Bobby looked away first.
Orielle’s gaze didn’t waver. She’d grown up in the uncomfortable situations of silence; staring at the door, ceiling, wall, or black TV screen, waiting for the chaos outside her bedroom door to end. If Bobby wanted to have a stare-off, she could play this ridiculous game all day.
His guilt-ridden expression didn’t move her. Bobby’s hand dropped from the woman’s back, and he opened his mouth, probably to say her name, but Orielle had already tuned him out.
The woman turned, smiling politely. Orielle returned it with one of those tight, impersonal smiles you give a customer. She had nothing against her and didn’t have a clue who she was, but she couldn’t pretend like everything was all good either. She had all the smoke for Bobby. Not the woman of her punk ass ex of a man who used to know her body like his own and whispered promises into her ear as if he’d keep them. Orielle almost chuckled.
It was as if she were being tested... again. As if the months of delivered texts, unreturned calls, and questions as to why he moved so weirdly suddenly hadn’t been enough. Sometimes you didn’t get closure, and Orielle had come to terms with that until now. She maintained her composure and proceeded through the class as she usually did.
The hour passed slower than ever, and she moved with grace that masked the fire burning in her chest. Her voice remained soft and serene, guiding her students through grounding postures that she needed more than they did at the moment. Every cue rolled off her tongue as if she wasn’t experiencing what felt like a second, mild heartbreak. Under it all, beneath the calmness and soothing playlist, her thoughts were rapid and cloudy.
He really brought her here.
The audacity.
The disrespect.
I should’ve told them to leave.
The worst part of it all was that it didn’t even hurt as much as it used to. That was the part that shook her the most. Orielle had been more in shock than anything, and now, as she wrapped the yoga session up, she contemplated her next move. Leading them into corpse pose, she lowered her voice, letting the stillness settle around them.
“Let go of anything that no longer serves you,” she whispered. “Release what tried to break you. Let your breath be the proof that you’re still here.”
With her eyes closed and hands open, she stayed silent for a little longer than usual. This moment wasn’t for them. But for her. Then, gently, she began to bring them back.
“Wiggle your fingers and toes. Come back into your body. When you’re ready, roll to your side.”
The class slowly came to life with soft stretches and contented sighs. Mats rustled and rolled as water bottles uncapped. A few students offered Orielle quiet “thank yous” on their way out. Some even asked for instructions on poses to do at home. While she tended to their questions, Bobby helped his woman stand to her feet. She whispered something in his ear before slipping out the door to the restroom.
Orielle started folding her mat, and like she knew he would, Bobby made his way toward her. She didn’t need this scene and didn’t want his apology. She didn’t owe him the grace he never extended to her. Still, his footsteps approached like a rhythm she hated but knew by heart.
“Ori.”
She didn’t bother to look up.
“Orielle.”
His voice used to make her chest flutter. Now it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
He stopped a few feet away, rubbing the back of his neck like he was the one owed comfort. “I didn’t know you taught here.”
She finally looked at him.
Her gaze didn’t hold warmth or anger. Just icy stillness.
“And if you had?” she asked, holding her mat under her arm. She had another class to prepare for down the hall.
“I wouldn’t have agreed to come with her. I swear I didn’t—” He paused, frustration slipping into his tone when she didn’t rush to ease his guilt. “It wasn’t like I was tryna rub it in your face.”
“But you did.”
Bobby winced. “Look, I messed up. I know I should’ve handled things differently?—”
“Differently?” Orielle’s voice sharpened just slightly. “You mean like not ghosting me while you played house with somebody else?”
He looked down with no excuse ready.
“I didn’t know how to explain it,” he mumbled. “Everything happened so fast. She told me she was pregnant, and I panicked. You and I… we were complicated.”
