Page 23 of The Obedient Lie
I wasn’t angry theynoticedher.
I was angry thatI had.
I should’ve shut it all down the moment she moved in.
Should’ve told her to keep her pink blanket, her warm cookies, her soft-spoken politeness far from us.
Instead, she kept invading.
Quietly. Beautifully.
Like her existence wasn’t setting everything off-balance.
Still irritated, I climbed the stairs two at a time.
I needed a shower.
Neededsilence.
I stepped into the room?—
And stopped.
She was bent over on the floor.
Legs wide.
Palms pressed to the mat.
Backarched.
Downward dog.
And all I could see was her ass.
Tight yoga pants.
Sports bra.
Hair in a messy bun.
Skin flushed.
Breathing shallow.
She didn’t hear me right away, and when she did?—
“Oh!” she gasped, straightening too fast, cheeks already red. “Sorry—I didn’t think anyone was back yet. I’ll go downstairs, give you the room.”
She was flustered. Genuinely embarrassed.
She reached for her towel like it would hide something, already halfway to the door.
I grunted. “You’re fine.”
She froze. “Are you sure? I was just finishing up?—”
“I said it’s fine.”
