Page 24 of The Yoga Teacher

The sooner they talked, the sooner she could get over it and they could go back to normal.

He called one last time. And again it went to voicemail.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Daniel

HE WASN’T THE first man to cheat.

People worked through this.

Marriagessurvived.

She just needed to see him, tolookat him, and realize this wasn’t as bad as she thought.

He slowed as he turned onto James and Mia’s street, his chest tightening as he pulled up in front of their house. Hannah’s car was parked outside.

She was here.

A strange relief hit him—she wassafe, at least.

He climbed out of the car, ran a hand through his hair, and forced himself toward the front steps. He hadn’t figured out what he was going to say yet, but it didn’t matter. He wanted to see her.

Hehadto see her.

Daniel knocked.

A beat of silence.

Then the door swung open, and Mia stood there, arms crossed, eyes rimmed red.

Daniel exhaled. “Mia, I—”

“No.”

His jaw tensed. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

Mia just stood there, shoulders squared, blocking the doorway.

Daniel felt his patience fraying. “Look, I need to see her. She’smywife.”

Mia’s mouth tightened. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

His chest constricted, but he forced himself to breathe through it. “Mia, I just—”

“I don’t know what happened,” Mia cut in, voice sharper now. “She wouldn’t tell me. But she was crying when she showed up, Daniel. She’sneverlike that. And if you’re the reason for that—” She stopped herself, inhaling through her nose, as if reigning in something worse.

Daniel clenched his jaw. Heneededto see Hannah, to talk to her, tofixthis.

“She’s upset,” he said, his voice lowering, trying to push back against the rising frustration. “I get it. But this isn’t something she can justshut me outover. We need to talk.”

Mia didn’t budge. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. Not tonight.” She held his gaze for another second, then stepped back and shut the door in his face.

Daniel just stood there, staring at the closed door, his mind struggling to wrap around what had just happened.

He hadn’t evenseenHannah.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

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