Page 45 of The Love Position

Keeping her gaze on the shadowy movement of her feet, she didn’t notice the path had joined a new one until it was too late and she crashed into someone.

Her eyes jerked up, her mouth opening to apologise, but the sight of the person in front of her stopped her words as well as her heart.

Isaac’s jaw hung slack as he stared at her. ‘Sophia?’

‘Isaac! Wha—what are you doing here?’

‘I, er… What are you doing here?’

Sophia felt Jessica close beside her. The three of them were boulders in a stream, interrupting the flow of people moving towards the temple. But Isaac didn’t seem to notice, staring at Sophia as if she were a ghost.

‘I’m doing the teacher course,’ she began, trying to keep her voice steady as her breath instinctively quickened.

He blinked as if trying to reset himself. Sophia had never seen him so flustered before.

Jessica leaned forward, holding out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m Jessica, Sophia’s brand-new BFF. Isaac, right?’

Isaac’s gaze flicked to Jessica as if shocked to discover there was another human in their vicinity.

His mouth opened and closed, then he took her hand. ‘I’m… Hanuman.’

‘Hanuman?’ Sophia repeated.

Even in the half light, she could see his cheeks darken.

He dropped Jessica’s hand and cleared his throat. ‘In the organisation, I go by my yoga name: Hanuman.’

Sophia had been getting to know Isaac for months now, and felt like they had the beginnings of a friendship, even though they were still teacher and student. But now, an ocean away from Foxbrooke, was he a completely different person?

‘Please excuse me,’ he said, dipping his head. ‘I have to go.’

Without another word, he turned, striding off down the path.

Sophia’s gaze stayed with him, becoming unfocused when he passed out of view.

‘Well, smack my ass and call me Sally,’ Jessica said. ‘You wanna tell me how you know Mr tasty-pants?’

‘He’s… He’s my yoga teacher,’ Sophia replied, her throat dry.

‘And he has got the hots for you, Missy.’

‘No, he, er, hasn’t.’

‘You think I’m a member of the forty-watt club? If it wasn’t already thirty degrees, you two just set the place on fire.’

‘Shush! Please! Don’t say anything.’ Sophia twisted her fingers in the fabric of her trousers. ‘It’s not like that, honestly. He’s taken a vow of chastity.’

Jessica’s eyes widened. ‘Oh…’

‘And he was meant to be in India with his guru for the whole of the summer.’

‘But… Now you’re both here…’

The anxiety that had reared its head was currently galloping across the plains of wretchedness towards misery town.

Jessica took hold of Sophia’s hands. ‘Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I won’t say a word to anyone. I promise. But we need to get going or we’re going to be late.’

Sophia nodded and let Jessica pull her down the path.

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