**

"Will is the better guy. No question...but.." Chelsea cut me off "But he's not Ben." She answered quietly. I nodded. "I don't even know what's going on. Ben is married and trying to have a child and Will is not married or trying to have a child and he's so uncomplicated and everything's so simple and easy with him...it's like being with him brings the calmness out in me, but I don't know Chelsea...Ben makes me feel alive. He's exciting and makes me feel more myself than when I'm with anybody else...I can't describe it. He lights a fire in me I didn't even know existed...it's like we're perfect for each other, we just crossed paths at the wrong time. " I said quietly. She gave a slight nod. "What are you going to do?" She asked. I shrugged. "The only thing I can do marry Will." I answered a tear coming to my eye. "I love Will. Don't think for one second I don't, but I just don't know Chelsea. How can something feel so freaking right but be wrong on so many levels." I said in despair. "Who says it's wrong?" She said. I scoffed. "My morals, My mother, My grandmother, Lexie... I don't think I left anything out." I answered. She sighed. "Maybe you're version of wrong and their version of wrong are two different things..maybe it only feels wrong because you've been taught it's wrong." She answered hopefully. I shook my head. "No Chels, I'd be the adulterer. They wrote books about them." I answered. She sighed. "I'm not doing that Chels. I'm doing what's right here. I'm going to marry Will." I said definitely. "Whatever you feel like you need to do." She said. I gave a slight nod.

I stood in my bedroom staring at the dress hanging off of my closet door. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. I kept telling myself. There was a knock on my bedroom door. I groan internally. Chelsea was supposed to send anybody that came to the house away. "Come in." I said with a sigh. The door opened and I glanced up and stopped breathing. "Ben." I breathed. "Hey Jay." He said shutting the door. "Chelsea let me in.." He said as an explanation as to why he was up here. I gave a slight nod. "I just...I don't know why I even came actually.. I had to come see you before the wedding." He said. Tears filled my eyes. "Ben..." I started but was cut off. "I love you Jayla. You're going to tell me to stop that this won't work that I'm married and you're fixing to be married, but." He stopped short when he saw my necklace. "I told you I never take it off Ben.." I said a tear rolling down my cheek. He came forward until he was standing a mere inches from me and he stuck his hand out and grabbed the necklace. "Still as beautiful as the day I had it made for you." He said quietly. "I've only taken it off once and that was to have it cleaned." I said. He put my necklace back down so it rested back on my chest. I sat down on the edge of my bed and he sat beside me. After a few minutes of sitting in silence I placed my hand in his and rested my head against his shoulder. "I'm getting married tomorrow.." I said. "I know." Was all he said in response. "Run away with me." He said suddenly. I took my head off his shoulder to look at him. "What? Ben. You have your practice and I have medical school and your whole life is here Ben. That's crazy..." He cut me off by planting his mouth on mine. "I can practice medicine any where. I could get you in any medical school your heart desired. No, my whole life is not here." He said gesturing around the room.

He looked back at me and his face grew serious. "My life is sitting in front of me." He said. I shook my head. "Ben. I shouldn't be your life. Lexie should be your life. I'm getting married tomorrow Ben!" I said tears spilling from my eyes. I saw tears well in his eyes making me cry more. I instinctively brought my hand up to his face and wiped the tears from his face. "You knew this couldn't last. We met at the wrong time.." I said quietly. I planted a soft kiss on his lips before getting up and quietly leaving my room. I went downstairs and found Chelsea sitting on the couch a glass of wine in her hand. I plopped down beside her and took the glass from her and finished all the wine in the glass and filled it back up and got about halfway through that glass when it was taken away from me. "When I say don't let anybody in that's what I mean." I said simply. I wiped away a stray tear that had fell from my eye and was rolling down my cheek. She wrapped her arms around me and I rested my head on her shoulder and stared out the window.