“I know its late, but can I please say goodbye to Joel?” he requests, his eyes pleadingintomine.
I bite the inside of my cheek, refusing to let any more tears spill before noddingmyhead.
The drive back to my house is somber, the mood void of our earlier playfulness. Even the shock of Hugo driving Jorgie’sbabyhasn’t fully registered. I assumed it was still rusting in the back garage at the Marshall’s residence. When Hugo pulls into the driveway, the shake of my hands has converted to my entire body. I walk up to the front door with mute Hugo in tow. If I didn’t hear his feet stomping, I would have assumed he was still in his car from how quietheis.
When I press the key into the front door and swing open the door, Hugo asks, “Where does Marvin live?” His face is fettered withconfusion.
My eyes stray to my shoes. “Marvin still lives in his apartment on Pinter,” I strangle out, my voice shaking withshame.
“You’re engaged but you don’t live together?” Hugoqueries.
The unease in his tone silently demands myattention.
“It’s complicated,” I mumble, ambling into thefoyer.
“First door on the left,” I advise, happy to end our awkward conversation while also forgetting Hugo knows the layout of my house just as well asIdo.
Hugo smirks a tight smile before walking down the hall. His strides are long butheavy.
After seeing Belinda off, I hesitantly pace down the corridor. A small sheen of light is drifting into the hall from Joel’s room, no doubt the nightlight he sleeps with. Ever since his uncle Chase read himDer Struwwelpeter,he has requested to sleep with thelighton.
When I reach Joel’s room, I lean my shoulder on the wall just outside the doorjamb and prickmyears.
“Are you gonna come back?” Joel asks, his voice groggy from being wokensolate.
The mattress springs creak before I hear, “Yeah, buddy, I’ll bebacksoon.”
I smile when Joel says, “Will you bring me back a present? When Uncle Chase went to Disney World, he brought me back apresent.”
“I’m sure I can wrangle up something. What do you like?” Hugo asks, his voice not as strained as it wasearlier.
“Do they sell candy where you’re going?” Joel asks, excitement in hisvoice.
Hugo chuckles. “I wouldn’t live there if they didn’t,” hereplies.
When the room falls into silence, I sneak a peek. My heart squeezes when I realize what has caused the quietness. Joel has his little arms flung around Hugo’s neck, squeezing him tight. Hugo is embracing him just as robustly. When Joel releases Hugo from his embrace, Hugo’s face strains. My heart beats double time. Hugo doesn’t want to leave Joel any more than I want himtogo.
“I’ll see you soon, buddy,” Hugo assures him, standing fromthebed.
Joel nods and dives back into his bed. After tucking Joel in and placing a kiss on his forehead, Hugo pivots around and ambles out of the room. Tears spring in my eyes when I see the confounded look crossinghisface.
“He isn’t going anywhere,” I comfort him, saying anything to ease the uncertainty clouding his eyes. “He will be waiting for you when youcomeback.”
Although words cost nothing, sometimes they are the most valuable thing you can give aperson.
When Hugo places a kiss on the side of my mouth, his lips quiveragainstmine.
“I’ll see you soon,” he mutters into my ear before he spins on his heel and races to the door, exiting without a backwardglance.
Chapter Fourteen
Hugo
“You take Hugo,or you don’t go, Isabelle,” Isaac warns, his tonestern.
My eyes drift between Isaac and Izzy. It feels like I’ve been transported to a different universe. When I left Ravenshoe, five days ago, they were announcing their engagement to the world and blissfully in love. Now, they are standing across from each other as if they are strangers. Trust me, after the five days I’ve just endured, I know a lot can happen in a short span of time, but I’m still surprised to return to this. Izzy and Isaac are solid. They remind me a lot of Hawke and Jorgie, so I know they will get through the latest debacle. But it makes me wonder what happened the past few days to tilt the axis of their relationship soviciously.
My past few days have been surreal. I have a son. A precious little boy who captured my soul in under a second. Just glancing into his eyes heals wounds I never thought would have the chance to mend. I’m not biased when I say Joel is perfect. He is perfect in every way. It’s not surprising, though, considering who his mom is. Joel has so much of Ava in him. The way he screws up his little nose when he is thinking, his crazy curly hair, and how his eyes can see straight through tomysoul.
