess he had seen Natalie and Seth kissing, she went over to Seth's apartment to confront him. There, she discovered Nat's sweater and pictures of Seth and Natalie together. Jessica was furious and left the apartment.

Seth tried to win Jessica back but she resisted him. On New Years Eve, he vowed to win back Jessica's trust. Eventually he broke down her walls they got back together. He had to tread carefully around Viki and Ben, who were concerned that he wasn't the ideal mate for Jessica. Although Seth did his best to keep the relationship going, after Jessica learned the truth about her conception and past, they broke up. Seth has not been seen since.