Josh retrieved his coat in silence. He kept looking at Mari as if he had something to say but no words came.

"Stay safe," Mari said finally. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Oh," Josh said with a hint of disappointment, "you're not coming?"

A small smile crept it's way slowly onto Mari's lips. "Fine. I'll go. You don't need to beg," she teased.

"God," Josh thought to himself. "She looks gorgeous."

"Right," he said aloud softly and hurried over to the door.

Mari followed closely behind. "How far away does this guy live?"

"About ten minutes out of the city," Josh shrugged. "We can take my car."

"Alright," Mari smiled.

"It'a a pretty girl- pretty good car," Josh stammered. "I can pull it up for you if you want, or we can walk to the garage. Your choice."

Mariah blushed. "It'll be faster if we just walk together."

Josh felt around his pockets for his car keys and frowned. "You see a pair of kiss anywhere?" He asked, checking under the table. "Keys. I meant keys. Sorry, I can't speak today."

Mari blushed a deeper shade of pink and tossed him a set of keys. "You left them on the couch."

"Of course I did," Josh grumbled. "I'm a useless idiot." He opened the door and let Mari out, attempting to remain calm as her hand lightly brushed his as he locked it and handed her the house key. "Don't linger, you freak," he scolded himself internally. "What's wrong with you?!"

"This way," he muttered coarsely.

"Catherine was right. He totally likes me," Mari thought with a big smile. She asked aloud, "So, the man we're going to see is Mel's father?

"Yes."

Mari nodded slowly, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I hope Catherine's okay."

"They're probably kissing again," Josh muttered bitterly. "It's pathetic."

"Oh, come on," Mariah laughed. "They're adorable."

"I guess I have to stop comparing her to Mel," Josh sighed.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

—————

Matt and Catherine sat on the bed as tears streamed down the former's cheeks.

"Everything's going to be alright," Cath comforted, holding him tightly. "I promise."

"Has he gone?"

"Josh? I heard him leave about ten minutes ago with Mari," Catherine shrugged. "Don't worry yourself with that now, Sweetheart."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You were kind and loving," Cath smiled. "Thank you."

"You're more than I ever could have asked for," Matt said softly, hugging her tightly.

"You're perfect," Catherine said, kissing his cheek. "I don't want you to think otherwise."

"Thank you," Matt mumbled, "for everything. If I had to fall in love again, I'm glad it was with you."

"I'm glad too," Cath beamed. "I love you more than life itself."

"You are my life."

"What have you done to me, Matthew Collins?" Catherine laughed softly.

"I honestly have no idea, but it must have been something right," Matt grinned.

—————

Josh pulled over the car to the shoulder of the road and turned to face Mari abruptly. "Okay," he said sternly, "we can't keep doing this."

"Keep doing what?"

"Pretending like things are the way they were before the way they are now," Josh stammered, fidgeting with the air conditioning knob.

"I'm not sure I follow," Mari laughed.

Josh stared blankly. Had he imagined it all? Had it all been a dream? Great. Here he was making a fool of himself again. "Never mind," he said softly and went to return the ignition key.

Mari quickly put a hand on his. As if she could read his thoughts, she said, "You didn't imagine anything. I do like you, Isaac."

Josh jerkily slammed on the brakes and nearly hit his head on the dash board. "What?"

"I said that I like you."

"Like like or like?" Josh frowned.

"What?" Mari laughed "I like you the way Catherine likes Matt."

"Really?" Josh stammered in shock. "B-but why?"

Mari blushed and look away. "Because you're you."

"Yeah," Josh squeaked with wide eyes, "which should be number one reason not to like me."

"Yet, here we are," Mari smiled. "So...do you have any clues as to who was behind Mel's accident?"

Josh stared blankly, still stupefied. "Jacob will probably have some clues."

Mari laughed. "What's with the look on your face?"

"What look?"

"Catherine was right," Mari sighed, shaking her head.

"What's that mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I know that look," Josh smiled softly as he turned the wheel left.

"What look?"

"The look that you have on your face when you know something I don't know and it makes you all gloaty," Josh mumbled. "And don't put your gum in the cupholder! This thing's my pride and joy."

Mari wrinkled her nose and laughed. "Josh, it's like a hundred years old."

"So? Just because Shakespeare's old we don't chuck his stuff out or stick metaphoric gum on it! This car is like the Shakespeare of my life."

"You're a strange one, Isaac taylor."

"Yes. Now what did Cath say?"

"Nothing," Mari grinned. "I'll tell you later."

Josh tried not to glance over but found it hard not to. Disbelief still racked his mind. She couldn't. This couldn't be the same Mariah Gerry who put worms in his salad on the first day of work, the one who told Caroli-

"Crap!" Josh yelled, slamming on the brake. "I'm an idiot! A useless idiot!"

"God, why do you love those brakes so much?" Mariah complained.

Josh looked truly terrified. "I'm dead. She's gonna kill me. Matt's gonna get kicked out, or worse, discovered, and we're all gonna die."

"What's going on?" Mari asked slowly.

Josh looked her in the eyes. Those perfect, green, familiar eyes. "Oh lord. I'm a cheat now too. Not only did I forget my girlfriend, I cheated on her. How could I be so stupid? I didn't even tell her I resigned."

"Relax. I saw her making out with Uriah a couple weeks ago, and I have pictures to prove it."

Josh breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Mariah laughed. "I'm nothing, if not, a good spy."

"A spy, eh?" Josh chuckled as he checked his GPS. "And what have you spied about me then, Mariah Gerry?"

"I spy a handsome, insanely smart man."

"Wha- I-" Josh stammered, turning red, his hand flexing ever so slightly on the steering wheel as he strived to keep his eyes forward.

Mari grinned at the affect her words had on him. "Smart, handsome, kind...a bit insecure, but it only makes you more attractive."

"Stop," he mumbled, blushing heavily as he tried to tune her out. Was she trying to drive him crazy? If she was, it was working. But he wasn't going to let her know that. He'd rather die of embarrassment. It was weird hearing her say stuff like that. Mariah was his friend. Besides, none of that was true. He was the same stupid, ugly idiot he had always been. Wasn't he?

He attempted to clear his throat, but his face still felt like it was on fire.

This was one thing Mari loved, being able to make a guy blush with just a few words. Of course, she always was telling the truth when she complimented them, she would never lie. She continued, "You're shy at times, but loud at others, which is totally hot."

"I-" Josh choked out, "um-"

"Get a grip," he scolded himself inwardly. "Come on, Isaac. You're better than this. Just focus on driving."

He tugged at his collar nervously. "Is it hot in here to you?"

"Yes, but I think it's just because I'm sitting next to you," Mari teased, thoroughly enjoying his reaction.

"Stop it," Josh mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and turning up with air conditioning. The left hand corner of his lips curled up ever so slightly.

"Alright," Mariah laughed, looking down at her phone. "He totally likes me," she texted Catherine.

"I told you!" Cath texted back.

"Hey," Josh said softly, fixing his eyes ahead with a small smile. "Can you get my phone out of my inner right shirt pocket and text Matt?"

"Sure," Mari nodded. She grabbed his phone, letting her fingers linger on his chest, sending chills up his spine. "What do you want me to say?"

"That I'm stuck in my car with this insanely smart and beautiful girl, and I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown and have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing," Josh sighed, drumming his fingers on the dashboard. "And also...we need milk."

Mariah blushed. "Give me a second. I can't type that fast...Josh, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you," she hesitated. "Do you...like me?"

"Course I like you," Josh laughed. "We've been friends for a year now, haven't we?"

"Eight months," Mari said thoughtfully. Though that wasn't what she meant, she excepted this as an answer.

"If it was only a month together, I think I'd remember," Josh scoffed.

"Hm?" Mari hummed, looking up from her phone.

"If we were only together in person for a month before I left," Josh said with a little frown, "we weren't together since September and-" his eyes widened. "Gosh, we've only been friends a month."

"Two months, Josh," Mari laughed. "And you leaving didn't change the fact that we were friends. We just didn't get to see each other in person."

"Still," Josh sighed. "I think we're almost there. Let's get this over with." He looked around the road with scared, flighty eyes. Anxiety was creeping up and tightening in his chest, coiling firmly around his heart.

"Let's get what over with?"

"Losing her all over again," Josh mumbled under his breath as he pulled up the large driveway to the huge house.

Mari nodded. Her eyed widened when she saw the house. "This guy's got money," she thought. She asked aloud, "So, you and Mel dated?"

Josh shifted uncomfortably, taken a bit off guard. "It was less dating and more her taking care of me," he laughed. "Mutual concern. Friendship. We decided in the end—well, she decided—that we were better as friends, which ended with her moving halfway across France and getting married."

"I'm sure she didn't do it to hurt you," Mari said thoughtfully. "She was a really nice person. I remember that about her. We only met a couple times, but when we did, she was really sweet."

"She did it to protect me," Josh said softly as he unbuckled his seat belt. "I'd rather have died. It would have been better for all of us."

"Not me," Mari said under her breath. She got out of the car and took out her ponytail, running her fingers through her messy, blonde waves.

"Dang it," Josh muttered under his breath. "She had to do that." He cleared his throat and grabbed his computer bag from the back seat, slinging it over his shoulder. He held tightly to the strap and nervously drummed his toes against the soles of his shoes. "You first."

"Alright," Mariah smiled, quickly texting Catherine to let her know that they made it safely.