Catherine tried her best to put Lotte out of her mind as she packed. She had already been through a lot emotionally and the day was only half over. Once she finished, the piled everything into the elevator. "I'm going to head home now," she sighed. "I'll come by tomorrow morning before work. Okay?"

"You want me to bring you dinner?" Matt asked softly. "I'm not used to being alone."

"Do you want to just spend the night at my place?" Catherine laughed.

"If you don't mind," Matt smiled

"Of course I don't mind," Catherine smiled as she kissed him gently. "I'll see you later."

Matt smiled softly and went into his room, popping in some ear buds and listening to some new music as he waited for Mari to come.

He had settled in and was halfway through his song when he heard a loud crash from the kitchen. "Mariah?" He called with a frown, removing his earbuds. "Are you alright?"

No answer.

"Mari?" Matt called again.

Silence.

Matt rose slowly to his feet, grabbing his switch blade from his desk and walking quietly to the door.

"Who's there?" Came a man's voice from behind the refrigerator door.

Matt didn't waste any time.

Someone had found him. He couldn't go to jail. Not now. He wasn't willing to lose Cath or the only home he had known for the past eight years.

He crouched behind the counter, and when opportunity presented itself, knocked the man's feet out from under him, pinning him directly to the floor.

"Woah!" The man yelped. "Woah! Slow down! Stop!"

"Who are you and why are you here?!"

The man laughed. "Matt, it's me Josh."

Matt placed his arm firmly over the man's neck and sneered. "How stupid do I think I am?!

Josh shrugged. "Two words: Maraca Boy."

Matt gave him a hard punch across the jaw. "Anyone in my entire high school could know that. Stop playing games! Who are you?! What do you want?!"

"I wanted a Twinkie! Is that too much to ask?!" Josh thundered.

Matt's expression changed. "Josh?"

Josh nodded slowly.

Matt got up slowly and stared blankly. "You can't be," he said with a scoff.

"God, a guy gets contacts and loses a few pounds and his own best friend tries to murder him," Josh grumbled, rubbing his jaw which was already bruising. "You could have knocked a tooth out!"

Just then, Mariah entered the room. "Josh! You're back!" She exclaimed.

"Hold on," Matt said, holding Mari back. He took a tentative step forward, looked Josh in the eyes and gave him a hard slap across the face. "You knew Mel?!"

Josh could barely get a word in before Matt was off going ballistic again.

"I mean, what were you planning to say?! "Hey Idiot. I knew your dead wife, by the way"?! Josh, are you hearing me?!"

Josh squirmed awkwardly in his shoes. "Yeah, Matty, I hear you."

"Don't call me that. You've lost the right to call me that."

Mari's expression changed from one of ecstatic glee to confusion and distrust. "You knew Mel?"

"Mari-" Josh stammered.

"You knew Mel and you didn't tell any of us? Didn't tell Matt?"

"Really you don't understand," Josh moaned pitifully

—————

Catherine stepped through the elevator to hear the three yelling. She had forgotten her phone, which was why she came back. She suddenly wished she hadn't. "What's going on?" She asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"Josh is back," Mari said emotionlessly, "though I'm not sure if that's such a good thing anymore."

Cath looked over the stranger. "That's not Josh."

"Good lord," Josh moaned, "is Mari the only one who can see here?"

"You'll always be ugly to me no matter what you do, Josh," Mari smirked.

"Very funny," Josh snarled.

"Do you have answers or what?!" Matt said fiercely.

Cath looked at the man, realizing that it was in fact Josh. She put a hand on Matt's shoulder. "Babe, relax."

Matt pushed her gently away and took a step closer to Josh. "I don't even know who you are anymore! How am I supposed to trust you?!"

"Mel trusted me," Josh said, his tone changing, "and the information I withheld was for your own benefit. You weren't ever supposed to know."

"Oh, that's comforting," Matt laughed deliriously. "And how can I know that you're a good guy in this story, that you weren't the villain who hunted her down and ruined my life?"

"Because I wasn't!" Josh exclaimed.

"Tell me why!"

"Because I loved her!" Josh yelled. "I loved her, god knows, as much or more than you ever could, Matt. And I had it worse than you, heaven knows. Because while you spent eight years holding on, I spent twelve trying to let go of her and everything she stood for, trying to keep her memory out of every sock, every card she left at my house. I still have a pair of her Nikes in my closet! So don't you dare judge me. Don't you dare. Because things have been rough for all of us. And those memories are mine! And I'm entitled to keep them. Is that understood?!"

Catherine sighed in exasperation. "Break it up, both of you! My god, why do I always have to play mother in these situations?" She saw the change in Matt's demeanor. "Are you alright?" She whispered softly.

"See!" Josh exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "That. That's why I didn't want to tell him."

"Josh, you're not helping," Catherine sighed. She turned to Matt. "Baby, talk to me. Are you alright?"

"Sorry," Mari said with a frown, "I'm a bit lost."

"Matt," Josh sighed heavily, "you okay?"

"Cath, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Matt mumbled.

Catherine nodded and led him out of the room. "What's wrong, Baby?"

Matt looked down with hurt eyes. "Did you know?"

"I told you everything I know," Catherine assured, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I would never withhold anything from you."

Matt pulled her closer and tried to hide his tears. "Don't let go, okay?"

"Never," Cath sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too."