“It was all I had…” Hannah shrugs innocently.
Mrs. whatever her name is splutters angrily, looking at me. “And who isthis?”
“My boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Hannah’s mom snorts. “Since when do you have aboyfriend?”
Taking that as an invitation, I hold my hand out, flashing the woman a smile. “Happy Slater.”
She looks down at my hand like she isn’t sure I didn’t just go to the bathroom and wipe my ass without washing it. When she doesn’t shake it, I tuck it into the pocket of my suit pants, glancing curiously at Hannah and momentarily wondering how thisthinggave birth to such an angel.
“Happy plays for the Thunder,” Hannah explains casually. “I’ve known him for years.”
“Oh, a hockey player, huh? I should’ve known.” The woman smirks, but it’s laced with nothing but pure threat as she looks back to Hannah. “Careful sweetheart… you’ll end up knocked up like I was at your age.”
Personally, I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, the thought of Hannah’s belly swollen and full of my baby, a little brother or sister for Lucky Duck, only makes my dick twitch. But I know now isn’t the time or the place to be thinking about things like Hannah pregnant, especially not when she’s literally full of my cum…
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m nothing like you,” Hannah sasses.
Her mother purses her lips. “There is no room for a plus one. Like I said, the seating arrangements were finalized two weeks ago,” she says, turning to me. “I think it might be best if yourboyfriendleaves.”
It’s only then that I notice the blonde from earlier,CelesteI think, the apparent wedding coordinator, standing off to the side with her arms folded across her chest, looking more than a little smug, and it suddenly makes sense. They don’t want me here forno reason other than it seems no one here wants to see Hannah happy.
“This was a mistake,” Hannah says with a scoff. “I never should have come.”
Hannah’s mother’s face is completely void of any and all emotion.
“The only reason I’m here is because my father, your ex-husband. You know? The one you cheated on?”
Someone gasps.
“He said I might regret it if I didn’t come,” Hannah continues. “But the thing is, I don’t even like you.”
Hannah’s mom sucks in a breath, holding her hand to her chest. If she was wearing pearls, she’d have clutched them.
“All my life, all you did was make me feel shitty about myself. Telling me I was never good enough, never pretty enough, never skinny enough, never popular enough, never… enough.”
At the sound of the emotion catching in the back of Hannah’s throat, I step closer to her, placing my hand at the small of her back to let her know that I’m right here.
“I am so done with you, Mom. I always like to try and see the best in everyone, but”—she shakes her head, looking her mom up and down—“you’re just a horrible person.”
“A horrible person? Hannah, I am yourmother!” The woman scoffs, huffing an incredulous laugh as she looks back at a few of the people watching on.
“Yeah, you are,” Hannah says, nodding. “And I’m so fucking done with you.”
Grabbing my hand and holding it tight, Hannah meets my eyes, and I can see it in her gaze. She needs to leave. Now. So, without another look back at her mother, we turn away, and I usher my girl out of there so damn fast.
CHAPTER 40
HANNAH
When I told Happy I didn’t want to spend a minute longer than I had to in the state of South Carolina, anywhere near my mother, he said he’d take care of it. And when I walked out of the bathroom, showered, wearing a sweatsuit, my hair a tangled wet mess, I was met with Happy standing there in his suit pants and white button down, our bags packed, ready to get me out of there.
Now, as we pull up to a private airfield just outside of Charleston, where there’s a small plane waiting, I cast him a confused glance.
“I told you—I’ve got you, baby. Always.”
“Yeah, but a private jet?” I gasp. “Happy!”
