Pacing back and forth Joe tries to piece together the last few moments of his life. He reaches back even as far as the last few years. I don't know what I was thinking but it just happened. One green eyed monster moment led to the next and subsequently a pool stick was being jabbed into the groin of the man with his lips pressed against his best friend, Mel. But he has to be honest. Lately, he's been thinking. Is she really just my friend at this point?

Mel hired Joe years ago as a nanny, certainly not a version of himself he saw in his future. But Joe didn't plan on getting divorced or being broke either. But he has grown to love the kids, Ryder and Lennox. He's grown to love Mel. Joe ponders how far the love stretches and the meaning of what has been going on inside his body and brain. The kids are nearly adults now and can alternatively handle themselves. But something more holds Joe to this house. And she's coming through the door now.

Mel huffs as she passes Joe in the living room, carefully avoiding all forms of eye contact. He follows her to the kitchen where she is, of course, pouring herself a glass of wine. She turns around flipping blonde hair over her shoulder so violently Joe fears she'll break her neck. Blue eyes bore into his own as nostrils flare and she begins to speak.

"Longo you broke my boyfriend!" She screams taking down a large gulp of wine trailing the statement. She steps from behind the counter in the middle of the kitchen and points an accusing finger straight into Joe's chest. "He's broken. So needless to say our sex filled vacation now has to be put on hold."

"Oh well it looks like you guys had enough of that on top of the pool table, Burke." Joe chuckles now even though the actual sight of it had him disgusted and boiling. He hasn't noticed it but as soon as she walked into the room his blood was boiling. Not from anger but just a natural heat that she brings to his body. Joe's blood wasn't boiling from anger up until the point he became invisible. When Austin placed his mouth on hers the way Joe so often thought about. He hadn't noticed any of it until Lennox had convinced him that perhaps, he didn't just accidentally hit Mel's new boyfriend.

"Look Burke, I'm sorry. It's just that-"

"That you were jealous" the hot tempered blonde takes on an accusing tone.

Narrowing his eyes Joe responds. "No, it's just that my hand slipped." Joe lies. He is stunned by the fact that she can see right through him. Forcefully yanking the fridge open and grabbing a beer Joe goes up to his room to sulk. Why had I done that?

Mel seizes a seat upon the couch to consider the day's events. Why did Joe seems so angry when she branded him a jealous attacker? Why would it be so easy to believe he's jealous? Maybe because I have been for a while now.

For these past three years, Mel has seen Joe come in and out with these big breasted bimbos. Some of them even friends of hers. But when seen with Joe, a pain takes over that she can hardly find the meaning to. A pain similar to that of when she thought about the kids growing and leaving the house. Of course she'll miss the kids- the ones that became hers over time. But attributed to that is the fact that there is no use for an in-house nanny after there are no children in the house to look over. No use for Joe other than to calm her the way he does when he sees his face.

But I have Austin.

Joe is sitting on the couch when he hears heels clunking down the stairs. Turning around, his body and his eyes betray him as he can't pull away, can't turn his head and can't move his body other than parts he has no control over. Jaw dropped he stares in amazement at a beautiful girl. Beautiful woman.

"How do I look Longo" Mel asks. She is wearing a long form fitting pencil skirt with a slit up the side. A yellow top dresses her torso. All delectables are covered however the tease of skin spikes his interests. She awaits the usual insult but one doesn't come. She faces Joe at the bottom of the stair case.

"Burke, you look-" Joe pauses. A linger in his sentence because he can't think of a negative thing to say. "You look beautiful Mel. Gorgeous."

Taken aback Mel stands stunned and flattered with cheeks as red as her carefully coated lips. Gathering her composure, Mel places a frown on her face which was hard considering she could not accept the heart fluttering fact that Joe called her gorgeous. "Well I can't look beautiful. I have to contain all this hotness so that Austin doesn't... Hurt himself. "

Taking in a deep breath Joe preps himself. I'm finally going to tell her. I'm finally going to admit it to myself. Lifting his weight from off the couch he begins to cross the seemingly mile long distance between him and Mel.

"Mel, I wanted to tell you."

But just as soon as the words begin to find their way to his lips, an interruption comes in the form of a loud doorbell followed by anxious knocking. Joe knew who was on the other side of the door but he didn't care. The mission he started must be completed. "Mel..." He starts before Mel rushes past him towards the door. With her hand on the door she angles toward Joe. "I wanted to tell you, to have a good time Mel." He says before trotting up the stairs.

And just like that both their hearts break. Mel held on to that look in his eyes. One of desperation until it faded and became unreadable. While Joe looked at her, Mel's heart stopped beating. She hoped that he would mirror her feelings, have the words 'I love you spill out'. But they didn't.