"I love you," Jamie whispers, and there's something desperate in his voice. He's just lost everything, everything that matters. Cathy's gone. He left Cathy. He hurt Cathy. Cathy, who he loved. And now he's here with Elise -- Elise who he doesn't love, but Elise who he could love, in time. Elise shines like a safe place. Elise could take him in. Jamie doesn't see why he didn't realize that he loves/willlove her before. She's gorgeous and funny and a little bit silly and she appreciates his writing and Elise would never get mad at him for needing to go to a party and Elise is what he needs right now, Elise is a step in the right direction, the first step away from these last few years, and he leans in to kiss her --

"Oh, Jamie," Elise murmurs sympathetically, moving back so that Jamie falls forward awkwardly and manages, with a bit of shifting to avoid landing on her breasts, to land in her lap.

Instead of getting up, he starts to cry.