Page 75 of The One for Me
Jasper has always been there for me. I love him, trust him, and as surly as he gets about men in my life, I know that he loves Sean. Still, he was never this . . . protective before.
“Why weren’t you this way when I was dating Oliver?”
“Because I knew that Oliver wasn’t forever.”
I jerk back at that one. “What?”
“He was nice and all, but he wasn’t right for you. Still, he was harmless.”
“And you think Sean will hurt me?”
“Fuck no,” Jasper says with a laugh. “I think he’d cut his arm off before he’d do that, but he’ll take your heart and . . .”
I don’t need him to finish that sentence. We don’t lie to each other, and the writing is on the wall about what will happen when Sean leaves.
“And me?”
His one shoulder rises and then falls subtly. “He’s the one, isn’t he?”
“I think he is.” I shake my head. “No, I know he is.”
“What does it mean for you?”
My heart aches at the idea of Sean going without me. To be apart from him after knowing what it’s like to have him is . . . impossible.
“It means that I love him and I can’t live without him.”
Jasper’s eyes fill with understanding as he stares at me. “You should go with him, Devney. You should open yourself up to him and tell him everything.”
My chest tightens at the idea of doing that. “You think I should tell him the whole story?”
He nods. “If you love him. You give him all your burdens, Sis. You’ve been carrying it all on your own, it’s time to allow yourself to be happy. Love him and go to Florida where you can start fresh.”
“But what about everything here?”
“We’ll always be here. We’re not going anywhere, but you, Dev, you should be going places. You deserve happiness and love and a life.”
My lower lip trembles as I stare at my brother. “I’ll miss you and Hazel and Austin so much.”
He pulls me close. “We’ll miss you too, but now we have an excuse to go to Florida, right?”
I nod, giving him one last squeeze. Jasper has always been here for me. We grew up very close and have maintained that relationship. I hate the idea of not being around him, Hazel, and Austin. There is nothing in the world like being an aunt. I get to enjoy him, be his friend, all the while his parents do the hard stuff.
“I don’t want to tell Austin.”
Jasper releases me, his shoulders dropping a touch. “He won’t take it well. You’re his best friend.”
“I know.”
His brown eyes fill with warmth and compassion. “Still, you should go. You deserve your own family. One where you can love a man who is good to you and raise a child who will get to see how amazing you are.”
A tear falls down my cheek. “Thank you, Jasper.”
He winks. “Don’t mention it. Now, let’s get to work on this car.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Devney
