© BBC
Max's time in Manchester with his brother Derek in late 2011 has been at the centre of fan speculation for some time, but the full story behind their mysterious activities has yet to be revealed.
Next week's episodes see ruthless Derek (Jamie Foreman) bring the subject up yet again as he finds himself in another argument with Max's partner Tanya.
When Tanya (Jo Joyner) confronts Derek over his cruel treatment of troubled Lucy Beale, the Albert Square villain fires back by stirring up trouble - revealing that there are things she doesn't know about Max and what he did while they were separated.
Later, as they attend Janine and Michael's wedding ceremony, a concerned Tanya confronts Max about what Derek said.
© BBC
Max (Jake Wood) then begins to share his shame over what went on last year, confessing that he did things he wasn't proud of - and someone got hurt.
With his confession out in the open, Max finally feels ready to take his reunion with Tanya a step further - asking her to marry him. But will Tanya accept the proposal after what he's told her? And how much about the Manchester trip is Max still holding back?
EastEnders airs these scenes next week on BBC One.
> See Digital Spy's full spoilers and pictures for next week's 'EastEnders' episodes
