Page 37 of Insta-Love

“Huh.” The perks of moving in the same circles as the elite, I guess. “What else do you get free?”

“Gym membership, supplements, gear, meals, and I get discounted accommodation at a few places.”

“Fuck my life,” I mutter as he reverses out the drive.

“I earned it,” he says quietly.

I glance across as he drives. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Bowen’s eyes find mine for a brief moment before he flexes his hands on the wheel and faces forward again. “I know you didn’t.”

We ride in silence for a while before he glances over and smiles.

“What?”

“When did you last have a holiday?”

I laugh. “You’re honestly asking the broke bitch who lives with her parents that?”

He shrugs. “You might go camping every Christmas for all I know.”

True. I stare out my side window, feeling somewhat lighter the closer to Lily we get. “I’ve never been on one.”

“Really?” He can’t mask his disbelief. “Not even as a kid?”

“My parents went through hardships of their own,” I explain. “I was a miracle baby. They spent what we would have put towards holidays on trying to give me a sibling.”

“Oh, okay.”

I roll my head his way, gaze narrowed on the guy. The fact he didn’t say sorry, or offer condolences wasn’t lost on me.

“Do you have brother’s or sisters?”

Bowen shakes his head as we roll to a stop at a red light. “Only child too.”

“Still keep in touch with your parents?”

“I have no parents.” His jaw tics as he turns the wheel to take us around the corner on the green arrow. “Just me on my own out here in the world.”

“You know”—I straighten in my seat—“you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. If I ever ask the wrong question, you can pass.”

“I know.”

The hospital rises in the distance, the promise of seeing Lily making me lean forward a little.

“Do you think Lily would like a holiday?”

I cut my eyes to Bowen to find him watching me. “She’d love one. It’ll happen one day.”

“Yeah. It will.”

The Jeep jolts as we pull into the access road. Bowen scans for a parking space, while I crane my neck to look out the windows above. I wonder if she watches for us, equally as eager? Or am I really that helicopter mum who can’t trust her kid to be able to look after herself?

We end up parked near the entrance, my toes wriggling in my shoes while I wait for Bowen to lock the vehicle. He chuckles as I skip ahead, leaving him to catch up with his long, loping strides.

The elevator ride to her floor is excruciating. I wiggle my knees like a kid in line to see Santa, damn near prying the doors open faster when we reach the right floor.

Lily greets us with a huge smile, a bowl of Cocoa Pops on her tray before her. “Hey, Mum.”

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