Marrying My Billionaire Hookup - Nadia Lee Page 0,46

we didn’t even last a semester. Actually, forget high school…none of my exes lasted that long, period.

The night air is cool and full of the smell of the city. My beloved Los Angeles. This is where my family is. Home. My people, my place.

My phone pings. Hugo again? I check it and see a text from Aaron.

–Aaron: How did it go?

Ugh. I drop my phone back into my purse. Communicating with him is about as fun as licking a gas station toilet bowl, and I’m not going to end my day on such an unpleasant note. He needs to wait until I’m ready to tell him it went sideways because he is too cheap, has the worst taste in jewelry and is too stupid to live. What loser imagines that blackmailing a woman into marrying him is going to end well?

I start walking through the lot toward my car. I should get some sleep and think about how I’m going to deal with Edgar. Avoiding him is just immature and won’t solve anything. And my parents are right: we shouldn’t get married simply because of a baby. Besides, what if Edgar meets somebody else—the other half of his soul—later? Wouldn’t divorce be more traumatic for the child? And what about me?

My mind fills with a short clip of Edgar telling me he’s in love with somebody else and he’d appreciate it if I’d just go along with a divorce. Of course, he’ll provide for me and our child, as that is the responsible thing—the right thing—to do. And he’s going to say all of it in his solemnly serious and hot voice that never fails to put sparks of joyful lust in me.

Something bitter and ugly fills my mouth—jealousy of the hypothetical woman of Edgar’s dreams. I close my eyes and exhale roughly. What’s wrong with me? I’m jealous of a person who doesn’t even exist?

“Jo.”

I start, then stare at him. Did I manage to conjure up the man because I’ve been thinking about him so much?

No. He’s still in front of me, in the lot. He looks like a modern, urban warrior in that suit. His face is carved into an unsmiling façade. And I have the most absurd urge to have it relax into a grin. Have his green eyes light with happiness.

Stop fantasizing. Your ovaries can’t handle it, and your womb is already occupied.

“Edgar, what are you still doing here? I thought you went home.” My voice is calm, which is good. I don’t want him to know he affects me when he has no feelings for me.

“I wanted to speak with you.” He hesitates for a moment, his eyebrows pulling tighter. “Sorry if your parents yelled at you.”

I shake my head. “They didn’t.” They just made me cry with their love.

But Edgar seems skeptical. He scrutinizes my face in silence.

Oh geez. Is he going to notice I have tears in my eyes? “My parents wanted to let me know they’re one hundred percent behind me, no matter what I decide to do.”

“And your decision?” His expression’s impassive, but something in his tone indicates that my answer isn’t just critically important, but he won’t be budging until he hears it.

I sigh. He isn’t making this easy. I should’ve added “persistent” to the list of qualities about him. “I already told you at Starbucks.”

“Giving in to your ex-boyfriend is a mistake.”

His quiet statement freezes me with shock. “What? How do you know about that?”

“Yuna told me. She specifically said if I don’t save you, she’ll send ninjas after me.”

I snort, then let out a laugh despite my less-than-fantastic mood. That’s so her. She’s all about friendship and wanting to help. “Then you know what’s at stake and what I have to do.”

“Marry your ex?” Edgar’s voice turns rougher. “That’s the best solution you can come up with?”

Damn it. He doesn’t have to say it like it’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. Embarrassment heats my face. Edgar’s opinion of me seems to matter an awful lot, and it pisses me off.

“It’s only until my dad retires,” I say sharply.

“It won’t be only until then.”

I tilt my head. What does Edgar know that I don’t?

He continues, “Your ex is going to get a taste for controlling you.”

“So what? He knows releasing the video on its own is going to get his face permanently rearranged and all his limbs broken. The only reason he can threaten me at all is because of the damage he’s going to inflict on my