Page 57 of Never After Us
I glare at Alec.“You’re concerned about me?Really?I’m not the one redecorating hotel rooms with my fists—or breaking noses.”
Edgar’s eyebrow lifts.“She knows who you are.”
“She guessed,” Alec mutters.
Edgar crosses his arms, smirking.“Is this why you nine-nine-one’d me?”
I blink.“Is he going to be here long?”I ask Alec, because I do not have time for whatever this man’s energy is.
“Excuse me?”Alec looks confused.Or offended.Or both.
“Listen,” I say quickly, “I have to be at the lawyer’s office at nine, and I was wondering if you could come with me and keep Mila company while I sign some documents?”
Edgar frowns at Alec.“You want to leave this poor man with a child?”
“He survived my child already,” I say without hesitation.
“Barely,” Alec mutters.
Edgar laughs.Laughs.Out loud.“Why do you have to go to an office?Have them come to you.”
“They’re working,” I remind him.
“You’re a single mom who just moved to a new city,” he counters, already pulling out a cellphone.“They should come to you.We’ll fix this.”
“They’re doing me a favor?—”
“No, you are,” Edgar says.“There’re a lot of assets and money involved.You could walk away and hire someone else.They’re lucky you’re even considering showing up.”
I cross my arms.“How do you know all this?”
Edgar gives a careless shrug.“I had to learn about you.I make it my business to know what’s happening around my family.”He points at Alec.Then extends his hand to me.“Edgar Reznor.You can call me Eddie.”
Before I can respond, Mila pops out of my penthouse holding her stuffed unicorn like she’s about to swear it into Congress.“Can I call you Eddie too?”
Eddie’s grin is immediate.“You must be the little umbrella demon.”
“I’m not a demon and I don’t turn into an umbrella,” Mila says flatly.“Are you part of the Dead Moths too?My Aunt Ari says she owns all of them like collectibles.”
Eddie chuckles.“Does she now?I’ll have to look into that ownership.”
“He’s the former manager of the band,” Alec tells her.“Best friend.Probably the only one with functioning brain cells.Why are you here, Eddie?”
“Because you sent a nine-one-one alert and I need to talk to you,” Eddie says.“But first, I think these two need proper guidance.Do you mind if we go inside your place?”
“I—”
“Eddie is nosy,” Alec says, stepping aside, “but harmless.Let’s go in and see what he can do about your legal issues.It’ll also save me from answering more questions.He can talk to Mila about EchoZone.”
Mila gasps, eyes huge.“You know EchoZone?Mom says I’m too young for it, but is it true you can talk to people anywhere in the world?”
“Not yet, but we’re expanding,” Eddie says proudly.“You?—”
“She’s too young,” Alec cuts in.
“I was going to say she can talk to people anywhere in the world when she’s eighteen and we finally have that feature implemented,” Eddie says.“Or you can hand-write letters.”
Mila groans dramatically.“That’s ten years from now.I’ll be ancient.Practically twenty.”
