Page 41 of Out in the Surf

I couldn’t get too excited, though. This was the first leg of a three-day competition. I might be riding high now, but I knew how fast everything could fall apart. The ocean was in charge here. I had no say. I had to rely on training, experience, and daredevil instincts. The judges watched for degree of difficulty, innovative and varied maneuvers, speed, power, and flow. Timid surfing was not an option.

Andy Dugan was ahead of me in points. Not a surprise. He was good.

But I was good too. I had a tendency to be cautious in my everyday life, never in the water. I wasn’t an idiot, but I was fearless. This was my happy place, my zone. I cleared my mind and let my body take over. It was the only way to focus. If I let my brain in, it wouldn’t be Andy I worried about. It would be Luca.

He loved me.

Me.

Wow.

He said he knew I was afraid and of course, he’d guessed every damn reason I had for not letting anyone in. I couldn’t blame Hannah or any previous girlfriend. I couldn’t claim that I was nervous to come out. I wasn’t nervous at all. I was just my own worst enemy.

My world was small and insular. It was hard to trust that a former hockey player with the world at his feet would give up anything at all to be with me. The crazy thing was…I knew he meant every word. I didn’t doubt him. I should never have insinuated that Luca was too young to know what he wanted. My man was a quick study and a bold warrior. He might not have all the answers, but he followed his instincts…and somehow, they led him to me.

I could second-guess his wisdom all day long, but I wasn’t a complete idiot. He didn’t pick up his phone last night, and I didn’t see him when I arrived at the beach this morning. But I knew he was here now. I just had to be a freaking rock star for one more heat and—

A bullhorn blasted from the nearby boat full of judges. I had no idea what was said, but it spurred me into action. I paddled like mad for the oncoming swell, jumped on my board, crouching low until I felt the wave pull me in. I leaned into the crest and glided like I was walking on water…which I kind of was. Wave caught, check.

My internal cruise control took over again, guiding me over a peak with a fancy maneuver or two I knew would score extra points. But I wasn’t thinking about points. I was thinking that every passing second Luca didn’t know how I felt was a moment wasted.

And I’d wasted a lot of time already.

I veered right, letting the wind take over as I steered toward the beach. I heard my name yelled in a WTF tone that was totally justifiable. I was basically pulling the equivalent of dropping the ball and running off a court or a field.

Fuck the competition, fuck the money.The guy I loved was sitting with his buddies, watching his “friend” compete. Screw that.

I rode a long set in, jumped in and pulled the leash, dragging my board onto the wet sand as I scanned the beach. It was packed. Balloon arches cordoned off a large section for the event, but most of the spectators were on the pier.

“Cal, good run out there, man. But aren’t you supposed to check in before the next heat?” Rex offered his hand for a high five.

“Yeah.” I smacked his palm automatically as I continued my search. “Have you seen Luca?”

Rex cocked his head curiously, then pointed south. “He’s that-away. Why? Are you okay?”

“No, I have something I need to do.” I released the strap, shaking excess water from my hair before striding away.

“But you’re in the middle of a compet—wait. Where are you going?”

I didn’t look back. I scoured the crowds, calling for Luca at the top of my lungs. The masses parted like the Red Sea, clearing room for the lunatic yelling his head off.

“Luca!”

Luca pushed through a throng of college-aged girls in tiny bikinis. “Hey! I’m right here. What the fuck are you doing?”

I spotted Zoe, Eden, and his roommates. But I only had eyes for him. He wore a pair of navy board shorts low on his hips like every other guy on the beach. Yet somehow, he stood out. The way he always did.

I stopped in my tracks and stared at him, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. Everyone was staring, wondering what the hell I was doing. Including Luca. I didn’t know what to say, so I pulled him against my chest and crashed my mouth over his.

The crowd erupted in a chorus of catcalls and wolf whistles. I tuned them out, curling my hand around his nape, and resting my forehead on his.

“Stay. Or I’ll go with you. It doesn’t matter. I just…I love you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

He smiled that extra-bright smile. The one that lit me up and made me dizzy at the same time. I wanted that smile in my life forever. This was not a phase for me. This was not an experiment and he was more than just a friend. This was real, and Luca was the center of it all.

“Yeah.” I traced his brow with my thumb and pressed kisses on his cheeks. “This might land us on social media later, which definitely was not what I had in mind, but it seemed really fucking important to let you know that I’m crazy about you. Head-over-heels crazy. You feel like home to me, Luca. Not this town, not the ocean. You. Just you.”