I haven't see any indication that Tim misses Jade herself. He certainly hasn't spoken about her or acted in any way which would indicate he values her as an individual or a friend. I do think he would love to have her unconditional loyalty the way Ed has it, but he lost it because of his own actions, not because of anything Ed did.
If Tim was really interested in reconnecting with Jade, he could have easily taken this time to do that. Instead, he started by blaming her (and Ed) for the separation, then dumped a load of guilt on her, knowing that Jade's kind heart would hurt for him. I have to agree with Ed that it was emotional manipulation from the start and, because of who Jade is, it partly worked.
I do agree with you that Jade needs someone besides Ed to talk about these things, because Ed doesn't do emotions. Jade needed a hug and a shoulder to cry on, and Ed gave her anger and frustration. The sisters would have been a great source of comfort and even Madaline could have helped, but I think Mikkayla would have lost it even worse than Ed!