She didn't know. Or maybe she did know and was too scared to admit it.
"I need more time," Lucy said, opening her eyes.
"Okay. That's okay." Jake took her hand. "You have eight more days with me here. Then five days after I leave until your deadline. That's almost two weeks. Take them."
"What if two weeks isn't enough?"
"Then it isn't enough. But Lucy—at some point, you have to choose. You can't live in maybe forever."
Jake stayed until July 10th, just like he'd planned.
They spent the week exploring Paris together—visiting museums, eating at tiny bistros Lucy had discovered, walking along the Seine at sunset. It was beautiful and bittersweet, both of them knowing the clock was ticking down.
On Jake's last night, Lucy made a decision. She took him to her favorite spot in Paris—a park on a hill in Montmartre with a perfect view of the city.
"This is where I come when I need to think," Lucy said as they sat on the grass, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the distance.
"It's perfect."
"Jake, I need to tell you something. Before you leave."
Jake turned to face her. "Okay."
"I love you. I love you so much. And this week, being with you here in Paris—it's shown me that we could make it work. You could visit, I could visit, we could do long distance for real. It's possible."
"But?"
"But I don't think I want to. Not because I don't love you. But because I think—" Lucy took a breath, "—I think we both deserve more than weekend visits and video calls. We deserve someone who's there. Really there."
Jake was quiet for a long moment. "So you're staying in Paris."
"I think so. Yes. I think I'm staying."
"Okay."
"Just okay?"
"What do you want me to say? That I'm devastated? I am. That I wish you'd choose to come home? I do. But Lucy—" Jake took her hand, "—I also see how happy you are here. How much you've grown. And I can't ask you to give that up. Even for me."
"So we're really breaking up."
"I think we broke up months ago. We just haven't admitted it until now."
Lucy felt tears start. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. You're choosing yourself. That's what you came here to do. And you did it. I'm proud of you."
"I feel like I'm losing you."
"You're not losing me. I'll always care about you. But Lucy—we want different things now. You want Paris and a career in French cooking and new adventures. I want Timber Falls and coaching and a life in one place. Neither of those is wrong. They're just—different."
They sat on that hill in Montmartre until the Eiffel Tower stopped sparkling at 1 AM. Then they walked back to Lucy's apartment and made love one last time—gentle and sad and full of goodbye.
In the morning, Lucy walked Jake to his taxi.
"Good luck," Jake said. "With everything. The restaurant job, Paris, all of it."
"Good luck with coaching. With the Wolves. You're going to be great at it."
