A Tricky Proposition(32)
“Lily?” Ming pushed herself into a sitting position. “We had brunch before I came here. Why?”
His lashes lifted. “She didn’t tell you.”
She had no idea what he was talking about. “Tell me what?”
“About her and Evan.” Jason looked unhappy. “They’ve been seeing each other.”
“My sister and your brother?” Ming repeated the words but couldn’t quite get her mind around the concept. “Seeing each other…you mean dating?”
Her gaze slid over Jason. Two weeks ago she’d have laughed at anyone who told her she and Jason were going to end up in bed together. The news of Evan and Lily was no less unexpected.
“Yes.” He touched her arm, fingers gentle as they stroked her skin. “Are you okay?”
His question startled her. But it was the concern on his face that made her take stock of her reaction. To her dismay she felt a twinge of discomfort. But she’d be damned if she’d admit it.
“If they get married we’ll end up being brother and sister.” She was trying for levity but fell short of the mark.
Jason huffed out an impatient breath. “Don’t make light of this with me. I’m worried that you’ll end up getting hurt.”
Ming’s bravado faded. “But it can’t be that serious. Lily is moving to Portland. She wouldn’t be doing that if they had a future together.” Her voice trailed away. “That’s why she’s leaving, isn’t it? They’re in love and my sister can’t break it off and stick around. She needs to move thousands of miles away to get over him.”
“I don’t know if your sister is in love with Evan.”
“But Evan’s in love with her.”
Jason clamped his mouth shut, but the truth was written all over his face.
Needing a second to recover her equilibrium, Ming left the bed and snagged Jason’s robe off the bathroom door. She put it on and fastened the belt around her waist. By the time she finished rolling up the sleeves, she felt calmer and more capable of facing Jason.
“How long have you known?” Ming heard the bitterness in her voice and tried to reel in her emotions. Evan hadn’t exactly broken her heart when he’d ended their engagement, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been hurt. She’d been weeks away from committing to him for the rest of her life.
“I’ve known they were going out but didn’t realize how serious things had gotten until I spoke with Evan last night.” Jason left the bed and came toward her. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” Something tickled her cheek. Ming reached up to touch the spot and her fingers came away wet. “I’m fine.”
“Then why are you crying?”
Her heart pumped sluggishly. “I’m feeling sorry for myself because I’m wondering if Evan ever loved me.” She stared at the ceiling, blinking hard to hold back the tears. “Am I so unlovable?”
Jason’s arms came around her. His lips brushed her cheek. “You’re the furthest thing from unlovable.”
Safe in his embrace, she badly wanted to believe him, but the facts spoke loud and clear. She was thirty-one, had never been married and was contemplating single motherhood.
“One of these days you’ll find the right guy for you. I’m sure of it.”
Hearing Jason’s words was like stepping on broken glass. Pain shot through her, but she had nowhere to run. The man her heart had chosen had no thought of ever falling in love with her.
Ming pushed out of Jason’s arms. “Did you really just say that minutes after we finished making love?”
His expression darkened. “I’m trying to be a good friend.”
“I get that we’re never going to be a couple, but did it ever occur to you that I might not be thinking about another man while being naked with you?” Her breath rushed past the lump in her throat.
“That’s funny.” His voice cracked like a whip. “Because just a second ago you were crying over the fact that my brother is in love with your sister.”
Ming’s mouth popped open, but no words emerged. Too many statements clogged the pathway between her brain and her lips. Everything Jason had said to her was perfectly reasonable. Her reactions were not. She was treating him like a lover, not like a friend.
“You’re right. I’m a little thrown by what’s happening between Lily and Evan. But it’s not because I’m in love with him. And I can’t even think about meeting someone and starting a relationship right now.”
“Don’t shut yourself off to the possibility.”
“Like you have?” Ming couldn’t believe he of all people was giving her advice on her love life. Before she blurted out her true feelings, she gathered up all her wayward emotions and packed them away. “I’d better get home and check on Muffin.”