Page 31 of The Fate of Us

I focus on the rest of my yoga class, using my breathing to calm my anxiety and find my center, just like yoga is supposed to do.

When class is over, I step into the office and make myself some coffee.

“So what happened when you went back to Hartswell?”

I jump at Seraphina’s voice. “I didn’t hear you walk in.”

“Well?” she asks, ignoring me.

“Oh you know. Apologies were made. I feel like I mended everything with my sister. My parents are happy that I am happy. And Becca showed up and I nearly punched her in the face.”

“Why didn’t you?” Seraphina says with a grin.

“Because Jess punched her in the face a few days beforehand.”

“Dang, I wish I’d been there to see all this.”

I look at her with a raised brow.

“Okay fine, no I don’t because you know I would have killed that bitch. God,” she sighs as she flops into her office chair. “I cannot believe she did that to you. Well, I can because I always thought she was a bitch but I didn’t think she would do it toyou.”

I shrug. “What’s done is done and all I can do is move on from it.”

Sera sits up a little straighter in her chair, leaning forward, her ice blond hair falling over her shoulders. “Did you just say you are moving on?”

“Yes?” I answer confused.

“Well heavens to Betsy, Anna May Cooper is finally moving on after seven years of living in misery.”

I roll my eyes. “If I had something to throw at you right now, I would.”

“Does this have anything to do with Mr. Handsome, Muscular Cop?” she asks, raising her brows up and down in suggestion.

I bite my lip as I look down at the floor. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” she shouts in question. “Girl, you better tell me everything.”

“I told you what happened.”

“No, you told me about Kyle. You didn’t tell me anything after I made you admit that you were in love with Noah.”

I look at the clock on the wall. The next class starts in two minutes. “Look at the time. I need to get the next class started.”

I turn to leave but she bolts out of her chair. “You stay,” she tells me before walking out of the office and into the studio, telling the class we are starting with ten minutes of meditation.

When she walks back into the office, she shuts the door behind her. “Did you tell him?”

I think about all the concerns I had about telling Noah I loved him. Everything I was holding back because I feared the rejection I was expecting. But when he showed me what those words meant, when he said them back to me, the thought alone is making me melt into a puddle right now.

“Well from that look on your face I can tell you did. Let me guess, he said he was in love with you too.”

I smile at her and nod.

“I knew it. You two are so smitten with each other. Now tell me, did you buy green lingerie like I told you to?”

I laugh at that. “I wasn’t planning on it. But you put that damn thought into my head and then I saw this beautiful set, so I bought it.”

“Ha! I knew it. Let me guess, it turned his brain to mush?”

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