Page 26 of The Games We Play (Balance of Power #3)

NAOMI

“ E xhale, press into your heels,” I whisper to myself as I rehearse my queuing.

I’ve been going through my poses for twenty minutes, but the feeling I normally get when I’m practicing outside is missing.

That tingling sensation I have when I feel his eyes on me has been absent.

I’ve always loved my privacy out here, but now I crave his hidden presence.

It’s a conflicting emotion. Like I shouldn’t enjoy it, I shouldn’t look forward to it. But I do, and I can’t help it. He provides me with an overwhelming feeling of admiration and protection, something I’ve come to enjoy more than I’d care to admit.

I wish I could explain it, but if the last ten years have taught me anything in the realm of karma and fate, it’s that sometimes there’s no reasonable explanation for any of it.

The few men I’ve trusted enough to officially date were still short term, and even then, none of them made me feel as special or as safe as when I was with Seamus .

There is just something about him.

There was then, and it’s still there now.

“Hey, yoga girl!” A booming voice startles me as I push back into a seated position and glance up to Seamus’ window.

A very gorgeous man with a huge smile and shaggy, blonde hair is hanging halfway out of it, waving his arm back and forth, trying to get my attention, like he’s miles away from me.

He might be the happiest man I’ve ever met from afar.

I look behind me and glance at my surroundings, because that naturally feels like the right thing to do, then glance back up to him with a questioning look.

“My best friend is obsessed with you!” he yells, and my jaw drops as a laugh escapes me.

“Is that right?” I yell back.

“Yeah, he’s super crabby, but I think you could totally make him not crabby. So you should give him a chance to take you out.” His smile is a mile wide.

“Are you asking me out for your friend?”

“I am, but I might not tell him and show up myself.” He wiggles his eyebrows dramatically before his body jerks back and he grumbles something I can’t hear.

His head hits the exterior of the window as his entire body gets pulled back through it, like he was just sucked up by a vacuum cleaner.

I hear a distant, hey, ouch and knock it off , then a dude .

I keep my eye on the window, unable to hide a smile. I find myself leaning forward to attempt to see further into the window, even though it’s completely impossible from this angle.

Suddenly, a man with short, trimmed brown hair peeks out the window and I recognize him immediately.

“Hey, Hudson,” I greet him as I give him a wave.

“Hey, Naomi.” A loud crash breaks out from inside the room, making him turn to look into the room. He holds up one finger while scrunching up his nose before disappearing back through the window .

Some more rustling happens, a few profanities from multiple voices, then the blonde guy appears back in the window. His shaggy hair is a complete mess as he runs his fingers through it, pushing it away from his face.

“So, what do you say? Saturday?” His body jerks as he kicks something behind him.

“I can’t, I have a class I’m teaching at Afterburn on Saturday.” A curious look crosses his face, but he immediately fires back.

“I’ll come to your class on Saturday, if you go out with Seamus after?” he says without a second thought.

“You don’t even know what class I’m teaching?” I yell back.

“You don’t know me, but I’m down for anything , yoga girl.” His eyebrows hit the top of his hairline, like he’s daring me.

Oh, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into.

“You need a partner. Bring one with you on Saturday and we have a deal.” I have a hard time not mirroring the smile he has, because he’s adorable and looks like he has fun anywhere he goes.

“Yes!” He fist pumps himself as his body gets pulled partially back inside the window. “I got you a date, you broody bastard, stop it!” he yells into it.

There’s a bit of grunting while he white knuckle grips the window sill, his head pulling in and out of the window like his entire body is being used as rope in tug-o-war. Finally his head pops back out the window. “Saturday, no take backs!” he shouts out, then he’s ripped away again.

The window slams down shut echoing through the backyard.

I palm my face and silently laugh to myself as I finish my routine, holding a few static stretches before I lay down in savasana.

I allow myself time to clear all the chaos in my head, focusing only on my breath as I count each one, forcing myself to start over the moment my mind wanders to negative thoughts .

Does meditation always work? No.

But at least trying to get to a space with clear thoughts and a sharp, conscious mental state will help my overall mood and mindset.

I want to forgive Seamus. I know I do.

My head is telling me he didn’t leave me by choice. I think I’ve always known that he didn’t walk away that night knowing he’d never see me again. He definitely didn’t leave knowing what would happen.

Regardless of all of those circumstances and however fate brought us back together, I need to be honest with him. I need to tell him everything. He might look at me differently, and that scares the hell out of me, but we both need to come clean if we’re going to try this.

I’ve done an unnecessarily good job pulling back after every encounter with him, ignoring his flowers and kind gestures at every turn.

It’s time to put the past in the past, and move forward.

Attempt a chance with him that was taken away from us for whatever reason, and not let those reasons hold me back any longer.

After an incredible yoga session, a bit of fun banter with Window Yelling Guy and way too long in savasana, I feel revived. Clear. Everything feels light, and for the first time in a long time, I’m giddy with excitement.

“I have a date,” I whisper to myself, smiling as I roll up my mat and place it in the bin next to my backdoor.

I have some sequences to plan and playlists to finalize, then I’m going to go shopping to find an outfit for my date with Seamus. And I hope it makes me feel as irresistible as he does.