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I ran my eyes over Seb’s face. This boy was my world, but Abbie was my everything, too. I loved her with every fibre of my being, and though it was different from the love I felt for my child, it was just as powerful. We’d been children together. Our love was built on years and years of respect and common ground, attraction and admiration, friendship and torment and everything in between. She was more than my best friend. Shewas my soul mate. And if I couldn’t give up on Seb, then I couldn’t give up on Abbie. Our little family didn’t work without her.
“It’s not too late,” I said. “I can still fix this.”
Mum grinned. “Yes, you can. But don’t wait too long. I can hardly stand the wait.”
56
Abbie
I sat on myyoga mat at the front of my freshly fixed studio. Quiet music danced in the air. Candles flickered in the dim light. And my class was made up entirely of couples who had enrolled in my Valentine’s Day in Valentine’s Bay Partners’ Workshop.
I wanted to be anywhere else but here. A deserted island. A jail cell. A convent. Anywhere.
I’d agreed to do the class weeks ago when Emily had persuaded me to try it at least once over the festival period. She argued it would be good for my business and socials, and it was annoying how the woman always made sense, but I never could have predicted that I’d have to facilitate a class for lovers less than twenty-four hours after mine had punched a guy in the face for me, then broken my goddamn heart.
It didn’t help that I’d forced Jess, Em, Birdie, and Tash to sign up to give me moral support, which meant Logan, Josh, Isaac, and Luca were in the room, too. Instead of swapping amused smiles and silent jokes with my friends like I’d hoped we would,they threw me furtive looks of sympathy—when they looked at me at all. It was the same with the other locals in the class. Burt the Third was here with his wife. Dawn, who hadn’t had a partner in all the time I’d known her, had dragged her teenage daughter along, and the girl’s eye-roll game was on point. Dorothy March was at the back of the room with her new man, and though she was at least ninety years old, I was pretty sure her date was only in his seventies.
Another time, I’d have called Dot a cougar with a wink and approving grin. Today, I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole.
“Okay, everyone.” Even my yoga voice, which usually came so naturally, was a burden today. “Let’s move into a partnered breathing pose. Settle into easy sit position—legs crossed at the ankles or shins, whatever feels most comfortable to you—and rest your back against your partner’s. Notice how your body moves as you breathe in and out, and pay attention to the feel of your partner’s ribcage against your own. That’s it. Inhale… and exhale. Very good.”
I allowed five minutes for the pose and kept my eyes closed the whole time. I focussed on my own breath and tried to find a centre inside my emotions.
I was sad, but I was also mad. Angry at myself for ever getting into a situation that had the potential to hurt me. Pissed off that Will had encouraged my trust, then left me when things got rough, and that he’d given up on us so quickly. Frustrated because when I tried to define it, I couldn’t put a name on what I’d lost. Will and I were friends again. He wasn’t gone—we’d simply reset our relationship to default mode. We’d never been a conventional couple, and this wasn’t a conventional break-up.
So, what was it all for? What was the purpose of the last month? What was the Universe trying to tell me?
I swallowed my self-indulgent overwhelm and opened my eyes. “Okay, class. This next one is great for spine mobility and detoxification. It’s a seated twist, and all you need to do is—”
The door to the studio bounced open with a bang, and my chin jerked up just as everyone in the room turned to look backwards.
Will stood in the door frame with Seb on his hip, the light from the hall outlining his tall, strong frame. An overwhelming surge of joy and relief hit me at the sight of the baby, and my heart beat faster as Will’s eyes searched for mine. He found me and took a few steps into the room before he stalled and looked around, then stopped.
“I, uh…” Will shifted Seb on his hip and rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t know you had a class.”
I’d forgotten all about my students the moment I set eyes on him, and I wanted to tell him to keep moving forwards before he ran again, but I was frozen.
“It’s okay, dear.” Dot was closest to the door, and from her seat on the floor, she set a hand on Will’s leg. He glanced down at her, and the look she gave him was slow and deliberate, as were her words. “Do you need to talk to Abigail?”
His brows drew together before he looked back at me. “I mean, yeah. I do, but…”
Hope trapped the breath in my lungs, and my heart pounded for a hundred reasons. Love. Fury. Relief. With his eyes on me, Will took another few hesitant steps into the studio. Each one tangled my nerves a little tighter.
I wanted to touch him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to shout and rant and tell him he’d ruined everything, and then I wanted to make up. I was a freaking mess for this man. Me. Abbie Ellison. That’s how I knew I was gone for him, as if there’d been any doubt. I couldn’t keep up the act anymore.
“If you’ve got something to say, then say it,” Burt ordered as he got to his feet. He helped Mrs Spies stand as well, then crossed his arms and scowled. “We’re listening.”
“You’re listening?” Will swallowed and looked around the roomagain. I could see the moment he spotted Dawn, then the crew. His eyes grew wide, but then he squared his shoulders and stalked through the class, only stopping when he reached me. I stared up at him, searching for answers in his expression, until he extended his hand. My body vibrated with expectation as I took it, and he helped me rise. When we were face to face with the whole class watching, we stood looking at each other for a long moment. And as much as I wanted Will to say something that would fix what was broken, I didn’t object to the limbo right then. I could spend forever with Will looking at me the way he was.
“Well?” Burt grumbled. “Get on with it.”
Someone shushed him—Dot, I thought—but I didn’t bother looking to be sure. Suddenly, I was all too aware of our audience.
“Maybe we should do this another time,” I murmured.
“No.” Will kept on looking at me like we were the only people in the room. “I don’t want to hide anymore. I want everyone in this room to hear what I have to say.”
I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. Someone turned off the music, and we were enveloped with quiet murmuring. All I could see was Will and the little baby reaching out to be put in my arms.
