The doctor deeply sighed. Then he went to Josh’s patient’s room. As he opened the door, he witnessed Jen hugging Josh close. In the next second she raised herself, looking at the doctor. The doctor stared at her surprised. Josh rolled his eyes, knowing he was getting another lecture, as soon as Jen would be gone. 

„Good morning.“ The doctor said. 

Jen smiled friendly.

„Good morning. You’re surely picking Jay up for physio, right?“ 

The doctor didn’t reply. 

Jen looked at Josh and gave him a loving smile.

„It was good to see you, Jay.“ 

Josh just nodded, smiling back. Jen left the room in the next moment. The doctor watched her leaving. Then he crossed his arms, giving Josh a dismissive look.

„I didn’t ask her to come.“ Josh defended himself. 

„I understand now what you meant when you said, your wife couldn’t be more different.“ 

„You think I’m an asshole, right?“ Josh replied. 

„Are you?“ The doctor talked back. 

Josh sighed. 

„I don’t know… maybe I am…“

„Sarah, can I ask for a favor? Can you take care for Jake? I need a minute.“ Eve said, as she arrived at the office.

„Of course. Are you okay?“ Sarah asked concerned. 

„No, I’m not okay.“

Sarah never saw this resigned expression in Eve’s face.

„Did something happened to JC?“ 

„Jen is back.“ Eve answered. 

„What did you say?“ 

„She came to see Josh and I believe he couldn’t be more happy about it…“ 

Sarah turned upset, feeling deeply sorry for Eve.

„If you want me to go there and punch her stupid face, be sure I will.“ 

Eve forced a smile.

„Unfortunately this won’t change the fact, that he wants her, not me.“ 

Sarah didn’t know how to reply. Eve left the stroller standing next to her desk and walked into her office. She closed the door and stared at Mateo, who just finished a phone call.“

„What happened, Eve?“ He asked irritated. 

„I’m done, Matty. And I don’t want you to try convincing me from the opposite…“

It was late afternoon. Josh just finished his last treatment of the day. 

„Your muscles recover very fast, Mr. Chasez. You can be proud how well you’re doing by now.“ The therapist said. 

„Can I try going on my own to my room?“ He asked. 

„Absolutely. If you feel ready, please do so.“ 

Josh managed walking the whole way. The therapist escorted him with his wheelchair, in case he needed some support in between. 

Mateo was sitting at the chair next to Josh’s bed, waiting for him to come back from therapy. When the door got open, Mateo’s pulse accelerated. 

„Hi.“ Josh said surprised. „I didn’t expect any visitors this afternoon.“ 

„Believe me, when I’m finished with you, you’ll wish I never came.“ Mateo replied. 

Josh didn’t know how to react. His therapist gave Mateo an irritated look. Then he parked the wheelchair and disappeared. Josh sat down at his bed. 

„Is this because of what happened this morning?“ Josh asked carefully, not wanting to upset Mateo more than he already was.

„No. I came here to tell you a story.“ 

„Which story?“

„The story about Eve.“ 

„I’m listening.“ Josh said, feeling excited about what would come next. 

„Do you know why she’s in California, JC?“ Mateo asked. 

„I don’t.“ Josh replied. 

„Then you don’t know about Tom…“

„Who is Tom?“ 

„Tom was her husband until a tragic car accident took him away from her. His neck got fractured. There was no chance for him…“ 

Josh stared at Mateo with his eyes open wide.

„Dear lord… are you serious…?“ He stammered. 

„She lost everything after his accident. She lost her whole life. It took her years to recover from that giant trauma. When she finally started feeling better, Lucy encouraged her coming to California.“ 

„When exactly did I meet her?“ Josh wanted to know.

„It was 1st January 2022 at Pablo’s. You and your ex broke up few weeks earlier.“ 

„At Pablo’s…“ Josh repeated, getting lost in thoughts. 

He tried to remember something, but without any success. 

„When you started dating, she didn’t know who you were, because you looked weird with your messy style…“ 

„Messy style?“ 

„Just saying.“ Mateo replied, shrugging his shoulders. „Anyway, she fell for you like crazy and you did as well. You’ve been absolutely perfect for each other. Believe me when I say, that she even loved you more than she loved Tom.“

„When did I propose?“ Josh wanted to know next.

„It happened exactly after six months. You asked Pablo to close the bar for the night. She didn’t have a clue what would happen. Then you sang the song you wrote for her…“

„I wrote a song?“

„Yes, that’s what you do, right? Shouldn’t be a surprise at this point.“

Josh ignored Mateo’s cynical comment and waited for him to continue. 

„Before you got engaged she told you, that she didn’t want kids. This hit you hard, but still you proposed, making peace with the fact never becoming a dad. But then she changed her mind and let her birth control implant getting removed. Things happened incredibly fast. You made her pregnant before she had the chance telling you about her decision.“ 

„So, Justin was right. It was me who wanted a baby…“ 

„Yes.“

„Talking about Justin… I have the feeling there is something between him and Eve… I saw the article in the L.A. Sun…“ Josh said next. 

Mateo shook his head. 

„The paparazzo caught them the day Jake was born and when your accident happened. They just met for lunch, JC.“

Josh remembered reading the chat between Eve and himself, as she was talking about having lunch with Justin and asking him to join them. 

„So, you’re saying, there was never something between Eve and Justin?“

Mateo looked at him for a moment, asking himself if he should tell Josh about Cuba or not. 

„Mateo. The way you look at me tells me, that there was something.“ Josh added.

„Yes, there was something. Justin kissed her once. It didn’t mean anything to Eve. But they made the mistake hiding things. The truth came out at some point. You’ve been terribly disappointed. But your love was strong enough to survive that drama.“ 

Josh was processing hard. 

„Why he kissed her?“ 

Mateo sighed.

„Because he loves her.“ 

„He loves her?!“

„Yes…“

„My best friend loves my wife?!“

„Yes…“ 

„This is completely insane!“

„It is what it is.“

„And what about her?! Does she have feelings for him?!“

Again Mateo looked at Josh, thinking about what to say next. 

„Eve didn’t have any kind of feelings for Justin.“

„This sounds like she changed her mind at some point…“

Mateo inhaled and exhaled deeply. 

„After your accident Eve was completely devastated. She was very close losing her mind. It was impossible for us dealing with her emotions. For some reason Justin was the only one who was able bringing her under control.“

„What does that mean?“

„He took care for her and Jake. Honestly, nobody believed he could be that selfless and caring like this. What he did for your wife and your kid in the last months was unbelievable.“

Josh scoffed. 

„Are you saying, that he tried to replace me, while I was lying in coma?!“ 

„No, it wasn’t like that, JC! Don’t you dare believing he tried to take her away from you! This was the last thing he was having on his mind!“ Mateo said angrily. 

Josh was surprised about Mateo’s outburst.

„But you said he loves her!“

„But all she wanted was you. He always knew that he didn’t have a chance.“

„Okay. What else happened?“ Josh asked impatiently. 

„Your doctor happened. After four weeks he asked Eve to think about stopping life support measures.“ 

„After four weeks?!“ 

„Yes. After four weeks. Your chances waking up were already pretty low. Still, Eve didn’t stop believing that you would come back to her. But further months passed by and the pressure letting you go became bigger and bigger. Everybody lost hope at some point. Your family, your friends, absolutely everybody. But Eve didn’t listen…“ 

„She really saved my life…“

„Yes, she did. But…“

„But what?“

„There was a moment when she started to realize she would never talk to you again.“ 

„You mean, she gave up on me, as well?“

„I mean she stopped ignoring statistics and scientific facts. But letting you go was never an option. She loved you too much for going that step.“ 

„I wished I knew this things before, Mateo. I feel like an giant asshole now.“

Mateo looked at him for another moment. 

„Let me say it again: No one believed, you would wake up, JC. Absolutely no one.“

„Okay, I understand. But what are you trying to say with this?“ 

„At some point, Justin made the decision to make Eve fall for him.“

Josh’s heart skipped a beat.

„I knew it!!!“

„JC, listen to me. After all this months Eve and Justin became very close. He was like a dad for Jake and like a partner to Eve, even if things were completely platonic.“ 

„Let me guess: Out of the blue things weren’t platonic anymore!“ 

„He never slept with her…“

„But…?!“

„She fell for him…“

Josh scoffed once again, not knowing what to think and what to feel anymore.

„The situation was completely surreal, JC.“ Mateo continued talking. „As Eve started opening up to Justin, you suddenly woke up!“ 

„This must be a joke!“

„This is not a joke! It was like you knew, that there was something going on and decided to make them stop before it was too late…“