Page 124 of Academically Yours

Our joined hands felt like a lifeline in that moment. Something grounding that kept me connected to her, reminded me that this was real, and I was here—she was here.

“Matthew—” She started, but this time I gave a little shake of my head. I wasn’t done.

“It's like you walked into my life and the sun could shine again, like maybe if I was holding you, kissing you…” I paused, knowing what I needed to say but feeling so overwhelmed by the love I felt for her that I was getting choked up. “If I was loving you, then everything else was worth it.”

“Do you?” Noelle breathed, her big brown eyes shimmering with a whirlwind of emotions as she clutched my shirt to keep herself steady.

“Do I what?” I asked, wiping a thumb under her eye, collecting droplets of tears before they could run down her face.

“Love me.”

“Yes, baby,” I smiled, grazing her forehead with my lips, planting the faintest kiss there. “I do.” I shook my head, in awe that this crazy girl didn’t know I loved her yet. That it took me so long to tell her. “Loving you is as natural to me as breathing. I swear, Noelle, you came into my life and wormed your way into my heart. I knew the first time I saw you that there was no one like you on this planet. No one else for me.” I wiped another tear from her cheek, but they kept coming. “No one but you, my sweet girl.”

“You and me,” she said after taking a deep breath, a small smile spreading across her face. We looked at each other for a long, beautiful moment before Noelle spoke again. “I… I can’t live without you either. I can’t. And I’m sorry if I made you doubt it, but you are worth it. And I just…” She pulled me into her, sliding her hands into mine. “I didn’t want you to think I didn’t want you.”

I laughed. “There’s no getting rid of me, baby. As long as that’s what you want.”

“It is.” Noelle wrapped her arms around my waist, and I wrapped mine around her back in return.

“Yeah?” I murmured into her hair.

“Yeah.”

Unconditional happiness washed over me. “I’m yours, and you’re mine. Always and forever, okay?”

“Will you say it again?” She asked quietly.

“Say what, baby?”

“That you love me.”

I grinned, placing a kiss on her lips. “I love you, Noelle Hastings.”

“That’s good,” Noelle started, and then she flushed, her cheeks turning red as I moved my focus to kiss each individual freckle on her face. “Because I love you too, Matthew Harper. Forever and always. I’m yours, truly.” As I pulled back from her face, her hands cupped my cheeks, smoothing over the stubble of my unshaven beard.

I couldn’t help a smug smile. “I know.”

“What?”

“I heard what you said to Jake. While you were defending me. That you loved me,” I beamed.

She gaped for a moment before showing at my shoulder. “You jerk! You were going to leave after you heard me say that?”

I laughed, pulling her body tightly into mine. “I wasn’t going to let you go, I promise.”

“Matthew,” Noelle started. “The other day, after we left the hospital… You asked me about the future.”

“We don’t have to talk about that now,” I said, stroking her cheek.

“I want to. I want to tell you things I’ve never told anyone else.” Noelle closed her eyes, nuzzling against my chest again. “When I saw you at the hospital, holding Theo in your arms… It freaked me out. Holding him freaked me out, I think, because I hadn’t been ready to think about the kind of future I wanted to have with you.” I heard her sniffle.

“Baby…”

“I know it wasn’t fair to you, to project my insecurities on you about Jake… and my dad. But I was terrified that you would leave, because when you did… If you decided I wasn’t good enough? That was going to break my heart. And the damaged would just be too much.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but she just put up a hand. “You’re good. And you love so deeply. I’ve never once doubted how much you care for me.” Tears were dripping from her eyes now, and I wiped them all away. Kissed her hand and squeezed it lightly to urge her to continue. “But that fear—it was crippling. And that’s not to say that I might not get in my head again… But I want it all with you, Matthew James Harper. I do. I want the house and the ring and the family and the kids and a life.”

“You’re sure?” My heart was beating out of my chest, and my vision was blurry as I clung to her. Because this—she was everything. My whole heart. My future.