Page 56 of The Rookie

I glance over at Avery, who’s sitting on her mat, already stretching like she’s a seasoned pro. She catches my eye and smirks. “Feeling confident?”

“Confident is my default setting,” I fire back.

Before Avery can respond, a tall girl with blonde hair plops down on the mat next to me, flashing a dazzling smile. “Hey,” she says, twirling her ponytail. “You’re the best tight end in the country, right? Griffin?”

I nod, forcing a polite smile. I’ve seen her on the program before, but we hadn’t met. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I knew it!” she gushes, leaning a little too close. “I’m Kayla. If you need a yoga buddy, I’m great at helping beginners.”

“Uh, yeah, Kayla. I’ve seen you around. Nice to meet you again, though.”

“Oh, he’s not a beginner,” Avery pipes up loudly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Griffin’s anatural.”

Kayla tilts her head. “Really?”

“Nope,” I say quickly, shooting Avery a glare. “She’s messing with you.”

“Right,” Kayla says, brushing it off. “Well, if you need help…”

I smile awkwardly, not even pretending to care. Honestly, I don’t know what it is—Kayla’s nice and all, but I’ve got exactly zero interest. Maybe because I keep looking over at Avery, who’s watching the exchange with a very neutral expression.

“You okay over there, Sinclair?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Just observing.”

“What, jealous?” I tease.

Luna claps her hands softly, her voice like a bell. “Let us begin.”

We start withchild’s pose, and I’m already regretting this. My back’s stiff, my shoulders ache, and I can feel Avery’s eyes on me.

“Breathe deeply,” Luna says. “In through the nose, out through the mouth.”

“Enjoying yourself, Knox?” Avery whispers.

“I’ll be fine,” I mutter.

Next, Luna guides us intodownward dog, which is somehow both humiliating and painful. My legs are shaking like I’ve never done a squat in my life.

“Is this the same guy who benches 350 pounds?” Avery teases.

“I’m pacing myself,” I shoot back, my arms trembling. “I’ve got a lot of weight to hold up here.”

“You look like you’re dying,” Jake whispers behind me, snickering.

“Shut up, Jake,” I laugh.

Luna glides over to me, her serene smile unshakable. “You are holding resistance, my friend,” she says gently, pressing a hand to my back. “Let go. Breathe.”

“I am breathing,” I wheeze.

Avery, of course, is practically glowing in her perfect pose, her face barely hiding her amusement. “Doing great, Knox.”

I glare at her, sweat dripping into my eye. “Don’t encourage me.”

Finally we arrive atShavasana.Otherwise known aslie on the floor, on your back, and take a nap.

I have never loved a pose more in my life.

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