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“They are, and this isn’t some tryst.”

“All right, then. Let’s say it is more. What then?” her fatherasked. “Are you going to be able to handle the hit your surfing is going totake? Because I can all but guarantee there’ll be more days like today ifyou’re splitting your focus between yourself and your top competitor. That’s alose-lose every which way you look at it.”

Elle felt like the world was shifting, because not only did hiswords anger Elle, they forced a trickle of terror down her spine. What if, bysome slim chance, he was right? What if the connection she and Gia had forgedwas the very thing that was taking her down, and Gia right along with her?While their relationship was one of the most remarkable things that had everhappened to her, she’d spent her whole life working toward one goal, and shecouldn’t give up on it now. She wouldn’t. Elle gripped the table, rejecting theunsettling idea and the implications that came with it.

“Just wait for the Rip Curl Pro,” she said, with a serenity shedid not feel. “You’ll see. This tournament was nothing but a fluke.”

Her parents exchanged a defeated look. Her mother sighed. Herfather shook his head. “It’s your life, sweetheart. You get to make all thedecisions.”

* * *

Elle was quieter than normal on the flight back to California. Giagave her the space to think, go over the events of the past couple of days, asawful as they were. After losing in the fourth, she’d hold on to her number oneranking, but barely, as Lindy Ives finished second in the tournament, narrowingthe gap between her and Elle, which was awful. If Gia couldn’t top theleaderboard, the next best thing was that Elle did, the woman who had herheart.

“What do you think happened in Portugal?” Elle asked, still in defeatmode, as they drove back to Seven Shores from the airport.

Gia was afraid to say what she suspected was the truth. “We weredistracted.” She parked the Jeep and turned to Elle. “We’re letting ourselvesget caught up.”

Elle nodded. “In each other.”

“In each other, in the drama with your parents, in the crazyattention we pull from reporters now.”

“It’s gotten out of control.” Since the Trainers ads startedrunning, attention from the sports media and bloggers had tripled. When theirrelationship had come to light, it exploded even further. All eyes were onthem, and not just in regard to their surfing. They’d created a proverbialcircus. “So, what do we do?” Elle asked.

“I don’t know.”

They sat there in the car, defeated, before finally making theirway to Gia’s apartment. Along the way, the noise from Isabel’s place snaggedtheir focus. “Oh, I think we have to stop,” Gia said.

Elle looked intrigued. “I’ll follow you.”

Not bothering to knock, Gia let them into the one-story unit andfound Kate sitting on the floor, controller in hand as Ms. Pac-Man flew aroundthe screen. Isabel and Larry Herman stood behind her cheering. “She’s a beast!Kate’s broken her personal record!” Isabel yelled, and flung herself into Gia’sarms. “Hi! Glad you’re back. Hey, Elle. Come in! Quick. This is crazy. Socrazy. I’m losing my shit.”

Gia darted farther into the room and stared at the screen, notingthe importance of such a feat. Kate, their up-and-comingMs. Pac-Manprodigy,fairly new to the game, was wrecking shop. “Don’t let the banana into thewarped tunnel!” Gia yelled.

“Fucking get it!” Isabel yelled. “Hurry! Grab that bastardbanana!”

“Ms. Carpenter, oh no! Be aware of the blue ghost on the left-handside of the screen,” Larry Herman said, with more intensity than volume. Hepointed at the edge of the television. “Right here!”

“So, this is one of the retro video games you told me about?” Elleasked, a hint of a smile on her face.

“The most important one by far. Ms. Pac-Man is a big part of ourlives. She’s everything.”

“I get that distinct impression. You guys are hard-core. Maybeeven—”

“What a fucker!” Isabel yelled, slamming a throw pillow to theground as if the midst of a wrestling match. She threw her body on top of it.

They turned to the screen to see Kate’s Ms. Pac-Man shrink andshrink into a sad little death.

“It’s okay,” Kate said, standing from her spot on the floor. “Ihad a good run.”

She may have gone down, but it had been an admirable fight thatwould up her high score on the refrigerator. “You killed it,” Gia said. “Updatethe board.”

With a nod, Isabel headed to the fridge where Kate’s level andscore would be upped. “This is big,” Gia said to Elle.

Elle nodded reverently. “Oh, most certainly. I can tell.”

“It seems weird at first,” Kate said. “But I promise, it’s fun. Doyou want to try?”

Elle shrugged. “What the hell? I like games.”