Chapter 444: Chapter 462

Chapter 0462 Hannah “Noah, look at this.”

I climbed into the passenger seat and pulled the ticket out of my pocket. Noah’s eyes widened as he took it, studying the details.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“I swiped it off of Doctor Patel’s desk,” I said, admittedly a little proud of myself.

Noah dropped the hand holding the ticket to his leg. “Hannah, you didn’t... Tell me you didn’t steal from our doctor?”

“What?” I asked, splaying my hands wide. “I couldn’t help myself. I mean, why did your father buy a plane ticket to the tropics for the family doctor? Who, might add, was in said tropics for, like, three months straight last year.”

Noah was silent for several long moments. His green eyes flicked to the ticket, then to me, then to the ticket once more. I couldn’t decide if he was annoyed or impressed that I had noticed that little detail. He couldn’t seem to decide, either.

Finally, he said, “It looks like it was purchased around Christmas time. I guess my father was in the holiday spirit last year.”

I frowned and folded my arms across my chest. “Your father isn’t the gift–giving type.”

Noah scoffed. “No. I guess you’re right.” Another pause as he studied the ticket, turning it over in his hands. “Doctor Patel has been our family doctor for decades, though. Maybe my dad-”

“Has your dad ever gotten a gift for you?” I blurted out. “Or your mother?”

At the mention of his late mother, Noah’s face went pale. He quickly looked away, and I instantly felt my heart sink. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“No,” he said softly, shaking his head. “You’re right. My dad only ever gave my mother one gift that I can recall, and it was only because that was when he’d gotten caught cheating with Scott’s mother.”

We both stared at the ticket again after that. It really was strange; Marcus was not the type of man who gave gifts, let alone to employees–which was essentially what Doctor Patel was to him.

“Then why give him a plane ticket to the tropics?” I mused. “Why fund a months–long vacation?”

Noah’s eyes were fixed on the ticket in his hands, but I could sense his mind whirling through our bond. Strange, indeed...

By the time the last box was unloaded and placed in the foyer, I felt like my arms might give out from the strain.

“Ugh,” Viona whined, lounging back on the stairs. “When you told me you wanted me to be your Beta, you never mentioned that the job might include being your moving lady as well.”

1/2 Chapter 0462 +25 BONUS I smirked as I stared down at my friend. Despite the offers to hire a moving company, I’d insisted on doing it myself–partially out of the fear that something might happen to my valuables during transit but mainly just because I wanted to.

Having Drake, Noah, and Viona to help certainly made the work a lot easier.

“Hey,” I said, holding up the pizza parlor menu that I’d been hiding in my back pocket all day, “would pizza help smooth the wound over?”

Viona and Drake perked up at the mention of pizza. Even Noah’s eyes lit up. I could practically hear all three of their stomachs growl all at once.

“Pizza it is, then,” I said with a laugh, pulling out my phone.

After ordering the pizzas–with Viona insisting on a mushroom topping for one and a side of garlic knots- we all moved to the living room to relax. Noah put on some music, and I laid back on the couch with a satisfied smile.

Home. I was finally home.

Being back in this house after being away for so long would take a lot of getting used to, that was for sure. But it felt... right. I wanted to give this home another chance, an opportunity to fill the walls with happy memories that would hopefully dull some of the bad ones.

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