Lena watched as Paul strode over to the unknown guy and embraced him. She looked at Carmen questioningly. Her friend just shrugged, looking just as surprised as she felt. Lena took a step forward, coming to stand next to Paul. She smiled at the guy when he looked down at her.

'Hi, I'm Lena' she said, holding out her hand.

Paul seemed to snap out of his surprise.

'Sorry. Lena this is Seth we've known each other since birth practically, Seth this is Lena my..'

There was a pause and Lena held her breath, 'my' what? 'My friend? My girlfriend? My stepsister's best friend?

'… and you've met my stepsister Carmen?' he finished awkwardly. Lena tried not to show her disappointment.

'It's good to meet you Lena, I've heard a lot about you' Seth said, shaking her hand. He glanced over at Carmen with a smile.

'Oh yeah, Carmen and I go way back'

Carmen stepped forward 'Yep' she quipped 'Way back half an hour or so, Seth's been waiting for you to get back' she told Paul.

Paul grinned at Seth 'Long time, no see. I was starting to think you were never coming back, I guess Las Vegas is addictive'

Seth shifted from one foot to another 'Yeah, that place is chaos. A month can go by and it feels like a few days. I'm back here for now though, I don't think I'll go back to Vegas. Not my scene anyway' he said nonchalantly.

Paul laughed 'Knowing you, you got run out of town'

Seth chuckled in reply, but Lena heard no humour in his laughter. No more was said, and the four of them stood in silence for a moment, before Lena timidly asked 'So, Seth, you have family here?' She instantly regretted the question. Seth suddenly seemed withdrawn, and he gave Paul a quick look as if to silence him.

'No, it's just me. Paul is the only family I have'

Paul didn't miss a beat 'Of course you'll be staying here, right?'

Seth bit the corner of his lip 'Actually I wanted to talk to you about that, is it okay if we…' he indicated the kitchen with a jerk of his head.

Taken off guard for a second, Paul paused before saying 'Yeah, sure. You girls want us to get you a drink?'

Carmen shrugged.

Lena nodded, giving Paul a tentative smile 'Coffee?'

She watched as the two men walked towards the kitchen, talking in hushed tones. Obviously Seth had wanted to talk to Paul alone, and the drink offer had been a subtle way of telling her and Carmen to stay put in the lounge. She plonked herself down next to Carmen on the couch.

'So what was that all about?' She asked Carmen, picking at her cuticles.

Carmen rolled her eyes 'Boys, who knows what goes on inside their little brains'

Lena sighed, wasn't that true. 'I can't believe you let a stranger into the house when you were here alone, he could have been a serial killer or something.' She said half-heartedly.

Carmen grinned 'Well, he thought I was you at first, so I assumed he knew Paul. Besides, he is far too good looking to be a serial killer, he would be too easy to identify in a line up, and the police would catch him easily enough 'We're looking for the best looking male in the area' Carmen said, mimicking a police man speaking into a walkie talkie.

Lena rolled her eyes at her friend. 'Well, what did you two talk about?'

'Well after he recovered from the sight of me in my boxers and a tank top he didn't have much to say. Silent type I guess, I can't imagine that he and Paul can fill up a five-minute conversation, never mind a lifelong friendship.'

Lena nodded in agreement 'Yeah not a lot of excitement in those conversations I guess'

'Oh I wouldn't say that' Said Carmen indicating the kitchen with her eyes. Lena turned to look over her shoulder. She could see that Paul was rapidlypacing around in the kitchen, ever so often he would come into view, speaking intensely with frustrated hand movements. Both guyswere speaking in low urgent voices, obviously trying not to be heard.

'WHAT!' Came a cry from Paul, and then a thud as Lena saw his first hit the kitchen table with great force.

'How could you have been so....stupid, I don't know how I can help you Seth. You're in too deep' Lena strained to hear Seth's reply, and she watched as Carmen slowly crept towards the door.

They could hear random snippets of Seth's reply. 'It had to be done…..if it was your sister……end up like my father, or worse.'

A few seconds later the kitchen door swung open, hitting Carmen in the head. She gave a yelp and jumped away holding her head. She wasn't badly hurt, and Lena suppressed laughter, serves you right she thought to herself. Paul stormed out from the kitchen and over to the front door, running down the steps and driving off in his car, without a word to Lena. Lena looked over at Carmen.

'So I guess I'll get my own coffee then.'