to do? Abandon the man she was going to marry? She felt . . . obligated. All that anger she’d held inside for so long was gone. Now she felt like it was her purpose to help Owen feel better. And in doing so she’d put her relationship with Jason on the back burner.
She felt as if she were being pulled apart, and no matter what decisions she made, they were going to be the wrong ones.
She was doing the best she could right now. It was all she had.
When she saw Jason’s taillights fade from view, she turned and went inside.
CHAPTER
thirty-four
ERIN HAD FINISHED off the last of her work for the day, then went up to her room to change clothes.
She was just winding her hair into a ponytail when she heard a knock.
“Come on in.”
Her mother came in and leaned against the doorway, studying her. “Are you seeing Jason tonight?”
“Jason? No. I’m taking dinner over to Owen’s.”
“So, you’re back with Owen?”
“Not exactly. I’m just helping him out while he’s having treatment.”
Her mom went silent. When Erin finished her hair, she turned to face her mother’s inscrutable expression.
“What?” she asked.
“For a while there, I had a feeling you had fallen in love with Jason.”
She didn’t know how to answer that, and every mention of Jason made her stomach clench in anxiety. “I . . . I just need to help take care of Owen right now.”
“Why is Owen suddenly your responsibility?”
She tilted her head. “Mom. He’s sick.”
“Yes, he is. And I feel awful about that. Gwen and I have had several long conversations about his treatment and prognosis. She seems to think he’s going to bounce back from this in no time at all.”
“Yes. I agree.” She had to believe that.
Her mother came into the room and sat on the edge of Erin’s bed, then patted the spot next to her, giving Erin no choice but to come sit down. She did, and waited for her mom to speak.
“Do you love him?”
“Who?” she blurted, realizing she had no idea which man her mother was referring to.
“Owen, honey. Are you still in love with Owen?”
“Oh. No. I care about him. I feel awful about him being sick, and I feel somehow responsible for helping him.”
“And in doing so, you’re losing the man you do love.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Jason.”
Her mother grabbed her hand. “Yes. So you need to figure out how to handle this. You’re not responsible for Owen anymore. He freed you from that responsibility when he broke up with you.”
“But, Mom, he broke up with me so I wouldn’t feel responsible for him. What if he still loves me?”
“Then you need to have an honest conversation with him, and tell him that you’re in love with someone else now.”
She shuddered in a sob. “How can I do that? How can I break his heart like that when he’s so sick?”
Her mother smoothed her hand down her back. “I don’t know. But even if I was sick, I’d want the person I cared about to be honest with me.”
She closed her eyes, realizing her mother was right. She owed Owen the truth. And she owed Jason the truth.
It was time to suck it up and stop trying to be everything to everyone. She couldn’t do that anymore.
“Thanks, Mom.” She threw her arms around her mother and hugged her tight. “I needed this.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
After her mother left her room, she cleaned up her face, fixed her makeup, then headed out. She picked up chicken salad sandwiches and some soup for dinner for Owen and her tonight, and thought about what she was going to say to him on the way over.
By the time she arrived at Owen’s apartment, she still had no idea. She supposed she’d just have to wing it.
Owen smiled as he opened the door. “Hey there.”
She leaned in to give him a quick hug. “Hi. How are you feeling?”
“Pretty great this week.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I brought dinner.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” He led her into the kitchen. “I was actually thinking we’d go out.”
“Really? Are you feeling up to that?”
“Yeah. I can leave the house, you know.”
“Of course. I can put this all in the fridge.”
“Great. Then I’ll have food to eat tomorrow and Tuesday when I don’t feel like cooking.”
“Aww. You know I’d bring you food then, too.”
“My mom will be over. She hovers.”
Erin laughed. “She loves you.”
“Yeah, she does.”
They ended up going out to eat at Hidalgo’s Mexican restaurant