Josh stood up and nervously paced the room.

"You're barely keeping yourself together, are you?" Jacob chuckled.

Josh was bright red with embarrassment. "I don't know what you mean."

"It's been a long time since I've seen something like that. You can't even sit next to her."

"It's nothing."

"Your hands are shaking," Jacob smirked with a nod.

Josh quickly hid his hands in his pockets and walked unsteadily over the other side of the room. "That's Mel, isn't it?" He laughed sadly. "When she was younger?"

Mari entered the room silently.

"Yes, it is. She was about fourteen there," Jacob replied with a sad smile.

"She looks the same to me, always has," Josh said softly. "There's the same kindness in her eyes, just like yours. She could have lived to be a hundred and would have been just as beautiful. At least, in my eyes." Josh noticed Mari and quickly stood back. "Sorry," he laughed, quickly brushing a tear away. "I talk too much and think to little."

"It's fine," she said distractedly. There was something about her demeanor. She wasn't happy, but she wasn't quite sad either. It seemed that she was grieved, but also a bit joyful.

"You knew her?" Jacob asked Mari, gesturing for her to come forwards.

"We met a few times. She was always very pleasant," Mari smiled softly.

They both stood staring at the portrait for a moment.

"I should give it to Matthew, I suppose. An old man like me has no use for it. It won't bring her back."

Josh watched the pair distractedly. "Wait. Did she-" he thought with a frown. "She totally took extra time taking my phone out of my pocket. Was she doing that on purpose? Did she? I thought she lingered but I'm not sure. Did she say she liked me or am I making things up again? I should eat. Gosh, I'm a wreck."

"I think you should keep it," Mari said thoughtfully. "She was your daughter. You should have something to remember her by."

"So-" Josh said abruptly, causing the two to turn around and face him. "I-" his heart stopped, his words caught in his throat and he felt like he might keel over at any second. "It's in your head," he told himself. "She's been toying with you all day and it's just that she's the first pretty girl since Mel died. Thats all. Nothing more."

"Josh, are you okay?"

"Oh god," Josh mumbled. Her voice, it was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Three sets of identical green eyes stared back at him.

"Josh?" Mari tried again. "What's wrong?"

Josh staggered backward and grasped the couch. This wasn't some show, not some theatric performance. This was real life. Stuff like this didn't, couldn't just happen.

Could it?

"I'm fine," Josh stammered, unblinkingly staring between the three as nausea overtook him. "Really, Mari. I just need...need a moment."

Mari walked over and gently put her hand on his arm. "Are you sure?"

Josh tensed all over at her touch and nearly fell over. He saw Jacob's worried eyes and smiled hazily. "I'll be alright," he sighed. "I just haven't drank enough yet- not following doctor's orders."

"I'll be driving back to Catherine's," Mari said decidedly. "You are in no position to operate a vehicle."

"Mari, I said I'm fine!" Josh snapped. Why wouldn't she take her hand of his shoulder? Couldn't she see that she was driving him out of his mind? Every second he wasn't holding her safely was torture.

But she wasn't his Mari anymore.

He glanced to Jacob, whose worried eyes flooded with concern.

She was his.

Mari sighed in defeat. "Whatever. I'm going to wait in the car. I have something important to call Catherine about."

"We should probably go," Josh nodded. "But I promise you, sir, I swear, I will find out who did this."

Jacob smiled. "Stay safe, son."

"I will, sir. I won't let you down," Josh said, quickly collecting his papers and bolting after Mari. "Mariah!" He yelped, dropping some papers as he ran. "Mariah, I can't run that fast wait up!"

She ignored him and continued her fast pace. She had been trying to call Catherine and breathed a sigh of relief when her friend finally answered. "Cath, listen, I have some huge news. Be ready when I get back to your apartment. This is big. Like, bigger than moving to Paris on my own, big."

"Alright," Catherine laughed. "When will you be home?"

"About fifteen minutes or so," Mari said breathlessly. "See you soon."

Josh was breathing heavily by the time he reached her and shoved the rest of the files in his computer bag. "Mari?! What are you doing? Did I screw up? Who am I kidding? Of course I did. I knew I would. I always do, no matter who, no matter what, I always scare them off. I told Matt! But does he listen to me? No! So finish the prank now! Egg me! Slash my tires! I'm exhausted."

Mari laughed. "You didn't do anything. I just got some potentially really good news and I had to call Catherine."

"Oh," Josh said a bit taken aback. "You're not doing this to publicly embarrass me?"

"No. Why would I do that?"

"Girls have before. But then- I mean, you couldn't possibly be attracted to me. I mean, I'm me," Josh said, his face full of past regrets and pain.

"Well, I am. Deal with it," Mari smirked.

"Don't," Josh shuddered. "Don't smile like that. Then what? What did you mean inside? I mean you want to do- you really want to try this? Us?"                       

"I meant exactly what I said. I would like to date you. Like date date you, not just one date."

Josh could barely get the words through his head. He had to be dreaming, how else would Mel's eyes keep looking back at him?

Mel's smile.

His Mel's laugh.

"Stop," he internally slapped himself.

"Like- like seriously?" Josh stammered. "Someone as amazingly smart and beautiful and talented as you seriously dating me?"

"Yes," Mari laughed. "Of course. I don't play around."

"No, no of course not." Josh blushed. "It's just-" He took a step closer to her and shut the back door of the car. "I've just spent every day for the past three years watching you. Not like creepy stalker watching, but- but you're perfect. Perfect. Everything you do it's- it's like art. I could barely stand it then, and now with you...with you flirting it's hard not to- not to..it's hard to control...wanting to show you? That I like you? A lot?"

Mari stood silently for a moment. Hesitantly, she took a step toward him. When he didn't back away, she wrapped one arm around him and used her free hand to grab his shirt collar, pulling him down. Her lips clashed with his and she slowly released his shirt and wrapped her other arm around him.

"This can't be happening," Josh said, pulling away and shaking his head. It couldn't be! And yet, there were his shaking hands on Mariah Gerry's waist.

Mariah Gerry who had kissed him.

Mariah Gerry who he had wanted to kiss and hold for the past forever of his life.

He searched her eyes for some sort of confirmation, some explanation. But they were steady and calm, though a bit nervous. "It can't be," Josh repeated to himself, his face knotted in a frown as he leaned against the car with one arm, touching another hand to her cheek.

She leaned into his touch, smiling softly. "I really really like you, Isaac Taylor," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

Josh gave a soft little laugh of disbelief. He lifted her with ease onto the front hood of the car and tucked a stray curl of blonde hair behind her ear. "Maybe we're taking this too fast," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "But I really really really like you, Mariah Gerry. So much that it scares me to death."

"Then you understand how I feel about you," she smiled, putting her hands behind his neck.

"I don't understand it all," Josh mumbled, pressing his forehead against hers. "But- but I'm not gonna argue with it. Oh god, what's Matt gonna say? Catherine's gonna kill me."

Josh closed his eyes and attempted to push his doubts away.

With newfound determination, he put a firm hand on her waist, cupped the other to her cheek, and kissed her gently, letting his lips linger as he gave a little laugh. "How long has this been going on?"

"About ten minutes," Mari guessed. "Give or take."

"No," Josh chuckled, pulling her into a hug. "Me wanting to do that. I-I didn't realize I needed to until you did and now...I don't think I can go without it anymore. I think I've been lying to myself since the first moment I saw you."

"I've been lying to myself too," Mari admitted, holding him tightly. "I told myself that we could never work out, that you could never like me. I'm so glad I was wrong."

"Never like you?" Josh said, baffled."Mari, do you know how hard it was to not make a big deal over every shoulder pass in the hall, every time we reached for the same stapler and our hands crossed? Mariah, I have been hopelessly and completely tormented out of my mind over you for years."

"Will you just shut up and kiss me?" Mari whispered.

"I don't know if I'm doing it right," Josh said breathlessly, his cheeks crimson with embarrassment. "I've only gotten this far off Wattpad fan fiction, and they don't usually go into second ones. The chapter ends and they move on."

"Well, maybe we need to fix that," Mari smiled, pressing her lips into his.

Josh closed his eyes and felt the muscle in his right forearm twitch nervously. "What are you doing to me?" He asked, his voice cracking ever so slightly. He couldn't think straight. The usual logic and focus seemed gone. It terrified him.

"I don't know, but I think it's right," Mariah grinned.