Page 83 of All This Time

I feel the blood drain from my face. “Sir?”

He takes a step closer to me. “I might be older now, Fletcher. But I’m not blind. Never was.” Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I debate on how to respond. But then he winks and starts to walk off before I can speak.

Holy shit. Did Mr. Hart just admit that he knows and has known that I have feelings for his daughter?

And is that a good thing or a bad thing?

If I had his support, that might help Rhonan be more at ease with the idea too. But then again, was his statement more words of encouragement, or a warning to stay away from her?

“Mr. Hart?” I call after him before he gets too far.

“Yes, Fletcher?” he says when he turns around.

Hustling to catch up with him, I decide to follow through with my initial plan and test out the waters. “About that thing I wanted to talk to you about…”

***

“My elbow just popped. My fucking elbow!” Henley whisper-shouts at me from his mat where he fell into child’s pose, or at least I think that’s what he’s supposed to be in. With a second glance, I confirm he’s just in a contorted heap on his mat.

“If I rip the crotch on these slacks, you’re paying for me to get them fixed,” Elliot groans next as we transition into warrior pose. “Better yet, you’re buying me a brand-new fucking suit, Adams.”

“Shhhh!” the lady behind us hisses for the third time now.

I look over at Laney to find her eyes wide, telling us to shut up without actually saying the words.

“Motherfucker,” I mumble through clenched teeth as my entire leg starts shaking.

Elliot growls. “Sweat just dripped down my ass crack, Fletcher. My fuckingass crack.”

“And release,” Laney says just as Elliot and I both crumble to our mats, joining Henley in a sweaty heap of tangled arms and legs. “Thank you everyone for joining us tonight. I hope you enjoyed yoga, and now let’s celebrate with some wine!”

Murmurs of agreement filter through the crowd, and the lady behind us flashes us one more dirty look before heading for the main building.

With her water bottle in her hand, Laney walks up to us, but she’s upside down since I’m still lying on the ground, fighting to catch my breath. “So, boys… What did you think?”

“I came up with three possible ways to get my revenge on Fletcher during that last pose, so it wasn’t a total waste of time,” Elliot replies.

Laney laughs. “Henley? You okay?”

“Why do people do that for fun?” he wheezes.

“Yoga has amazing benefits for the mind and body,” Laney replies. “You don’t have to do anything super crazy or strenuous to get a good workout.”

“It’s a good thing Tori is out of town for a few more days because there’s no way I’d be able to fuck her after that,” Elliot admits.

Laney rolls her eyes. “I think you’ll survive, but I’ll make sure to tell Tori that if you ever piss her off, yoga should be her go-to form of punishment.”

Henley finally pushes himself up from his mat. “I need water, ibuprofen, and a shower.”

Elliot rolls to his side and sits up too. “And a heating pad.” When he stands, he glares at me one more time. “If you ever coerce me into doing that again, we aren’t friends anymore. Understood?”

Staring up at him from my position on the ground, I reply, “You’re the one who wanted me around more, remember? I mean, if I were in town more, we could do yoga every week.”

Elliot taps his chin in thought. “I formally retract that request. You can take your yoga-loving ass back to Charlotte as soon as the wedding is over.”

I bark out a laugh as Henley and Elliot walk away from the scene of their demise, leaving Laney and me alone.

“Were you trying to end two of your friendships tonight?” she asks, a smirk on her lips.