Justin was staring into space, hardly believing what just happened. 

„What now…?“ He stammered, when Lance and Michael calmed down somehow. 

Lance gave him a naughty smile. 

„Nothing. You let her wait.“

Half our passed since Eve sent Justin a message. She saw, that he read it immediately and wondered why he didn’t reply. Feeling hurt and embarrassed, that Justin just ignored her confession, she started regretting that she listened to Mateo. 

„You’re so pathetic…“ She was blaming herself, while taking another big sip of wine. 

Then she suddenly heard the front door opening up. Immediately she stopped breathing. Slowly she turned her head, seeing Justin entering the room. 

„Oh.my.god. He’s home. How on earth he managed this within thirty minutes?“

Eve was staring at him as he was coming closer. She felt paralyzed, having no idea how to behave. Justin sat down next to her, noticing her glass of wine. Then their eyes met. Eve was wondering, if he could hear her heart pounding wildly against her chest. Justin’s condition was quite the same. He looked calm from outside, but his heartbeat reached a critical level. 

„Do something! You can’t just stare at him like that!“ Eve was thinking. 

She suddenly looked away and put her empty glass at the coffee table. Then she moved closer to his body, crawled into his arm and rested her head at his chest. With her arm she embraced his waist tightly. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled good. He always smelled so good. 

Justin didn’t expect her acting this way. But he liked her gesture of affection. He put his arm around her body and kissed the top of her head gently. They held each other like this for a while without saying a single word. 

„Will we talk about your text message, Eve?“ Justin asked after some time. 

Again her heart accelerated. She knew they needed to have this conversation and that she needed to be honest. 

„Okay…“ She replied.

„So, you lied…“ Justin said. 

„Yes.“ 

„Why you lied?“

„Because I’m a coward.“

Justin started smiling, thinking it was terribly cute how she explained herself. 

„What encouraged you writing me then?“ He wanted to know next. 

„Matty and the wine.“ 

„Matty?“

„Yes, I called him and asked for advice.“ 

„Why you needed advice?“

„Because I was jealous.“

„What made you jealous?“ 

„The imagination someone else having you.“ 

Justin smiled harder now and kissed her head again. 

„No one else is having me.“ 

„No one else?“ 

She noticed his heart accelerating. 

„Before I answer this, could you look at me, please?“ He asked. 

Eve raised her head slowly, being terribly excited. 

Justin cupped her face with one hand and looked deep into her eyes. 

„In case you’re still ignoring all screaming signs: I’m all yours, Eve.“

She felt like passing out any second. 

„Is this really happening???“ She was asking herself. 

Eve was breathing deep now, staring back into his eyes. Then she focused on his perfect shaped lips and was desperately longing to taste them. Slowly she was closing the gab between their faces. But before their lips met, Justin pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose instead. 

„Not like this.“ He whispered. 

Eve didn’t try to hide her frustration. 

„Why not, Justin?“ 

„Because you’re drunk.“

„Tipsy.“

Justin smiled calmly and caressed her cheek. 

„I know you well enough. You’re drunk.“

„Why does it matter?“ 

„Because when you kiss me, I want it to mean something.“ 

„It means something.“ 

Justin needed all his strength to resist. He wished for so long to feel her lips on his. But he knew this was not the right moment. 

„Look. Here’s the deal. If you still wanna kiss me tomorrow, I will let you.“

Eve’s face lightened up. 

„It’s almost midnight.“

He chuckled. She laid her head back at his chest and hugged him tight. He responded her embrace. 

„I’m relieved that we clarified things.“ She said.

„Yes. me, too…“

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. In the next moment she fell into a deep sleep. 

Eve woke up in Justin’s arm on the sofa early next morning. She glanced at the baby monitor, standing at the coffee table and noticed, that Jake was still sleeping peacefully. 

Then she looked at Justin, thinking about what happened the prior night. Suddenly she felt butterflies in her belly. Without even noticing, she was smiling all over her face. She started caressing his cheek softly to wake him up. 

Justin opened his eyes and immediately started smiling. Waking up with her in his arm made him nothing else but happy. 

„Hi.“ He said calmly, enjoying her caresses. 

He turned his head a little to kiss the palm of her hand. 

„Hi.“ She replied, smiling back. 

„Are you good?“

Eve nodded. 

„Are you regretting what happened last night?“ 

She shook her head. His smile couldn’t get any bigger.

„Good. Because, if you wanna kiss me now, I won’t stop you. 

Eve giggled. 

„I better wait for the perfect moment.“

Justin raised his eyebrows.

„And that’s not now because…?“

She bit her lower lip playfully.

„That’s not how things work, Justin. We didn’t have a single date, yet.“ 

He scoffed. 

„You wanna date me first?!“

„Absolutely.“ 

„But yesterday you didn’t care about dating.“

„And you decided missing the chance. So blame it on you.“ She teased. 

Justin suddenly turned himself and made her lie on her back. He bent his upper body above hers and cupped her face with one hand. Both were still smiling at each other from one ear to another. Then he kissed her forehead gently. 

„Fine. Let’s date.“

Jake woke up in the next moment. Justin released Eve and she hurried upstairs. He stayed at the sofa and processed the new situation. His conscience was killing him when he was thinking about Josh. But resisting Eve was no longer an option.

While taking care for Jake, Eve was also lost in thoughts. It was unbelievable what she learned about herself in the moment, when Justin told her about his date. The fear to lose him to another woman really gave her a hard time. It also scared her, that he was able making her feel this way. But on the other hand it was thrilling her badly, that all he wanted was her.

Of course she was also thinking about Josh. Although nothing happened between her and Justin yet, she felt like a ruthless cheater. Opening up for Justin meant, that she was giving up on Josh. If she was honest to herself, she was having the same doubts as everybody else for a very long time now. She read a lot about coma patients in the last couple of months and knew all facts. After her recent argument with Justin about Josh’s condition, she started making peace with the circumstance, that he would never be okay again. But for some reason, which she couldn’t explain, it still felt completely wrong to let him go. 

After feeding Jake and changing his diaper, Eve took a quick shower and dressed into some fresh comfortable clothes. Justin did the same in the meanwhile. Then he started making breakfast. Eve and Jake joint him in the kitchen few minutes later. 

„So…“ Justin started talking, while making scrambled eggs. 

Eve raised her eyebrows, looking at him.

„So, what?“ 

„You and I go out tonight.“ He announced with a big grin in his face. 

She smiled back.

„With Jake?“ 

„I love my little bro. But it’s not a date when you bring another guy.“

Eve laughed. 

„I see your point. So, what do we do with him?“

„Lance and Michael will take him.“

„Did you already ask?“ 

„Not yet. But I’m positive they will do anything what’s necessary to give us some quality time.“ 

Eve frowned. 

„What makes you sure?“

Justin gave her a smugly look.

„Let’s say, both of them play in my team.“

Eve couldn’t be more confused.

„Justin, what are you talking about?“ 

„They like the idea of you and me…“ 

„Okay… but why?“

„Because it makes sense.“