Page 58 of Just My Type (The Boston Hearts #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

NOAH

“ Y ou’re fucking amazing, Hannah,” I murmur into her ear. “Strong and powerful and brave as fuck.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, her voice muffled by my chest. “I couldn’t have stood up to him without you.”

I kiss the top of her head, breathing her in, letting her vanilla scent surround me. “You could have. You can do anything. But I’ll always be there for you. Always. I swear it. Did he hurt you?”

I pull away and gently take her wrists, examining the sensitive skin, kissing the red marks he left there.

Hannah cups my face in her hands, her eyes locking with mine, turning fierce. “He didn’t. I swear. He scared me, but he didn’t hurt me. He can’t. He won’t.”

“Damn straight he won’t.” My mom speaks for the first time, wrapping Hannah in a hug and then cupping Hannah’s face and studying her. “I’m so proud of you, honey. Standing up to him like that. It was a sight to see. You were glorious.”

“You sure were,” Cece says, her smile wide. “I knew right from the start that you had fire in you, Hannah Evans. I knew you were meant to belong to us. ”

Hannah swallows hard, looking back and forth between my mom and Cece.

“Thank you both.” Her voice is quiet and full of emotion.

“Not just for now, but for all of it. For accepting me when I showed up in Boston back in the winter without asking a single question and lending me an apartment and treating me like I was one of you. I think…” Hannah glances over at me, and my stomach flips at the look in her eyes.

“I think these past few months have been the best months of my life.”

Cece says nothing, she just squeezes Hannah’s hand, and the look that passes between them is full of something I don’t understand, and I know isn’t meant for me. It’s for them and them alone.

“We didn’t act like you’re one of us, Hans. You are one of us.” Amelia steps forward and wraps an arm around Hannah’s waist, leaning into her. “Sisters, in every way that matters.”

“And we’re, like, actual sisters,” Jo says, taking Hannah’s other side. “So, you know you always belong with me. I’m just glad you decided that you belong here, too, because I don’t want you to be anywhere else.”

My eyes search Hannah’s face when Jo says that because Hannah has never mentioned staying in Boston, and we’ve never talked about it.

I haven’t wanted to push her, even though it’s everything I want.

The two of us living together in one of our apartments.

Mornings and nights and dinner with family and being married for real and forever.

But there’s time enough for all of that.

“The fuckhead is gone,” Cooper announces as my brothers and my dad come strolling back down the hallway. “I’m almost disappointed he didn’t put up more of a fight. I was in the mood for a little ass kicking.”

My mom hooks her arm around Cooper’s neck and kisses him on the cheek. “I feel like as your mom I should be more concerned about your penchant for violence, but that guy was a grade A asshole and Hannah is ours, so I’ll condone this violence. ”

Jordan makes a beeline for Jo’s side and Elliot for Amelia’s. I wrap my arms around Hannah’s waist from behind and smile as she leans her head back on my shoulder because everything is as it should be.

“I’m really sorry about this,” Hannah says, turning to Jordan and Jo.

“Sorry about what, Hans?” Jo asks, looking genuinely confused.

Hannah reaches over and takes Jo’s hand. “It’s your wedding day and you and your brand-new husband are out here with me dealing with the fallout from my ex-boyfriend I should have handled months ago instead of ignoring. You don’t deserve that.”

Jo scoffs, wrapping her arms around Hannah, sandwiching her between us. “You’re my sister, Hans, and I love you. Our wedding was perfect, and there isn’t anything more important than you.”

“Wyles stick together,” Jordan says, smirking at me with his signature shit-stirring grin. “And if I’m not mistaken, I think I’m not the first person in this little group to make a girl a Wyles. Or was that whole my wife thing just for show?”

Jo cocks an eyebrow at Jordan. “Hang on, J. What makes you think I’m taking your name? I love you madly, but I’m an Evans. I’ll always be an Evans.”

“That’s my girl!” Cece says. “You do you, Jo, honey. Don’t let a man boss you around.”

Jo gives Jordan a sly smile. “What if I like it when he bosses me around?”

Jordan laughs and tugs Jo closer to him. “You definitely do you, Jo Jo. I don’t care what your last name is. I’m just happy you get to be my wife.”

My mom gives Jordan a brilliant smile. “I really am an excellent mom. I raised you boys right. Now…” She turns to Hannah and me with narrowed eyes.

“I think we have a little unfinished business in the form of an accidental my wife to deal with. You know how much I hate to be out of the loop, so you two better start talking, right now. Did you get married?” She gives me the mom look that has my balls shriveling up despite the fact that I’m a full-grown adult. “Without your mother there to see it?”

I open my mouth to say…I’m not sure what exactly, but Cece beats me to it. “Oh, they’re definitely married, and it’s a really great story. One I think we all deserve to know.” She looks at Hannah and me expectantly, wicked glint in her eye.

“Hold the fuck on,” Amelia says, gaze bouncing between Hannah and me. “You’re married? Like, till death do us part married? How? When? Why? Where?”

I look down, worried Hannah is going to hate all this attention on our accidental-but-feels-incredibly-real marriage that she wanted to keep a secret, but she just laughs and turns her head to look at me, her eyes sparkling with fun. “I guess we owe you all a story.”

“Fuck yeah, you do,” Cooper says, pinning me with an accusatory stare.

“I think I’d like to hear that story myself,” my dad says, stepping forward to kiss Hannah on the cheek. “Proud of you,” he murmurs.

“Okay,” my mom says, clapping her hands together like she has discovered the solution to all the world’s problems. “I think what this wedding needs is an after party in the form of midnight breakfast with a side of Hannah and Noah’s salacious secret marriage story.”

“Fuck yes.” Elliot says, tossing an arm around Amelia’s shoulder. “I love midnight breakfast.”

Midnight breakfast is a Wyles family tradition we pull out whenever we need to celebrate or capital T Talk.

All the men except for Cooper cook, my mom sits on the couch and orders us around, and then we eat breakfast at whatever time it happens to be.

Although, it’s almost midnight, so it looks like tonight, midnight breakfast lives up to its literal name.

I glance down at Hannah, thinking that breakfast at the best time of night—our most sacred time—feels like exactly the right time to let our family in on the secret we’ve been keeping.

“Sounds perfect,” Jo says, beaming. “We can take over Hallie and Ben’s kitchen for the occasion.”

“She won’t mind?” Amelia asks. “She has twins and she’s pregnant.”

Hannah shakes her head. “The twins are with Ben’s parents tonight, and Ben is the king of breakfast. He’ll love it. But Jo, are you sure you and Jordan don’t want to be alone? You just got married.”

“Nope,” she says, sliding an arm around Jordan’s waist. “We have plenty of time to be alone. Right now, we’re going to go eat waffles, and you’re going to tell us how you accidentally ended up married to him.

” Jo points a finger at me and tries for an accusatory stare but doesn’t quite get there what with the humor sparkling in her eyes.

“Well then it’s settled,” my mom says, grinning broadly.

“I think the rest of our guests can fend for themselves. We’ve got a midnight breakfast to attend.

” She turns, secure in the belief that we are all going to follow her, and everyone does, but I keep my hold on Hannah, spinning her so she’s facing me.

Cupping her face in my hands, I give her a gentle kiss that feels like an exhale. My lips glide over hers softly, reverently, like we have all the time in the world. And if I have my way, we will.

“Are you okay with this?” I ask, stroking my thumbs over her cheeks.

Hannah smiles at me, her arms around my waist. “With breakfast at midnight? I sure am. I’m starving.”

I press a kiss to her forehead, smiling against her skin. “With telling everyone about Vegas. We don’t have to. If it’s too much or too soon I can hold everyone off.”

Hannah shakes her head. “No. I’m ready. There’s no such thing as too much with you, and we’ve already waited long enough. It’s time. An hour ago, I told you I want forever with you, Noah, and nothing has changed. I think I’d like forever to start as soon as possible.”

I narrow my eyes at her playfully. “Are you quoting When Harry Met Sally at me?”

She shrugs, grinning. “Felt appropriate.”

I bring my forehead to hers, closing my eyes, and wonder, again, how anyone could be this lucky. I love her so fucking much. “Well then, Gorgeous, I think we have a midnight breakfast to get to.”

Hannah grins at me. “My favorite meal at my favorite time of night. Lead the way, handsome.”