The second Philippe says Colin's name, I want the floor to swallow me up. I had texted Juliette updating her of the last-minute changes with the men in my life, but I hadn't even told Philippe about Colin. I'm stunned speechless for a moment.

Thankfully, Juliette reacts quickly and, elbowing Philippe in the ribs, says, "You must be Jake! Lara has told me so much about you."

"Oh, don't tell him that," I say, setting the wine and flowers down. "His ego is already big enough," I add teasingly to diffuse the awkwardness in the room. "Jake, this is Juliette, and this is Philippe."

Philippe looks over at me still confused but goes along with it. "Jake my apologies. I uh...have a client named Colin. Uh...on the brain as you say." He chuckles nervously.

"No problem. I'm happy to meet you both as well," Jake says, handing everyone a cocktail. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow as he hands me my drink.

"I'll be right back – just going to put these in water." Setting the cocktail down on the counter, I go to the living room to get a vase to put the flowers in, and Juliette follows me.

"Sorry Lara, I told Philippe about Colin and then forgot to tell him of the er....how you say? Switch?" She whispers.

Oh, so not only did they arrive together but they've been talking this week as well? Again, interesting. Maybe they need less of my help than I thought.

"It's ok, it's not your fault. This whole thing was a mess..." I trail off, not wanting to get into too much detail on the subject.

"I'm glad to meet your Jake."

"He's not my Jake!" I protest.

Juliette shrugs. "You know my meaning Lara. Don't play coy."

I laugh as we move back into the kitchen. "I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss both of you very much."

Philippe looks aghast and starts waving his hands. "No no, Lara! Please no talk of leaving. Philippe has been despondent all day because of this."

"It is true, he has been - " Juliette cuts herself off and clears her throat as I notice Philippe blushing slightly.

How would Juliette know how he's been all day? Once again, interesting.

"Jake, these cocktails are magnifique!" Juliette says, clearly wanting to change the subject. "If you were to stay I would convince you to work at Hotel du Port for me."

"Glad you like it," Jake answers, clearly pleased. "By the way, I admire that you manage your own restaurant."

"Merci beaucoup!" She responds with a smile. "This is also what you want..uh..someday yes?"

"I'd like to open my own bar one day, but I'm interested in managing as well. I'd jump at the opportunity to do that."

We settle into the dining room as I plate everyone's food for them.

"Jake, would you mind pouring everyone a glass of wine?"

"Yes ma'am," he says as he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek in passing.

Juliette and Philippe raise their eyebrows and I try to stop myself from blushing. I wasn't expecting Jake to be demonstrative in front of them, but I don't know why I wouldn't. He isn't aware there is anyone else in my life, after all. And after the last 24 hours, I'm certain he isn't expecting there to be. I can't help feeling guilty at this thought.

"You have prepared my favorite dish!" Juliette exclaims.

"Good! I am a huge Julia Child fan, so I had to make coq au vin. Plus, it was a dish my grandmother taught me. And speaking of my grandmother, I have news."

"Ah yes, you did not tell me what was in the box we found. Did you find the key?" Philippe asks.

"No key, unfortunately, so we took it to a locksmith today. But I found Adelaide's granddaughter and she seemed to know a little of the story." I motion to the vase housing the flowers Philippe brought. "This vase and many others throughout the house were made by Adelaide. A.D. was Adelaide."

"The vase is beautiful," says Juliette with admiration.

"I'm waiting to hear back from the granddaughter. She said her mother knows more of the story."

"Your flight is Monday, will you have time?" Jake asks. "And not to change the subject, but this is the best meal I've had in months."

Juliette and Philippe chime in as well in agreement in between mouthfuls.

"You can all thank Mémé," I respond. "And I don't know if I'll have time to find out more before I leave, but I hope so."

"Ok, so what do we know so far? They were friends-" Philippe begins.

"Turned lovers." Juliette finishes his sentence. "At least according to the letter that was found."

"Yes, and Chloé says the story is a sad one, and that Adelaide died of a broken heart. Not sure what that means. Oh, and my necklace was worn by Adelaide in the photo I saw. So, she must have given it to my grandmother at some point?"

"For your grandmother to give it to you along with the key to this house, it must have been pretty important to her," Jake says thoughtfully.

"I hadn't looked at it that way, but you're probably right."

The four of us look around at the house like it might give us some clues.

The rest of dinner the conversation returns to pleasantries, all of us sharing bits and pieces of our lives over another bottle of wine. Jake and Philippe pick up a fast rapport, and I can tell Juliette finds Jake charming. My mind wanders as they're all chatting amicably as if we were all old friends....is this how it would have been with Colin at this farewell dinner? With both of us hardly knowing one another, would it have been pulled off with such ease?

"I have dessert if everyone would like some?" I offer when there's a lull in the conversation. "Chocolate souffle. And let's go into the living room now since it's cozier."

With our dessert and wine, we all move into the living room. Jake makes a fire while Philippe leans against the mantel chatting his ear off about his love of luxury cars. Juliette and I settle on the couch.

"I like him for you Lara," Juliette says quietly.

I look up but Jake and Philippe are deep in conversation and can't hear us. "Oh, I don't know Juliette. We're umm...I don't know what we are right now, to be honest."

"How he looks at you..." She makes a dramatic movement with her hand against her chest. "It is perfect."

I bite my lip. "I don't know. It's still too new..." I take a sip of wine and change course, "But what about you and Philippe? Have you two spent any time together since I saw you last?"

Juliette hesitates. "As you say, Lara, it is new..."

Jake and Philippe make their way over, drinks in hand.

"What are you ladies talking about?" Philippe raises his eyebrows playfully. "Us, I hope."

Juliette swats at Philippe affectionately as he sits across from us, and Jake perches on the arm of the couch next to me.

He leans down to whisper in my ear, "I was thinking of you, like what I would like to do to you once we're alone again tonight."

I turn my gaze involuntarily to the bedroom door and Jake reaches down to take my hand. I move it away from him with the excuse of picking up our dessert dishes. "I'll be right back, just dropping these off in the kitchen. Anyone need anything?"

Juliette and Philippe shake their heads no and Jake gets up to follow me.

"Sloan, is everything alright? Did I say something or do something?"

A few raindrops have started to fall and trickle down the kitchen window, as the sky is now completely black with storm clouds.

"I'm fine, we're fine. I'm just tired." I throw the dishes in the sink and start to rinse them.

"I've known you a long time so I can tell when something is wrong."

"Jake it's fine, just leave it will you?" I dry my hands off, then return abruptly to the living room.

Juliette and Philippe get up as I enter.

"We are going to go, Lara. We don't want to be caught in the rain. Philippe will walk me home. Will you call before your flight?"

I look between them and feel the tears start to gather. I'm not ready to say goodbye. Nodding sadly I hug Juliette tightly. "Thank you for being such a good friend while I've been here."

She simply nods, tears welling up as she briskly swipes under her eyes.

"Ah my petite American – you must promise to come back," Philippe says, wrapping me in a giant bear hug.

"You will be greatly missed, Lara. You have brought with you much happiness," Juliette adds.

I smile as a tear escapes down my cheek. "I'm going to miss you both. But I will be back to visit, I promise."

"Goodbye for now, not forever," Juliette says as they head to the door.

"Nice meeting you both." Jake follows us to the front door.

Juliette says goodbye with a kiss on the cheek to us both and Philippe grasps Jake's hand in farewell. "Take good care of our Lara."

They open their umbrella to share and I watch as their figures retreat down my drive and then disappear around the corner. My heart is heavy as I close the door. The time for goodbyes has come too quickly.

Leaning against the door with a sigh, I realize Jake is gone and I hear the clattering of dishes.

From the doorway of the kitchen, I watch as he washes the dishes, consternation creasing his brow. It's a picture I've seen many times, but this time it feels different. More intimate, as if we just hosted dinner together in our home. Am I ready for this? This intimacy that has seeped into my friendship and taken root?

Quietly moving next to him I grab a towel and start drying the washed dishes. "You don't have to, you know. I can clean up."

He sets the dish with a clatter, turns the faucet off, and takes my arms so that I'm forced to face him. "What is going on? We know each other too well to lie to one another. What's changed from this morning?"

I try and formulate what I'm feeling as I return his gaze. "I just don't know what this is, or what...what I want it to be...or we want it to be."

A shadow of frustration passes his face for a moment and then he takes a deep breath. "Maybe I've been naive, but I let myself...hope." He drops my arms and rakes his fingers through his hair. "No, you know what, I'm going to be honest like I've asked you to be. The thing is I've always...I've always loved you."

The words hang heavy in the air between us.

Minutes stretch on in uncomfortable silence as the splatter of rain on the roof builds into a steady downpour. I don't say anything because I know this to be true. I've known for a while and haven't wanted to be honest with myself.

Jake swallows hard, finally saying, "At first I thought I loved you as a friend, and then as the years went on I knew it was more than that. But you always had Brett in the picture, and I accepted that. I learned to bury my feelings to keep our friendship because you're important to me and your friendship means the world to me. But once things ended with Brett I was faced with how I really felt. I had always kept that barrier between us and then once it was gone, gone for good, I was....well, I was scared. After so many years of..."

"Jake - " I try to interject but he holds up his hand.

"No please, let me finish. I need to. That night I kissed you before I left for London was me showing you how I felt. I meant to tell you everything, but I choked. So, coming here to see you, I intended to tell you everything and let the chips fall where they may because I couldn't go on pretending anymore. And then... then the unexpected happened." Jake takes a step towards me, hope radiating from him as he moves to take me in his arms.

But I hold him off, taking a step back. "Jake...I don't know...how I feel. I wish I had an answer for you but I don't."

He stops short. "Don't do this. Don't run away from me." His voice breaks, the raw emotions written across his face.

Fear

Love

Sadness

Hope

All in a messy, mixed-up jumble.

"Jake I just don't know what to do. This is just so..." I trail off. It pains me, this confusion I feel.

"So what?" He says icily, his jaw hardening. "Too damn real for you? You love me! Admit it. Admit it to me, admit it to yourself. Just be honest for once!"

I bristle, "What the hell does that mean?!"

He impatiently moves his hands through his hair, staring at me, his eyes holding a tinge of hardness, but something else below the surface.

Hurt.

"It means this." He reaches for my face and draws my mouth to his in a rough and passionate kiss. His lips slant against mine and hungrily force my mouth open, his tongue pressing insistently as I respond with my own.

My body lights up with need and I instinctively move closer to his chest, my arms circling his waist. It lasts only a moment, the searing heat snuffed out as he releases me and steps back.

He doesn't speak, just looks at me with an expression that is equal parts frustration and utter devotion.

I stand there forcing my breathing to return to normal and swallow hard, trying to make sense of the dizzying tangle of thoughts and emotions swirling in my head.

"You feel this as much as I do. It's real what's between us, this love we have for one another. It's not just physical attraction. We care for one another deeply."

"Jake," I say his name softly. "I just need time. To sort everything out."

"You mean so you can decide between him and me." He laughs gruffly, mirthless.

My eyes go wide, at a loss on how to respond. A clap of thunder booms in the distance, making me jump.

"I saw the jacket in your bedroom, and Philippe mistaking me for someone named Colin... Was it him that was supposed to be with you at dinner tonight?" He shakes his head. "God, I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"No of course you aren't! It's not what it seems!" I just need time, I think. I don't even know what I want or what I'm ready for. Why do I have to choose anyone? I hate that everyone has these expectations of me and is making me choose one way or the other. I just need to think. I can feel the blood pounding in my head as the thoughts race.

"Ok Sloan."

Ok what, I think? The pressure I'm feeling reaches a boiling point. "You don't own me, Jake!" I yell at him, a few betraying tears moving down my cheeks.

"I don't want to own you! I want to love you!" He moves both hands through his hair with exasperation, his eyes wild and pleading. "I just want to love you, Lara. Let me love you."

His voice breaks at the end and my own heart splits in two at the expression on his face. I want to go to him, but I can't. I can't speak.

Outside, the tempestuous storm wars against the house, slashing at the windows, the sound becoming deafening in the silence between us.

He nods slowly, his jaw clenched. "If this is what you want."

My lip trembles and I don't trust my voice, so I simply nod in response.

He moves to leave, grabbing his bag from the bedroom. Not even bothering with a jacket, he opens the front door to leave, but not without one more look over his shoulder at me. Raw, naked pain laid bare for one fleeting moment. And then he's gone, slamming the door behind him.

Could I have stopped him? Yes, with a word I could have. Should I run after him? My heart thumps loudly in my chest as the haze of his headlights filter through the window, slowly diminishing as he backs down the driveway and disappears into the night.

I don't know how long I stand there staring blankly into the pitch blackness outside, but when I finally move my legs are sore and cramped. Not having the mental energy to finish cleaning, I head into the bedroom as my phone lights up with an incoming text.

It's from Chloé. *Can you meet me tomorrow? I have something for you.*

As I text back I realize I'm not even that excited at the news. I just feel...

Drained. 

Numb.

The storm rages on outside as I lay my head on my pillow, the distant thunder of crashing waves adding a persistent throb to the tumult.

It's a long time before sleep claims me.