The Best Man Plan - Jaci Burton Page 0,98
here.”
Erin looked up, surprised to see Jason at the entrance to the treatment cubicle. “What are you doing here?”
“I decided to take part of the day off and hang out with Owen while he was loafing.”
Owen laughed. “Yeah. Loafing. Thanks for coming by. You don’t have to do that. I know how busy you are with work.”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t mind. Hey, Erin.”
She nodded, feeling so incredibly uncomfortable now that Jason was here. She hadn’t yet told Owen about her relationship with Jason, and now certainly wasn’t the time. She hoped Jason didn’t plan to.
They hadn’t talked, hadn’t seen each other. She’d been wrapped up in her emotions about Owen and hadn’t been able to face talking to Jason about how she felt.
She didn’t even know how she felt right now, other than confused. And sad. And upset.
Owen smiled at both of them. “Just like old times, isn’t it? Except for the toxic-drugs thing.”
Jason grinned. “Yeah, that part kind of sucks. But we’re here to keep you from running amok and annoying the nurses.”
Just then Layla came over.
“Got a fan club, I see,” she said with a smile as she removed the fluid bag and set up the chemotherapy bag.
“Yeah, I’m super popular,” Owen said.
“I’m not at all surprised,” Layla said, then turned to look at Jason and Erin. “He’s very charming.”
Owen gave a smug smile. “See?”
“Really, Owen?” Jason asked. “Hitting on the nurses?”
Owen let out a weak laugh.
“If you need anything, just let me know,” Layla said, then left.
“I think she had her eye on you, Jason,” Owen said.
Jason looked over at Erin, who did her best to give him a passive stare.
“Yeah, she seems nice.”
“She’s very nice. And single. So are you seeing anyone?”
Jason scratched the side of his nose. “Well, actually— Ow, dammit!’ ”
Owen frowned. “You okay?”
He bent low to grab on to the ankle Erin had kicked.
She smiled sweetly at him. “Yes, Jason. Are you all right?”
“Fine. Just got a cramp.”
The last thing Owen needed right now was to hear about her and Jason. Surely Jason knew that. She gave him a look, but apparently he’d grabbed a clue because he launched into mundane conversation with Owen. At his request, Erin got a warm blanket from the nurse, and Owen eventually fell asleep. Erin and Jason stepped outside.
“Are you crazy?” she asked. “You weren’t going to tell him about us, were you?”
“He’s going to find out eventually.”
“I know, but not right now, and definitely not while he’s in the treatment room.”
“So maybe we can go over there together sometime this week and tell him.”
“Tell him what, exactly? That we’ve been sleeping together while he was having cancer treatments?”
Jason gave her an incredulous look. “And how were we supposed to know that since he didn’t tell anyone? Surely you don’t feel guilty about that. About us.”
“I . . . I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel right now. But I don’t want to say anything to Owen yet. Let’s give him some time to feel better.”
“And when do you think the right time will be, Erin?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball. I’ve never been through this before.”
“So, like . . . never?”
She frowned, unable to fathom what was going through Jason’s head right now. Why couldn’t he understand she was trying to help Owen? “What are you talking about?”
“Are you still in love with Owen?”
“What? No. I just . . . want to be there for him right now. He needs me. He needs all of us. You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but that’s different.”
He wasn’t even making sense. “Oh, come on. How is that different?”
“Because I wasn’t the one that was going to marry him. I wasn’t in love with him.”
“It’s not like that.” How could she make him see what she felt, the pain and confusion? She reached out to touch him, but he took a step back.
“I’m going back inside. I’ll see you in there.”
She watched him walk away, and knew that things between Jason and her were not okay anymore.
What had just happened?
CHAPTER
thirty-two
IT’S LIKE SHE’S there with Owen all the time,” Jason said to Clay and Alice. “Like the breakup never happened.”
Clay lifted his beer and took a sip, then looked over at Jason, the three of them enjoying some happy hour time at Owen’s brew pub, where they’d been pitching in to help. Now that all the stock was loaded and the brewery was clean, it was time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.