Page 70 of Catch and Release

“Every boyfriend I’ve ever really cared about has cheated on me,” she whispered. “The ones where we said we were exclusive never actually were. I’ve found them in bed with someone else. I’ve gotten the frantic call from the other woman. I’ve accidentally seen the texts. And this was the worst fucking one. He was married. With a two-year old. And I missed every goddamn sign.”

A few tears slid down her cheek, and before he could stop himself, Shawn swiped it away.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Shawn whispered, his hand still resting on her cheek. “But there is something wrong with any man who treats someone that way. And any man who has you and does something stupid enough to lose you.”

20

Shawn couldn’t remember why he agreed to this.

He was wearing what he normally wore for a workout: gym shorts and sneakers. The yoga class was taking place on the beach, after all. It would be hot.

He should’ve known it would be mostly tourist women at this class. Then maybe he would’ve worn a t-shirt. Or, at least, brought one. But most men were constantly shirtless around here, especially in the high heat of July.

And a small part of him knew he’d decided to go without a shirt to taunt Willa.

Maybe give her a reason to look at him.

He stood awkwardly in the middle of a group of women on the beach, hands in his pockets, awaiting further instruction. Meanwhile, she was busy chatting with a few of the people here for the class. He vaguely recognized a couple of women sitting on yoga mats a few yards away from him as the friends she’d gone to the bar with from the selfie she’d sent him. He felt the eyes of strangers on him, and his jaw clenched as he crossed his arms and kept his eyes on Willa.

She was wearing her signature yoga outfit—a matching exercise set of leggings and a sports bra. Her auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she was gesturing animatedly in conversation with people. He’d gone over to her place every night this week, and they’d fished for a while before she dragged him into her bed and he sunk so deep into her that he thought he’d never feel this kind of bliss with anyone else. Just last night, she’d crawled onto all fours on her bed before he plunged into her pussy from behind, and he barely lasted two minutes before exploding inside her.

As if sensing his eyes on her, she glanced at him and smirked. Then she checked her watch and clapped her hands.

“Alright, yogis!” she exclaimed, her voice carrying over the sound of waves. “I’m so excited by today’s turnout.”

Shawn looked around. There were about fifteen people gathered around her. Some stood waiting for guidance, while others sat on towels or yoga mats they brought.

“I love seeing familiar faces, so a special thank you to those of you who are back to practice with me today,” she said. “If you need a mat or a towel, I have some extras over here. We’ll begin in a seated position, so feel free to settle in and start taking some deep breaths.”

Shawn walked toward Willa and picked up a towel, then settled on the ground on the outskirts of the group and sat down. He peered at other people around him, and noticing that many of them rested their hands on their knees and shut their eyes, he followed suit.

“As you breathe in and out, soaking up the salty air, begin to set an intention for your practice,” Willa said, her peaceful voice floating over him like a blanket. “Maybe you want to challenge yourself and try something new. Maybe you want to simply honor your body. Maybe you’re looking for peace or contentment. Or maybe you just need to work through your hangover from last night.”

A few soft chuckles carried through the group, and Shawn felt his lips curve up in a slight smile.

“Remember that it’s perfectly okay to skip anything that’s too challenging for your body,” she continued. “While I want you to push yourself, more than anything, I want you to listen to your body and respect what it’s telling you. If you need to just lay on your mat for the entirety of this class, nobody will judge you.”

Shawn felt comforted by her words. He’d never done yoga before—never had any interest in giving it a shot. So far, it was what he expected. Calm and easy. But her words healed something in him—something that told him he needed to do everything perfectly, even at the expense of his own happiness. He doubted there would be anything challenging enough in this class that he’d need to skip it, but knowing that the option was there made him feel better.

Willa began to lead them in a series of poses and actions that he was unfamiliar with, but was actually enjoying. Some of the stretches reached his muscles in new ways, though he had to often look around him or glance at Willa to accurately follow the instructions.

It was fun seeing Willa in her natural habitat, teaching people the thing that had saved her during one of the hardest times of her life. She was confident and kind, grinning through the entire class and going around, gently helping those who were struggling.

But about twenty minutes into the class, Shawn found himself profusely sweating as he settled into downward facing dog. This was the pose he saw her in a few weeks back, where her ass was pointing perfectly in the air. She made it look so easy—even now, she was talking to the class without even the slightest hitch to her voice.

As Willa led the class through a sequence, Shawn struggled to follow along. He could reel in a 100-pound swordfish on a chartered fishing trip without breaking a sweat. But balancing on one foot while extending his other leg in front of him? Holding a plank after doing a myriad of movements he didn’t totally understand? Sitting in a half split, stretching muscles he’d sorely neglected for years?

Willa was right.

This was not easy.

And even though she’d proven it time and time again, it seemed she had more ammunition to showcase his idiocy for doubting her.

“Now, today, I thought we could be brave and experiment with handstands,” Willa said as she came back into downward facing dog. “It takes regular practice to be able to hold a handstand, but it’s worth it. We’ll start with handstand hops.”

Shawn placed his hands underneath his shoulders and looked between his wrists, like Willa demonstrated, before pushing up on his toes and kicking up into a handstand. But he overestimated the amount of strength he needed, and the next thing he knew, the breath was knocked out of him as he laid on the ground in simultaneous embarrassment and horror.

“Nice try,” Willa said with an encouraging smile, standing over him.

---