Chapter 26 #2
Bodhi laughed softly. “You seriously thought I wouldn’t come pick you up?”
As promised, we’d spoken every Sunday during the Willow’s allotted phone hour.
We traded rehab updates and tour stories.
Sometimes Clara or one of the boys would steal the phone for a minute, until Bodhi inevitably took it back just to tell me he missed me.
That he loved me. That he was proud of me.
He told me about Ghost and Thump getting so drunk they’d slept in the hallway after losing their room keys, Clara punishing them by refusing to help.
About Mick finally admitting he liked Clara after years of pining, and how they’d started dating.
About flying his mum out for their final show in Barcelona and spending the week after exploring the Spanish coast together.
I told him rehab hadn’t changed much. How, without his face as my canvas, I’d finally given in and started painting on paper.
How the admin staff had banned me from their stash of Jaffa Cakes because I was eating them out of house and home.
How I’d tried swimming in our favourite lake and nearly lost my balls because it was far colder than expected.
Still, when he’d told me he was staying in London with Riff until I finished my second stint, I hadn’t fully believed him. The insecure part of me whispered that he’d get bored. That he’d return to his beautiful life in LA and leave me behind in the Kent countryside.
Yet here he was. Smiling and crying because I was back in his arms. Holding me like he never wanted to let me go.
And I realised I felt exactly the same.
“I missed you so much,” I breathed, dipping down to kiss him.
I whimpered when his tongue brushed mine, and I was mortified to realise I was sporting a semi by the time we pulled apart to catch our breath. Three months without sex had been brutal, and after the way Bodhi had ruined me every single time, wanking alone had never stood a chance of measuring up.
“Well,” a voice cut in dryly. “As touching as this reunion is, I didn’t drive all this way to watch you two suck face for an hour.”
I snapped my head to the side to see Riff climbing out of the driver’s seat. I wriggled out of Bodhi’s arms, and the moment my feet hit the ground, I rounded the car and pulled Riff into a hug.
“Thank you for coming,” I whispered, squeezing him tight. “And thank you for taking care of him for me.”
“Always,” he murmured into my ear, just for me. “And you too, Iggs. We’ve all got your back, okay?”
He grabbed my duffle bag from Bodhi and tossed it into the boot.
Apparently they’d rented the car just for today, and we were heading back to their hotel in Central London.
I slid into the back seat, and Bodhi immediately followed, settling beside me.
I didn’t ask why he hadn’t taken the front.
I was too busy reassuring myself that he was real.
That this wasn’t some elaborate fantasy my brain had cooked up.
“Have you heard from Sasha?” I asked as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Yeah,” Bodhi said with a nod. “She had the baby last week. A little early, but everyone’s healthy.”
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.