Page 35 of Five Years

“I’m confused.” Grace shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed like a disappointed parent.

“We were doing yoga.” Leah shrugged.

“It’s funny, because I’ve been to my fair share of yoga classes. Actually, before Ezra was born, I used to go weekly. And if the instructor leaned over me like that, I’d be questioning whether Ezra was Johnathan’s,” she said disapprovingly.

Ariana burst out laughing. “It’s not that deep, sis. You were invited to the yoga session. It wasn’t a secret.”

“Oh, and you’d do that fucked-up baby pose with your sister, would you?” Grace challenged.

Ariana didn’t respond, which gave Grace the answer she wanted.

“My point exactly.”

“I’d do the fucked-up baby pose with you,” Leah raised her hand.

“I know you would,” Grace rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile softening the crease at the corners of her mouth.

“Is this something I need to be concerned about?”

Grace waved her hand back and forth, channelling her inner school principal.

“Grace, I’m with Hannah. You know I’d never––” Ariana couldn’t finish the sentence.

Never what? Leah tried to comprehend what had just happened, what it looked like, what it felt like, and what Hannah’s opinion might be if she found out.

“Friends do yoga together, Gracey,” Leah said, her tone patronizing. She should’ve known better; that attitude landed her in detention back in high school, and now it was about to land her in a whole dollop of Grace shit.

“That wasn’t yoga. And besides, since when did you two become friends?” Grace questioned.

“Since now,” Ariana smiled.

“Convenient.”

Ariana walked toward the door, flicking her sister on the forehead on the way out. “I’m going to make a cup of coffee.”

“Hey!” Grace slammed the door behind Ariana. “She knows I hate being flicked like that!”

“So,” Leah began rolling the mat back up, hoping Grace would walk away, whatever she’d seen or thought she’d seen erased from memory—never to be a talking point again.

“Whatever that was, you need to quit it. Not just because Ariana is with Hannah, but for your own goddamn sanity.”

“Gracey, I swear, it looked worse than it was. She was just showing me how to get the most out of each position,” Leah’s voice climbed high-pitched as the sentence trailed off, a clear tell-tale sign she was lying.

“Uh-huh,” Grace nodded, folding her arms across her chest. “So, you didn’t feel anything then?”

“Nope.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a tiny morsel of nostalgic chemistry as you both clambered on top of each other like a pack of dogs?”

“Nope, not one bit.”

“Now, I know you’re lying.”

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