nine
Jamie
I’dalwaysbeenamorning person.
I’d been like this since I was a kid. I did sports that required morning practices, took early classes in college, and usually made it to the office by eight after a workout at six in the morning.So waking up at five-thirty for yoga on a Sunday wasn’t a problem.
There was sunrise yoga every morning, which I’d looked forward to since Ren told me about it in an attempt to sell me on our vacation. When I asked him if he’d like to join, he’d told me that he’d rather be eaten by a black bear. So it was just me for the time being.
The camp was gloriously quiet as everyone slept. I didn’t see a soul around, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to believe that I was completely alone if not for the birds dancing on the branches above me and the breeze blowing through the trees. The Meditation Meadow was at the far end of the camp, and I wondered if I’d be able to make it there on time. But it wasn’tin me to rush before yoga. It’d screw up my chance at relaxation and a clear mind.
So I moseyed. That’s right,moseyed. Before this, I only knew how to power walk and run.
The air was damp, and condensation gathered on the leaves and trees around me. It reminded me of the one time I’d gone camping as a kid with a friend and his family at Lake Chelan. I remembered waking up and shivering in my too-constricting sleeping bag as beads of water dripped along the perimeter of my tent. As much as I’d loved that trip, I couldn’t lie: waking up in a cabin was so much better than waking up in a sweating tent.
I glanced at the oranges and pinks coming from over the trees and felt happy to be alive. There was no comparison to seeing the sun come over Mount Hood. These days, I only knew the city. The sounds of traffic, people yelling outside of bars, footsteps moving above my apartment from neighbors I’d never met.
So this place was… Different.
The meadow was gorgeous. It was set on a hill overlooking the lake, surrounded by trees whose leaves let in rays of sunlight.
I wasn’t the last to arrive, but most people were yawning and rubbing their eyes. It was nothing like the first yoga session, however. There had been some hard partying on our first night, and most people had looked ready to fall asleep or vomit that morning. I was honestly surprised anyone had shown after gorging on s’mores and cocktails, and had been grateful that I’d fought the urge to overindulge, even though my first inclination was to lean into the impulse to get shitfaced after seeing my somehow-more-gorgeous-than-I’d-remembered ex-girlfriend.
Luckily (or unluckily) for me, Autumn had been constantly busy that night, having side conversations until finally leaving with Leo halfway through, so even when I’d gotten up the nerve to say something to her, she was gone.
But Paint and Sip gave me a spark of hope for something different from our ax-throwing meeting. She’d been fun—even more than I’d remembered. And although my painting looked like a three-year-old had taken a brush to it in certain areas, I’d felt a sense of accomplishment. Autumn and I were on the precipice of something new.
She seemed happy to learn about my life, and when we nearly got in trouble, she’d leaned into it, a far cry from the way she used to be. Seeing her less regimented gave her a new kind of appeal.
I went to the back of the class, unrolled my yoga mat, and sat next to a dental hygienist from the Andromeda pod I’d met in yoga the morning before.
Just like yesterday, our leader for the morning was Sawyer, with help from a counselor named Jack. Yesterday, Sawyer had explained that they had been on numerous yoga retreats and used to teach at a studio in their hometown before coming to Camp Starlight. The yoga classes I’d been to before had all been inside a gym or a studio, so it was a nice change of pace to be in the outdoors, and you could read it on my classmates’ faces.
Sawyer was getting people set up and finding out about injuries or areas of the body to avoid stretching while Jack welcomed people.
“If it isn’t the most beautiful girl in the universe,” he choked out.
Something in his tone sounded sarcastic, but where was the lie? The way her yoga pants hugged her curves had me wishing I could touch her in all the ways I used to. We hadn’t been huge into public displays of affection when we were kids, but I’d usually had my hand on her in some way, whether on the small of her back, across her shoulders, or around her in an embrace. I was finding it harder to ignore how my body gravitated toward hers. Hell, I’d take a lingering hug if I could get it.
Jack scruffed his fingers through her messy hair, making my stomach muscles clench. What was that? Jealousy? There was no way. It’d been ten years. Even if he wasn’t her partner, I had no idea about her relationship status. She could be with someone else at the camp or maybe in town. She could be in a long-distance relationship (not that it had worked out so well the first time), and I wouldn’t have a clue.
Jack raised his hands dramatically and stepped back from the basket of yoga mats as Autumn grabbed one, shoved it under her arm, and turned, smacking him with it slapstick style. It was clearly on purpose, especially with her enthusiasm. I had no idea what was going on with her and Jack, but they were close.
Her eyes lit up when she saw me, a smile warming her features.She walked to the back of the group and dropped her mat right next to me. “Hey,” she said, her voice slightly raspy.
Everything she did was sluggish, especially the way she took me in. I’d thrown on a pair of joggers and a white T-shirt, and if I wasn’t mistaken, it was doing exactly what I’d want it to do in her presence, if I cared about that sort of thing.
Jack looked to Sawyer, who gave him the go-ahead to start class. “Hello, early birds.” He waved before looking right in our direction. “And Autumn.”
She gave her fakest fake smile before glaring daggers at him. She looked like she was calculating how far she’d have to throw him before he hit the lake.
Jack paid her no further attention. “We’re going to start in a minute, but while Sawyer finishes, let’s all do some arm stretches.”
We did so collectively, moving into leg stretches before Sawyer walked to the front of the class.
“Welcome again, everyone.” They stepped their bare feet onto their yoga mat.
I squished my feet into the ground, enjoying the sensation of a barely level earth surface with the cushy foam of my mat. Sawyer sat down and the rest of the class did as well, so I followed suit.
