„Matty, please. This is not helping.“ Eve said. 

„What about these guys?! You forgot them as well?!“

„No, I didn’t. I just forgot about the events of the past few years.“ Josh explained. 

Mateo was in deep shock. He looked at Eve, slowly realizing how awful the situation must be for her.

„Jesus Christ… I need to sit…“ He said and let himself fall at a chair next to Josh’s bed. 

Lance and Michael watched the scene.

„Matty is Eve’s partner. They do business together.“ Lance said to Josh. 

„First of all I’m her best friend.“ Mateo corrected him. 

„That’s Lucy.“ Michael teased. 

Mateo gave him a warning look. 

„What kind of business?“ Josh asked, looking at Mateo and then at Eve.

„We are interior designers.“ Eve answered. 

Suddenly the door got open again. Justin showed up with three coffees and a paper bag from a bakery in his hands.

„Looks like you’re having a party, bro.“ He joked, coming closer. 

Eve’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at Justin, but he didn’t look back. Instead he put the coffee and the paper bag aside and bent down to Jake, who was sitting in his baby seat. Jake immediately started giggling and raised his little arms. Justin smiled back and took him out of his seat. Then he kissed his head gently. 

„How do you feel today?“ Justin asked Josh.

„I have a headache. But the MRT was fine.“ 

„I’m happy to hear that.“

The atmosphere was suddenly tensed. Lance, Michael and Mateo thought the same, wondering how Eve and Justin would deal with the new circumstances. 

„Someone needs a fresh diaper.“ Justin noticed. 

Eve looked at him again, but Justin continued ignoring her. He grabbed Jake’s diaper bag and disappeared with him in the bathroom. 

Josh was a little confused, seeing his best friend taking care for his son. He knew that Justin was loving kids. But still it made no sense why he was changing his diaper instead of letting Eve doing it. 

„You and I need to have a serious conversation.“ Justin said to Jake, while dressing him off. „I wished things were different. I really wished they were. But I need to tell you, that I won’t be around for a while. It’s not like I don’t love you anymore. Please don’t think that. But your daddy finally woke up. It’s a miracle, you know? I’m convinced he will be the best dad you could ever imagine. That’s why it’s time for me to step back, okay? But I promise to visit you. We can still hang out once in while…“

Jake was smiling happily at him, making funny noises. Justin finished changing his diaper and kissed his little head again. 

„I’ll be there for you anytime you need me. I really love you, little bro. But your dad and your mom are your family. You belong to them.“ 

Justin’s eyes were swimming. He lifted Jake up and hugged him tightly for a moment.  

When Justin left the bathroom, he noticed that Eric just arrived. He was sitting at the edge of Josh’s bed, listening to the latest news. Of course he was shocked learning about Josh’s loss of memories. But his joy about his sudden recovery was much bigger. 

„Listen. Justin took care for your clients in the past months. Nobody knows what happened to you. We didn’t share the news with the public world.“

Josh looked at Justin, who was still holding Jake.

„You’ve been ghostwriting for me?“ 

Justin nodded. 

„Nobody noticed so far, so I guess I wasn’t that bad.“

„That’s awesome. Thank you, man.“ 

Justin cracked a smile.

„Anytime.“ 

Then he put Jake back into his baby-seat. 

„Hey ehm, I’m sorry that I can’t stay, but I have to take care for few things.“ He said, looking at Josh. 

„Ya, sure. Don’t worry.“ Josh replied. 

Eve was looking at Justin, but he continued ignoring her presence. Then he turned around and left the situation. Eve felt terribly hurt, trying hard to hide her disappointment.

Lance, Michael and Eric left after a while as well, to give Josh some time to rest. 

Before Mateo left, he asked Eve to come with him outside to talk to her privately. As Jake fell asleep in his baby-seat, she let him with Josh in his room and followed Mateo into the hallway. 

„Darling. Tell me how you manage pulling yourself together, because this is just another nightmare.“ He said concerned. 

Eve was fighting against her tears. 

„Are you talking about Josh’s amnesia or the fact that Justin acts like I stopped existing?“ She stammered. 

Then she lost the fight and started crying. Mateo pulled her into his arms and hugged her close.

„God almighty… why are you punishing that girl so much?“ He whispered. 

When Eve pulled herself together somehow, she informed Mateo about what happened the night before Josh’s doctor called and all the things which happened right after. 

„Oh Eve… but… honestly? I can’t blame Justin. He just tries doing the right thing, because he knows you and Josh belong together. Mateo said. 

„But it hurts. I lived with him. I fell in love with him. I really believed we would continue doing life together. And now it’s suddenly over…“ 

In the afternoon Josh’s parents and siblings arrived. They couldn’t be more happy about seeing Josh being awake again. Countless happy tears have been cried. Later that day Lucy and Joey arrived. Josh didn’t remember Lucy and was very surprised, that one of his best friends got engaged in the meanwhile. Finally Chris and Karly showed up, also being completely out of mind about Josh’s unexpected recovery. All of them spend the rest of the day in the hospital with Josh. 

Lucy noticed that Eve was tensed. But she didn’t get a chance talking to her in private. 

In the evening Monica showed up, asking everybody to go home. Josh was brutally exhausted and needed some rest urgently. 

„What about you and me having dinner tonight?“ Lucy asked Eve, before leaving. 

„Ehm, ya. Let’s do this. I’m gonna ask Justin, if he can watch Jake.“ Eve replied, forcing a smile. 

„Good. Just give me a call when you’re ready, okay? I’ll pick you up.“ 

Eve nodded and hugged her friend close.

When everybody was gone, Eve decided to leave as well, as Josh looked very tired. 

„I let you catch some sleep now.“ She said calmly. 

„Thank you. It was a long day.“

„If you need anything please just let me know.“ She said, pointing at his phone. 

„Ehm ya, sure.“

„Good night, Josh.“ 

„Good night, Eve.“ 

When Eve left Josh’s room with Jake, she suddenly remembered that her car wasn’t there, as she came with Justin in the morning. She wondered why he didn’t show up again at some point to meet Josh’s family and the other guys. 

As she reached the lobby, she let herself fall at a sofa and called an Uber. While she was waiting, Josh’s doctor crossed her way, just finishing his work for today. 

„Mrs. Chasez.“ He said, to catch her attention. 

Then he came closer and stopped standing in front of her. 

„What can I do for you, doctor?“ She said with cynical tone. 

She was mad at him and didn’t try to cover it up. It her opinion he completely failed as a doctor. Of course he noticed her anger. Then he sat down next to her at the sofa. 

„I’m just a human being, Mrs. Chasez. I do mistakes.“ He said calmly. 

Eve scoffed. 

„He would be dead. If I listened to your nonsense, my husband would be dead. You completely misjudged the whole situation. There is no apology for this.“ She hissed.

Eve needed someone to blame for her heartache and it was very easy blaming the doctor. He told her there was no chance for Josh to wake up. Because of him she lost hope at some point and gave up on him. Things with Justin would never have happened, if he didn’t convince her that Josh wouldn’t come back.

„Please listen to me, Eve. The chances for your husband to wake up were lower than winning in the lottery. I really mean it when I say, that this is a miracle.“ He tried to explain. 

„Are you finished justifying your incompetence?“ She replied arrogantly. 

The doctor sighed. Then he stood up, still looking at her. 

„If you wish, I’ll give your husband’s case to another doctor.“ He suggested. 

„Oh. Just give it to the cleaning lady. It can’t get any worse.“ 

The doctor heard enough. He turned around and left the situation.

When Eve arrived home, she noticed Justin’s car wasn’t there. She wondered where he was the whole day.

After bringing Jake into bed, she saw the door to Justin’s bedroom being wide open. She went to the door, switched the light on and glanced inside. Something seemed to be different but she didn’t know exactly what it was. Slowly she went in. Justin was always very tidy, but the room looked like no one was living here. Finally she entered the bathroom. As she noticed, that all of Justin’s toiletries were gone, her heart suddenly dropped. Hectically she returned into the bedroom and opened his closet. It was empty as well. 

„No… please no… what did you do…?“

Again she started crying. She was terribly hurt and angry at the same time. How he dared moving out without telling her? How could he be so cold?

With shaky hands she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dialed Justin’s number. But he didn’t pick up. She hung up and threw her phone across the room, before breaking down mentally. 

One hour later Eve’s phone rang. She was lying at Justin’s bedroom floor, just staring into space. She didn’t react. Few minutes later it rang again. And then again. 

Another half hour passed by. Then the doorbell rang. Eve was still absentminded, not reacting. The doorbell rang again two times before she heard someone entering the house.

„Eve??? Where are you???“ She heard Lucy’s voice yelling. 

„She must be upstairs.“ A deep male voice was saying. „Where the fuck is Justin?“ 

Eve heard steps coming closer. In the next moment Lucy and Lance entered the guest room. 

„Oh my god!!! What happened to you???“ Lucy said nervously and knelt down in front of her best friend.

„I’m sorry.“ Eve whispered. „I forgot about our dinner.“ 

Lance was also shocked seeing her like this. 

„You scared the shit out of us! Why you didn’t answer your phone?“ He asked. 

„I’m sorry…“ 

„Eve, what is wrong with you? Please talk to me!“ Lucy begged. 

„Justin moved out. He just left, like nothing meant anything…“ She whispered. 

Lucy frowned and looked at Lance. 

„What the hell did I miss???“ She wanted to know. 

Lance bit his lips, not knowing how to reply. 

„Explain to me!“ 

„They… she… she fell in love with Justin…“ Lance stammered. „But I had no idea it was that bad…“ 

Lucy eyes and mouth gone open wide. 

„You must be kidding me…“