Page 16 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Panic bolted up her spine as another buzz startled her, and she almost dropped her phone. It was a picture message from Winnie. Ella opened it, shaking her head at the sight of her best friend sprawled in a bed, her blonde hair fanned around her head like a lion’s mane, her naked chest visible as she pointed to the sleeping woman next to her.

Miss you, bestie!! it read. Tell you about this one soon… Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

That didn’t leave much. Ella grinned, sent off a quick reply, then stuffed her phone back into her waistband. She needed to get ready for her first official day and her first class with Riley. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but putting on a bit of makeup and her favourite push-up bra couldn’t hurt. She had to be camera-ready for her Instagram. Even if climbing up this tree every time she needed to post wasn’t exactly ideal.

She glanced down, and her belly plummeted. The ground was further away than she expected. Her vision swayed, and she gripped the branch beneath her. Shit.

She thought about calling for help, then imagined the look on Riley’s face when she had to rescue her from the tree like a helpless cat. No. Ella had gotten herself into this mess and she could get herself out of it. She peered over the side, and her stomach lurched again.

Where’s my monkey-spirit guide thing when I need it?

With a deep breath, she shuffled backwards, keeping a firm grip on the tree. A step at a time, she lowered herself, until the branches stopped, and she needed to drop. Hanging by the tips of her fingers, legs swaying unceremoniously, she let go, landing on her bare feet. Yes! She beamed, feeling like she’d just landed a triple backflip at the Olympics.

Applause rang out from behind her, and her face fell. She slowly turned.

“Wow! That was incredible,” Pauline cooed. She was dressed in a purple chiffon dress that didn’t really go with her oversized pink hat with white feathers. She glanced up at the tree, eyes widening. “Did you sleep up there?”

Ella snorted. “Yeah. Oops. You caught me.”

Pauline shifted uncertainly, looking back at the branches. “Well…uh… Are you ready for our first yoga session?”

Ella glanced down at her pink pyjamas. “Not quite.”

“I’ll wait for you, and then we can walk down together.” Pauline flashed a thumbs-up, her cheeks lifting and bunching the bags under her eyes.

Guilt washed over Ella as she scrambled for an excuse, but she needed to be on her A-game. “It might take me a while to get ready.”

“I don’t mind.” Pauline adjusted her hat, tucking dark brown hair behind her ears. “I’ve always wanted to try yoga. My husband, Albert, never wanted me to—well, ex-husband.” Her lips wilted, and she sniffed.

“Okay!” Ella jumped in, eager to stop her train of thought pulling into doomed-divorcee station. She let out a sigh and forced a smile. “Erm…would you like to come in and wait?”

“Groovy.” Pauline linked her arm with Ella’s, and the woman’s flowery perfume assaulted her nostrils. “I just knew we were gonna become the best of friends. I had a feeling.”

Oh, no… What have I done?

Pauline tugged her towards her door, and Ella inwardly cursed, sending prayers to any potential spirit guides listening up in the clouds to come and save her.

Chapter Five

Ella

The morning sun shone brightly, warming the back of Ella’s neck and legs. She and the other ten people from her group were facing the front, awaiting Riley’s arrival. Their yoga mats lay on their left, and the grey stone courtyard stretched ahead of them before disappearing into a beautiful view of the ocean. Green vines snaked up the wooden beams on either side, their pink and yellow flowers overhanging the pathways to the breakfast hall and reception building. At the front, a round fountain shot water up into the sky.

Everybody was silent, even Pauline next to Ella—though she was probably all cried out from earlier. Despite Ella’s best attempts, the woman had depleted Ella’s tissues and rubbed snot all over her favourite pyjama top. The rest of the group were women, except for a tall, skinny man called Rick and a balding guy who was dressed like it was winter instead of the hot Portuguese summer. Ella’s gaze roamed over his multicoloured wool jumper before settling back at the front. She dreaded to think what he smelt like under there.

Waves crashed in the distance, mingling with the tinkling of wind chimes. Ella was more than ready to learn some new poses to make Maeve’s girlfriend eat her free designer hats—and then some. How hard could it be?

A gong sounded, the deep hum echoing through the air. Riley appeared from underneath the canopy of flowers, dressed in her smart green uniform, and took her place in front of the fountain.

Ella’s belly tingled against her best efforts. Riley’s long blonde hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head, two strands framing either side of her face, drawing attention to her strong jaw.

“Good morning, everyone.” She brought her hands together and flashed a practised smile at the group. When her gaze avoided Ella’s, the tingles in her stomach dropped like falling knives. “I’m Riley, and I’ll be taking your yoga sessions for these three weeks. Every morning, we’ll convene here, join together for breathing exercises, and start the day by tuning into the earth’s natural energies.”

Breathing? Ella’s disappointment sunk even lower, curdling around her insides. That was hardly the tricky headstand-bendy-legs pose Annabelle constantly bragged about.

Riley took a few steps, her bare feet graceful on the stone. “I know some of you are probably thinking ‘Breathing? What does breathing have to do with anything?’ but it is the very core of our being. There’s nothing more natural and universal than breathing. We do it all the time without thinking about it at all, and by making this a conscious effort, we can strengthen the connection with our minds and bodies.”

Her attention drifted over the group again, passing over Ella like she didn’t even recognise her.