Falling For His Fake Mate

7

Jas.

For about ten minutes after Zane left, all I could do was stare at Lily, waiting for her to say something, but she said nothing. I guess that she was also waiting for me to say something. But I didn't know what to say to that.

When I had came home that day from the date, I had told Lily about Zane's proposal and she had told me to go ahead and do what I wanted, but now, she was changing her words just because the man turned out to be what she hadn't expected?

Well, I was going to give her that, she sure knew something that was good. Not only was Zane a good looking man, but he was rich, and I guess that was what made Lily changed her mind about it all.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I finally asked, looking at her still.

Lily took her sweet time before answering me, putting the cotton pads in her hand on the small table beside her.

"There's nothing to say, now, is there?" I sure knew she was going to try to play this mind games with me, but I didn't think it would be this bad.

I had no idea of what to say to that.

"Look, I don't care if you've developed a feeling for them man. You better make sure to talk him into dating me. You can't marry someone when he's not yours to start with." She said.

I wasn't looking to marry the man in the first place, or developed a feeling for him, but when she had told me to go ahead and do that if I wanted, and she didn't care, it had given me a picture of what my life could be if I were to agree.

It had been the only thing I thought of at night, analyzing how good that could be for me. It would not only help me, but help me also pay back Uncle Matthew's kindness.

"So this is about the money Zane is proposing to pay?" I asked suddenly out of nowhere.

Lily raised her hands to her temple, rubbing it mildly as if I was giving her a headache and then she said. "That's not any of your business. Just talk him into picking me, or we're certainly going to have a big problem."

"Lily, I just want to know what this is about, that's all. You said I could marry him if I wanted. If this is about the money..."

She cut me off, pushing up from her chair. "I said that before, I'm saying that that's not going to work now, so don't ask me again." She said, and then she started to walk to the kitchen.

I sat there for a moment, not even sure what the heck all these was about. This wasn't just about Zane being nice looking, I knew Lily enough to know that. This was about money, and it wasn't as if either of us knew how much he was proposing to give, but whatever it was, I wasn't going to let that cause a problem between us.

"You know what, you're right. I'm sorry I said anything. You can go for him if you want, but I'm not going to talk to him on your behalf. That's even more insane than what you're saying." I said.

There was just no way in hell for me to go to the man just to tell him that. What was I even going to say? "Hello, Zane. I just wanted to tell you not to choose me for this unruly arrangement. You're going to have to choose my step sister because she's the one that deserve you?"

That sounded very silly even in my head without having to say it that long.

Lily was now by the sink when she spoke again. "If you don't talk to him and convince him of choosing me, then I'm going to have to do something I don't want to."

At that, I furrowed my brows, not sure why she was threatening me now. "What are you talking about, Lily? I just said you could have him. What more do you want from me?"

"I'm sure you heard me when I said you have to talk to him so that he choose me. That's all I care about." She said and I grunted.

"And you don't think you're asking too much of me?" I asked her.

She lifted her shoulder in a shrug, as if she didn't care about it. "I don't care what you think, Jasmine. I've done a lot for you, so this isn't a big deal." She said.

It wasn't a big deal? Was she even serious right now? Instead of saying anything to her, I walked past, walking back into the room where I was folding my laundry.

The last thing I wanted to do was go back and forth with Lily over this. She surely was set in her ways and I knew I couldn't change her mind. But I certainly wasn't going to go tell Zane what to say or what to do.

I was almost at my room when I felt my hair being grabbed and started to pull. "You b***h. This is going to happen whether you like it or not."

"What the heck, Lily? What are you doing?" I turned with her hand, grabbing her wrist to stop her from pulling my hair out from their roots. The woman was batshit crazy, and I guess it was borderline madness now.

I shoved Lily’s hand off me with more force than I intended and she stumbled back a step, eyes wide with rage, but I didn’t flinch.

“No,” I said, breathing hard, chest rising and falling. “No more of this. You don’t get to put your hands on me and think I’m still going to help you.”

Her mouth curled into a sneer. “Oh, get off your high horse, Jasmine. You think you’re better than me now because a man looked at you twice?”

“I don’t think I’m better than you, Lily. I know I deserve better than being manhandled and blackmailed in my own damn house.”

“You wouldn’t even have this house if it wasn’t for Uncle Matthew taking you in after you killed my father and your…”

“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice sharp and breaking. “Don’t bring them into this. Don’t act like you’ve done me some kind of favor just by being in the same house. You and I both know this stopped being a ‘family’ situation a long time ago.”

She rolled her eyes, arms crossed, like I was the one being unreasonable. “You’re being dramatic.”

“No. I’ve just finally had enough.”

We stared at each other, the air between us crackling. My heart was hammering so hard I could barely hear myself think, but there was no mistaking the heat rising in my chest. Not fear… rage.

If someone had told me I was ever going to fight with a woman over a man, then I would have said that was a big fat lie. But here I was, doing it, only it wasn't because I wanted to.

Lily had always been manipulative. Always knew how to twist things to her favor. But this was something else. This was desperation, and it was ugly.

“Why do you even want to marry him?” I asked again, louder this time. “What is it really about? The money? His status? What? Because you don’t even like him.”

“I don’t have to like him!” she exploded. “You think this world is built on who likes who? Please. That man is a walking opportunity, and I’m not letting you… you, of all people… walk away with it. I deserve it more than you.”

I felt like I’d been slapped. “Why? Because I don’t play pretend the way you do? Because I don’t sell my soul for whatever’s shiny?”

Lily moved toward me again, and this time I stood my ground.

“You’re just the backup plan,” she hissed. “Don’t forget that.”

“Then maybe the backup plan should’ve been your first choice,” I shot back. “Because whether you like it or not, he already knows I was the one that showed up, and he asked me for this.”

“You think he won’t change his mind?”

“I think if he does, it sure as hell won’t be because I begged him to,” I said. “And if you try to come at me again, Lily, I swear, the next phone call I make is to the cops.”

That stunned her. For the first time in years, she actually looked afraid of me. Or maybe it was just the realization that she had pushed me too far.

She laughed a little, mean and hollow. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

She gave me one last glare, then turned and stormed toward her room, slamming the door so hard a frame fell off the hallway wall.

I stood there, hands shaking, breathing uneven. I didn’t know if I wanted to cry, scream, or just disappear.