His determination sends a small, hopeful thrill up my spine. I smile.
“And also to help you move, since you declined my offer to hire a crew,” he adds. “So I can just load them into a car, right?” He gestures at the boxes.
“Yes.”
Just then, Hugo walks in. “Hey, Edgar.”
I turn on my cousin, ready to unleash my wrath. “You!”
“What?” He blinks, the picture of innocence.
I walk up to him while Edgar picks up a box. “Why do you think I don’t let people into my home?” I say under my breath so Edgar can’t hear.
“Because you’re a private person. But he’s your fiancé, right?”
What? Am I dreaming here? Or did the word “fiancé” suddenly gain an alternate meaning when I wasn’t looking? “When did Edgar become my fiancé in your mind?”
“Just now, when I was carrying your things to my car. You would’ve never agreed to move in with him otherwise. I know you.” Then he frowns. “Why are we whispering, by the way?”
Mr. Columbia Law School is awfully slow today. “Because I’m trying to talk about Edgar without him hearing about it.”
Hugo nods. “Isn’t that rude? And he walked out with a box a moment ago, so I don’t think we need to keep whispering.”
Argh. “I didn’t want him to come in.”
Hugo shrugs. “Look, you have way too much stuff, and I honestly can’t do all this by myself. If he can’t even carry your boxes for you, you’re moving in with the wrong guy.”
“He’s really busy.”
“So am I,” Hugo points out. “That didn’t stop you from dragging me here.”
“Where are your brothers?” Edgar says as he walks in again.
“I didn’t call them,” I say.
“Why not?”
“Because I know their schedules, and they can’t come. And it’s the same for my other cousins.”
That’s partially untrue. They’re all busy, but if I asked them, they would’ve come, except maybe for Pablo because he needed to save some kid’s life. I contacted Hugo because… Well, if I’m really being honest, I’ve been feeling slightly petty about the fact that he contacted Edgar behind my back when he found out about my pregnancy, rather than talking to me about it.
“I don’t mind, really,” Hugo says. “My mom would kill me if she heard I let Jo carry a bunch of heavy stuff. She’s in a very delicate condition.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. He sounds so medievally overprotective all of a sudden.
Edgar stretches his shoulders. “True. Now let’s get this done.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Edgar
I don’t let Jo carry anything except her purse. Hugo and I pack the vehicles with her things. Jo’s hovering, obviously worried about rough handling on our part. She should have more faith in me. As she should’ve had when I was taking care of Aaron.
I realize the thought is uncharacteristically begrudging. Perhaps I’m more annoyed than I expected about her near-wedding.
Actually, my reaction since finding Jo at the courthouse has been anything but normal. Hell, I didn’t want to be away from her since dragging her away from the farcical ceremony. If I hadn’t received Susan’s text about an emergency teleconference this afternoon, I wouldn’t have let Jo go home by herself after lunch. But I had to be at the meeting to deal with the mess Dad made in the morning by handpicking only his favorites for a coveted project. Of course, none of them were women, even though we’d agreed to put two on it. They earned their spots.
When I confronted Dad, he sounded genuinely confused. Said the job’s too dirty and hard for women.