At last Kim says, “I was wrong to assume that I was enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Enough for you to stay clean, Bodhi.”
I look into her blue eyes. “But you are, Kimberly.” Tears form in my own eyes. “For you, I want to be a better person than the one you read about. Because of you, I have a different outlook on life and want to share it with you. In the thirty days we spent with each other at Serenity Springs, you changed me. You showed me what it’s like to live for me and not worry about what others think. You guided me through one of the worst periods of my life and never judged me. And then you gave me a chance to be someone that I’ve never been before. With you I found a relationship that made me want to wake up every day. You’re the reason I’m going to stay clean. You’re the reason I smile and want to be a better person. So yes, you are enough to keep me clean.”
“I’m so sorry I left,” she cries out. “I was so stupid.”
“I forgive you,” I say, surprised to hear myself saying it, but realizing that it’s true. I’m in love with her and want her to be a part of my life.
Kimberly kisses me. Her hands are everywhere, and mine quickly follow suit. Something tells me that makeup sex is going to be especially hot, but I’m secretly hoping we don’t fight like this ever again.
“I have one question,” I say, pulling away from her. “Will you take a sabbatical and stay here with me for a while? In a few months VeeP will be going on tour and I honestly don’t want to be away from you for that long. It’s not that I think I’m going to relapse; it’s more that I don’t want to be away from you. I don’t think I can go on tour and not see you at least on the weekends.”
“Do you think we’ll be together in a few months?”
I blanch at her words but understand where she’s coming from. I’m not exactly known for commitment. “You know, my mom once said to me that when you find the one you’re supposed to be with, it’s easy, because you can be yourself. When I’m with you, I’m just Bodhi McKnight.”
“And I never once thought of you as someone else.”
“That’s what makes this so right. You see me for me, and I love you for that.”
“I love you too, Bodhi, and the answer is yes. I’ll happily take a sabbatical, and then I’ll go on tour with you.”
My heart leaps, but I realize I have to tell her what touring is like and give her the chance to back out. “I want you to really think about it, because it means living on a tour bus and eating shitty food. Plus the hours suck. But I also promise you that the payoff will be worth it.”
“What kind of benefits are there?” She raises one eyebrow, and I’m so glad to see her sense of humor again.
“Free concert tickets, merchandise, and sex in odd places. You’ll have to learn how to be quiet and to enjoy fucking in closets and bending over bathrooms sinks so we can have a quickie. The beds on the bus are tiny, but that means we can cuddle more.”
“You make it sound so romantic.”
“It will be, if you believe in me.”
“I do, Bodhi. I do believe in you.”
Epilogue: Bodhi
It’s been months since I left rehab, and now I’m back—but it’s not because I relapsed. To date I haven’t touched drugs or alcohol, aside from the time Aspen drugged me. It’s been rather refreshing, actually—I’ve been able to see just how ridiculous people act when they’re wasted. For the most part, Bray and Carson have stopped drinking as well, especially when we’re at parties representing Virtuous Paradox.
I’m back at Serenity Springs because Susan is finally leaving, and I promised her that I’d be here when she got out. I had hoped things with her husband would turn around, but they haven’t. According to Kim and Susan, things only got worse—he stopped taking her calls and then changed his phone number. Many times I’ve wanted to hunt him down, but my father says he’ll have his day in court. Also as promised, Susan has a place to live at my parents’, a job, and a high-priced attorney ready to file on her behalf tomorrow morning.
I’m making her trip to my parents’ house an unforgettable one. I rented a white stretch limousine and brought Brayden and Carson with me. I don’t know if she’s a fan or not, but we’re going to treat her to lunch and make sure she feels special, because she is, and it’s about time someone shows her that.
The three of us lean against the limo waiting for Susan. Kim comes out first, carrying her overnight bag. The driver takes it from her before she even reaches me. I welcome her with a kiss that lingers longer than what is deemed appropriate in public. She’s been my salvation and the reason I am becoming a better person. Yes, I have to fight temptation, and I often wonder where Aspen is. Since that morning in my room, I haven’t seen or heard from her, and part of me hopes she’s in a place like Serenity Springs getting the help she needs. I know that what I have now is worth the struggle, and I want her to discover that too.
“Today is a big day,” she says, nestling into my side.
“I know. Is Susan ready?”
Kimberly nods and looks over at the door, waiting for Susan.
Even though Kim and I have been together for only a few months, things are amazing. Right now Kim spends four days a week with me, mostly over weekends. As much as I wanted her with me every day, it didn’t make sense for her to leave her job and sit at my parents’ every day while I worked. I didn’t want her to be bored and come to resent me.
Virtuous Paradox is going on tour soon, and when we do, Kim is coming with me. Rebel isn’t thrilled with the idea, but eventually she agreed. It’s not that I need Kim there to keep me on the straight and narrow; it’s because I love her and I don’t want to be away from her. My father was the same way after he met my mother. He cast her in all his upcoming movies so that he could be with her nonstop, marrying her just months after they met. It seemed to work for my parents, and I’m hoping it works for Kim and me as well.
“You guys really went above and beyond,” Kim says, and I look over at them. Carson is holding a dozen long-stemmed roses, and Bray a box of chocolates. Once I told them Susan’s story, they wanted to help. They’re in agreement with me that her husband is an epic piece of shit.