He pulled out his phone and flipped it around, showing me a photo of a tiny baby bundled in a pink onesie.
“Oh my god,” I breathed. “She’s perfect. What’s her name?”
“Imogen.” He smiled as I scrolled through the pictures. “Sasha said you have to call her once you’re settled.”
“I will,” I grinned, already looking forward to it.
He draped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side just as Riff climbed back into the driver’s seat.
“You should come to LA with me,” Bodhi said casually, like he wasn’t casually detonating my entire brain. “Then you can meet her in person. See the baby.”
My eyes widened. “Do you mean that?” I asked, gripping the front of his T-shirt.
He frowned. But then his expression softened, and he brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. “Of course I do. I want to show you my life. Introduce you to my mom. Do all that couple stuff.”
My breath caught. Meeting his mum felt huge since I knew how much they meant to one another. It was more proof that this wasn’t temporary, or convenient, or something he’d eventually grow tired of.
“And,” he added, kissing my temple. “If you decide you want to stay there permanently... well. That’d just be a bonus.”
The word “permanently” lingered between us, and instead of making me hesitate, it made something in me spark. Not fear or need, but want. For the first time in a while, the idea of choosing a future didn’t feel overwhelming. It felt exciting.
Riff started the car and glanced back at us through the mirror. “So,” he said with a grin. “What’s next, Iggy?”
I nibbled my lip and glanced up at Bodhi. At the man who had stood by me despite my flaws. Who’d been my comfort during tough times, and my support system when I needed it. Who started as my best friend and eventually became the love of my life. Who wanted to spend the rest of his life by my side because he loved me unconditionally. Who never made me feel like a problem to fix.
In the end he hadn’t saved me.
He’d taught me how to save myself.
And that was so much better.
I kissed him quickly, letting myself linger in the feeling for just a heartbeat longer, then turned to Riff with a smile full of quiet promise.
“I’ll take it one day at a time,” I said, lacing my fingers through Bodhi’s. “I just want to be happy.”
And this time, it felt possible.
FINALE
IGGY
ONE YEAR SOBER
“Are you excited?”
Bodhi’s voice murmured against my ear, low and intimate, sending a shiver down my spine. I leaned into his side and let my hand slide over his leather-clad thigh, dragging it upward until it brushed his cock. His breath hitched, sharp and telling, and I smiled to myself, grateful for the privacy of the van’s back row.
“I’m excited forafterthe party,” I whispered.
He nibbled at my earlobe, and I squirmed, biting down on my lip to keep the sound in. Bodhi chuckled softly, flicking my ear with his tongue, and I pressed my hand more deliberately against his crotch.
“Cut it out, you horny devils,” Riff called from the row in front of us. “Just because you think you’re being quiet doesn’t mean we can’t tell you’re getting handsy.”
“Yeah,” Ghost added. “Clothes rustle, you know?”
“You’re just jealous you’re not getting any,” Mick chimed infrom the front row, one arm slung around Clara’s shoulders. They’d been together a year now and had recently moved into their first place, which Mick brought up at least once a week like it was a medal of honour.
“Don’t get on your high horse just because you finally bagged your woman,” Thump snorted.
