Riley gripped the mat under her body with her fingers until they ached and focused on reinforcing the psychic netting around her. It took everything she had, and it still wasn’t enough.
Something popped. It was one of the clouds. Then another and another. They were disappearing like balloons stuck with a pin, one after another. It was dark and cold without the glow of the clouds. It was a void.
She felt panic and recognized it as her own.
“Slowly coming back into your body.”Wander’s voice floated to Riley on an empty echo. The dizzying shadows slipped away. Her empty spirit world tilted suddenly, and Riley dropped back into her body and opened her eyes.
Gabe, her mother, and Wander were all watching her as the rest of the class stretched and smiled their post-yoga smiles at each other.
“Do I need to throw anyone out a window?” Roger asked in a loud whisper.
She shook her head. “I think we’re good, Dad.”
She felt shaky and out of sorts. Not really dizzy, but somehow floaty, as if she’d lost her tether. Looking around the studio, she realized something was wrong. Very wrong. She couldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts. Not even a whisper of them.
“Is that going to be a problem?” her mother asked.
“What?” Had her psychic cohorts witnessed the big bang ending to Cotton Candy World?
“That.” Blossom pointed to the front row where Sesame and Nick’s mother were in conversation.
“Crap.”
She tried to get to her feet and jump over a yoga mat, but her knees buckled, and she fell into one of the shirtless guys.
“Sorry,” she apologized and stumbled her way to the front of the room.
“There you are,” Sesame said, beaming at her. “I was just telling Mrs. Santiago—
“Dr.Santiago,” Marie interjected imperiously.
“Anyway, as I was saying. I wassodisappointed Riley swept your son off his feet before I could put my accidental pregnancy plan into play.”
Riley blinked rapidly. “Uhhh.”
Sesame heaved a dramatic sigh. “I really thought I’d be Mrs. Nick Santiago. Can you imagine me at your dining room table every holiday, Mrs. Santiago? Well, I guess you would have had to come to our place since it was before my house arrest ankle bracelet came off.”
“Who is this woman?” Marie demanded, looking at Riley.
“This is Sesame.”
“Nick’s ex-girlfriend,” Sesame supplied and wrapped an arm around Riley’s shoulders. “Don’t even get me started on how long I stalked this one after I realized she and Nick were together after he broke up with me. I couldn’t decide if I should stage an elaborate ruse that made it look like Nick was cheating on her or if I should just save a bunch of time and run her down with a car. But Riley turned out to be such a big-hearted, smart, charming, loyal woman, I decided to make her my friend instead and find someone else to trap into marriage.”
Marie looked at Sesame as if she were a piece of gum that dared stick to the bottom of her shoe.
“Oooh!” Sesame squealed. “I’m going to see if I can steal sweaty hot guy’s wallet so I can see if he’s rich. If he is, I’ll meet-cute him in the parking lot. Lovely meeting you, Mrs. Santiago.”
“That’s doctor— Oh, screw it. Is that ridiculous story true?” a shell-shocked Marie asked as Sesame flitted across the studio.
Riley shrugged. “As true as anything else she says.”
Marie shivered. “Well, then. Have a…nice day.”
Mouth open, Riley watched Nick’s mother leave the studio.
Sesame waited until she was gone, then danced back over to Riley.
“What was that?” Riley demanded.
