“Come on. We’ll do it together.”
Nova spotted me first. “Hey, Jer. Good to see you.”
“You, too,” I said, leaning in for a quick hug.
Luna stepped in with a smile. “Nova, you already know Jer. Jer, this is her husband, Ollie.”
Ollie held out his hand, and before I could even say anything, Luna added, “They just got married.”
“Oh yeah, bro—we know,” I said, shaking his hand with a small smirk.
Dirks, standing just off to the side, burst into a laugh.
“Yeah, we were jealous,” Dirks admitted, still grinning like he was telling on both of us.
Ollie’s mouth curled into a slow smile. “Nah, nothing to be jealous of, especially not Will.”
That made Dirks bark out another laugh, and I couldn’t stop my own.
Luna rolled her eyes at all three of us. “Okay, enough of the boys’ club—Ollie, Dirks, come on. You’ve got to see what they’re setting up in the front windows.”
The two of them followed her, still laughing under their breath, leaving me standing there with Nova.
“You look good, Jer. Heard you’re sober now.”
“Yeah,” I said, adjusting my stance. “I heard you’ve got a kid with Austin.”
“Yeah. We’ve been co-parenting really well, actually. We’re headed over there this weekend.” She shrugged. “Have you seen him?”
“No. Thought about reaching out. Maybe one day.”
Nova’s gaze sharpened. “You know, Luna’s the best human I know. When she was in London... ” She exhaled. “She was withering away, Jer. Like she’d shrunk herself to fit in a box someone else made for her. And now”—Nova gestured vaguely toward where Luna’s laugh carried from the front windows—“she’s back, and she’s flourishing. So flourish with her. Don’t be the root that pulls her down.” She tilted her head, studying me like she was peeling back layers. “Do you know what I love most about Luna?”
“You’re her best friend, you love everything about her.”
“Wrong. What I love most is that she makes people better. Not just nicer. Not just more fun to be around. She makes peoplemore themselves—the version they’ve been too scared to be. I watched it happen with me. I watched it happen with Ollie. And I’ve watched her try to do it for you once.”
I shifted, uncomfortable under her stare. “I’m only here because I need her help.”
Nova laughed. “Sure. That’s what you’re telling yourself. I’ve been around enough addicts, enough men who can’t admit they’re in deep, to know the truth when I see it. You’re here because she’s your oxygen. And maybe you hate that. Maybe it scares the shit out of you. But don’t you dare pretend she’s just your crutch. Because one day, she’s not going to let you lean anymore—she’s going to want you to stand next to her.”
The words lodged in my chest. “You think I can?”
“I think either you will or you’ll lose her. And Jer—” She reached out, squeezing my shoulder until I met her eyes. “You already know you wouldn’t survive losing her again.”
She started to walk away, then glanced back with a little smirk. “I love her. And I’ve seen that look in my own eyes when I watch her—the one you’re wearing right now. That’s not someone who just cares. That’s someone who’s already hers.”
46
luna
“Why is there a Kama Sutra person making us go into poses right now, Lune?” Nova looked at me questionably.
I grinned. “Because I wanted this to be fun.”
The first half of the party had been casual mingling, chatting, and keeping it low-pressure. I’d promised the community that if they wanted to stop by, I’d keep the cameras off for social media. The second half was my time to give the studio a little show.
“There’s a special class we’re hosting. It’s for victims of... sexual abuse.” The words still felt raw, jagged coming out, but I powered through. “I want them to feel empowered in their body again, using yoga combined with poses from the Kama Sutra.”
