A couple of steamy screenshots ahead.

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Harper closed her eyes, breathing in Ivy’s sweet scent. Her breath, her hair, her sweat… It was all amazing. Perfect. God, I’m gonna miss this.

They lay there in the silence for a while longer, neither of them saying a word.

Ivy had come to her that morning with a smile. “One for the road?” she’d offered almost playfully. But from the moment Ivy pulled her into her arms, Harper knew this time — the last time — would be different.

As she laid there, Harper replayed the last few fleeting minutes of passion the two of them had shared over and over again in her mind. In all the times they’d had sex over the past several months, Harper had never felt as connected to Ivy as she did that morning. No, Harper realized. I’ve never felt this connected to anyone. Ever.

“You should probably get dressed soon, huh?” Ivy’s sad whisper broke the silence and called Harper back to the present. “Your parents could be here any minute.”

She felt her heart sink at Ivy’s words. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

Harper leaned forward for a moment, brushing her lips gently against Ivy’s. She felt long, soft fingers in her hair then, pulling her closer. Ivy opened her mouth, deepening the kiss as Harper melted into her embrace.

When would be the next time she would kiss her again, Harper wondered? Maybe never… The thought was enough to break her heart.

And, as she finally crawled out of the bed and began putting her clothes back on, the look on Ivy’s face broke her heart even more.

“Sorry.” Ivy sniffled softly. “I promised myself I wasn’t gonna cry…”

“It’s okay.” Harper’s voice was thick as she rejoined her back on the bed. “I get it. This… really fucking sucks.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Ivy shook her head, forcing a smile. “You’re gonna be at home with Phoenix again!”

“I know. That part’s amazing.” She agreed. “It’s the ‘goodbye’ part that sucks ass.”

This time, Ivy let out a small laugh. “Okay, can’t argue there.”

And it was true… The other goodbyes had already been torture.

Dr. Savage had changed her life so much. How could Harper ever repay him for everything he’d done for her? She hoped that a tight hug and her sincere thanks would be enough.

Saying goodbye to Melissa was almost as hard. But she had assured Harper that they’d probably see each other again on campus — after all, Harper had signed up for two more classes in the coming semester.

That morning after breakfast, Harper had made the rounds to say goodbye to the other inmates too. Elly, Mama, even Kelly and Tim. They’d all wished her well (in their own way, at least), and it suddenly hit Harper just how strange it would be to no longer see their faces every day.

Having to say goodbye to all of them really hurt. Like Hell.

But nothing could possibly beat this goodbye.

“Maybe it won’t be so bad… I promise I’ll call you as much as I can.” Harper finally replied. “And visit too.” She knew the prison director was very cautious when it came to allowing former prisoners to return… But he’d been swayed before. And damn it, she’d find a way to sway him again.

Ivy nodded, but seemed unable to manage a smile. “Yeah.” She said softly.

“Just promise you’ll watch yourself around Tim, okay? And don’t be afraid to call me if you ever need to talk or something. Like if you’re lonely or get a craving or something. Or…” Harper shrugged almost helplessly. “Just promise me you’ll be okay?”

It was impossible not to worry about what would happen when she left. Harper knew that Ivy had never been good at standing up for herself, or seeking out help when she needed it. And until now, that hadn’t really been a problem. She’s always had me here to take care of her. But what would happen now, without her? What if Tim gave her a hard time? Or worse, tried to hurt her? What would happen the next time she got one of her cravings? Or felt lonely? Who would she turn to?

“Don’t worry about me, Harper.” Ivy replied gently. “Worry about yourself. And how amazing it’ll be to finally be home!” This time, her lips curled slightly as she spoke.

Yeah, but… you’re my home too. She wanted to say. But she didn’t.

Before she had a chance to reply, the terrible creaking of the opening door interrupted them.

“Harper? Your parents are–” The guard’s eyes widened. “S-sorry… I should have knocked first.” It was unusual to see one of the guards so flustered. But then, Harper was fairly certain she hadn’t been expecting to walk in on Ivy in her current state of undress.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Ivy’s cheeks instantly go scarlet as she tried to cover herself.

“Can you give us a minute?” Harper asked softly, embarrassed for both of them.

The guard didn’t need telling twice.

“Shit… I hope you don’t get in trouble.” She muttered apologetically.

Ivy shook her head as she finally began pulling her t-shirt and jumpsuit back on. “You’re not technically a prisoner here anymore… Plus, the guards would have to be blind to not have figured out we’ve got something going on by now.” She added, smiling slightly.

Harper couldn’t help a small laugh. “Good point.” She rose to her feet and watched almost sadly as Ivy got dressed, covering her beautiful body with the hideous beige fabric once more.

“I guess you shouldn’t keep your parents waiting.” Ivy said, fastening the last few buttons. Her bottom lip quivered slightly as she spoke.

This is it… It’s really happening. Try as she might, Harper just couldn’t keep it together any longer. In an instant, the floodgates were open and the sound of her heavy sobs filled the air.

The next thing she knew, Ivy had pulled her close, rubbing her hand up and down Harper’s back. It almost sounded like she was trying to say something, but it was impossible for Harper to make out. So instead, she simply closed her eyes, buried her face in Ivy’s shoulder, and let it out.

It was a few minutes before her tears finally slowed enough for her to speak. “I’m s-sorry, I just…”

“I know. Trust me.” Ivy said gently, her voice thick. “But hey, it’s like you said — I’m sure you’ll be back to visit before we know it. And by this time next year, I’ll be out too. Then we can see each other whenever we want.”

Next year… How was Harper supposed to last so long without her?

“Harper?” The sound of the guard’s voice from the doorway nearly made both of them jump. “Your parents are still waiting…”

Shit. “Y-yeah, okay.” She turned back to face Ivy once more. It was time to face the inevitable.”So… I guess this is goodbye.”

“Yeah. Guess so… God, I’m gonna miss you so much, Harper.” Ivy quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. “And, um…” She bit her lip uncertainly for a moment. “I guess this means we’re back to being friends? Like we agreed?”

Harper nodded sadly. This is what’s best. For both of us. She told herself.

The two of them had decided months ago that this would make things easier when it was time to say goodbye. So why didn’t it feel that way? Why did it still hurt so much?

“Bye, Ivy.” Harper could already feel herself beginning to cry again. “Thank you so much. For everything.” Her voice shook slightly. “I love…d the time we spent together.”

Ivy smiled sadly at her. “Me too.”

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There’s still more to come in Harper’s generation, but today, we bid a fond farewell to the prison arc! I’d love to give a huge shoutout to orangeplumbob! I know a few of you noticed, but in case you didn’t, I can officially reveal that the other prisoners in Harper’s cell block (minus Katie and Ivy) were none other than the gender-bent versions of her prisoners from her story, Second Chances! 🙂 She was so kind to give them to me to use in my story, and I had a blast showing them! Thank you ❤