Page 36

We finally make it back outside, the party already going without us, and when we walk out of the cottage, the sound is nearly deafening.

Everyone was there to watch me place and to get a bid to my next comp, but their excitement hasn’t waned at all. They’re all here, cheering and clapping, my smile wide, realizing I have the most wonderful group of friends. Their support means everything.

It’s still hard to believe that Maui Pipe has come and gone, and that I managed to place third. I was hoping for sixth, as I knew it would allow me to move on, but third is a dream come true.

There’s a huge hand-painted sign hanging on the back of The Pipe Dream, congratulating me, and I let out a laugh.

Turning to Flynn, I jokingly ask, “What would the sign have said if I didn’t place?”

I take it in, my name on there, a gorgeous hand-drawn pink hibiscus that could only have been done by Nate. The word ‘congratulations’ is huge, and I can’t stop reading it. The word playing out over and over in my head.

“It still would have said that,” Flynn replies, motioning at the sign with a flick of his hand. “Just making it to Pipe is a fucking achievement, Alana.” He gives my ass a swat, smiling at me. “Now greet your adoring fans.”

I head over to where everyone is gathered, and Nate hands me a beer as soon as I walk up. Popping it open, I take a drink, my smile never fading.

Making my way around, I hug everyone, thanking them before Nate pulls me in for a bear hug. He’s not a hugger, so I know this is a big deal.

“He’d be so proud of you, Alana,” Nate whispers, holding me tightly. “You kicked ass out there, not that I didn’t think you would.” His words linger between us, his arms wrapped around me, mine around him.

Nate’s the closest thing I have to a brother, and I love him with everything in me. I love that Sage came into his life at the perfect time, filling the hole that was left when Mitch passed away. He’s still the same grumpy douche he was all those years ago when I forced him to be my friend, but now, under all his broodiness, is a man who learned how to love.

“Thanks, Nate,” I reply, his lips pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. “And my board, it was the coolest one out there.”

“Damn straight.”

Sage joins us, a smile on her face, her eyes that match Mitch’s shining. “I made poi,” she announces, standing up a little taller as she now pulls me in for a hug. “You did amazing, and one day I’m going to learn all the rules and the scoring and shit, but for now, all I can say is, you totally made my first competition a memorable one.”

“Thanks, Sage. It gets easier the more you watch, and I hope to give you a few more to watch,” I say with conviction. Despite moving on and getting to compete again, it’s not a given for the future, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to be a name people remember. And with Flynn’s help and support, I’m going to nail a world championship too.

“I’ll be at every single one,” Sage says, and Nate hits her with a bit of a side-eye, causing both of us to giggle. “We’re going, Nathan, don’t be a dick.”

“Yeah, Nathan. See you in Tahiti, okay?”

“You two are going to bleed me dry,” he mutters, shaking his head, but behind his forced glares is a smile just for Sage and me.

“And we’re having that pig that gets cooked in the ground,” Sage now adds, and I just love her and all her island cluelessness.

“Kalua Pork, babe,” Nate tells her, slinging an arm around her shoulders. He pulls her close, giving her a quick kiss just as Flynn walks up.

“Hey, great party,” Flynn says, shaking hands with Nate and giving Sage a quick hug. “I wanted to chat with you both about something. No need to make a decision now or anything.”

“Sure, what’s up?” Nate asks.

“So, I’m planning to stick around for a while, and I know you just got the cottage up on Airbnb and all, so seriously, no big deal if not, but would you consider doing a long-term rental?”

“How long-term are we talking?” Nate now asks, looking over at Sage, both of them grinning. They know what Flynn’s question means, not just for him, but for me too.

“Not sure, but at least a year, possibly longer. Depends on how quickly I can sell my place in Oz and if I find anything here I’d like to buy.”

“You’re staying?” Sage asks, looking over at me. She takes my hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze as if she’s telling me she’s happy for me. I squeeze back, feeling my heart hammering hard in my chest.

The idea of Flynn staying, that he’s here permanently, and that he’s here for me, makes it even more special. Again, he chose me. He keeps choosing me, and for that, I will be forever in love with him. He changed my life in ways I can’t even begin to express.

“I am. And this lady got me a place in Pipe Masters next month,” Flynn says, tossing a soft elbow into my side before he pulls me close.

“What do you think, babe?” Nate asks Sage, and she gives a simple nod. “Well, there you go. The cottage is yours as long as you need it.”

“You can take—” Flynn starts, but Nate cuts him off.

“It’s yours, dude. We don’t need to think about it. We can figure out a monthly rate later, but having someone in there we know is perfect.”

“For sure,” Sage echoes, and then she looks over at me, a telling look on her face before she adds, “And maybe Alana could move in with you.”

“That was the next thing I was about to ask,” Flynn says, turning to me. “What do you say, beautiful? Wanna be my roommate?” His words are teasing and playful, and I swear I don’t think this day could get any better.

“I can think of a better word than roommate, but I guess I’ll consider moving in with you,” I hit back, rolling my eyes.

“Is that a yes?”

“You’d be moving back in where you first started out,” Nate mentions, and he’s right. It’s where I finally felt like my life was getting back on track, where I had people who loved and supported me. And now it’s come full circle.

“You cool with it?” I ask Nate and Sage, and Nate lets out a hearty chuckle.

“I’m pretty sure having you in our backyard is Sage’s dream come true. Get ready, she’ll be knocking on your door with a bottle of wine every night.”

“Not every night,” Sage quips, letting out a playfully bothered sigh.

“I’m in,” I tell Flynn, pushing up on my toes to give him a kiss. “But now I gotta tell the girls.”

I look over my shoulder, Sloane and Daisy are chatting and laughing, and my heart breaks a little. Daisy will be just fine. She’s resilient and independent, and not that Sloane isn’t, but it’s different.

Her life before moving in with Daisy and me was pretty shitty, and she’s grown and healed so much over the last year. She’ll be fine without me too, but it’s going to hit her hard.

Up until she moved in with us, she bounced around from foster home to foster home just like Nate. I couldn’t let her struggle after aging out of the system, and knowing what a good kid she was from the surf school, I let her move in with Daisy and me.

She fit right in, like she’d lived with us all along, but she relied on me for a lot of things that were missing in her life. If anything, for a while, I was more like a mother to her than a friend. It’s changed over the last few months, and I’ve watched her grow into someone I always knew she could be.

But my heart aches at the idea of leaving her. Everyone leaves her, just like how Nate felt, and I don’t ever want her to think that.

“Go on. I’ll hang out with the guys,” Flynn says, walking over to the cooler to grab a beer as I head over to where Daisy and Sloane are.

“Oh my fucking god,” Daisy spits out when I stop in front of them. “I know I’ve already said it a million times, but that was fucking epic.”

“It really was. It couldn’t have ended better. Like a damn movie,” Sloane adds. “And Flynn, things worked out just like I figured they would.”

“You did call it that night we had the sleepover,” I tell her, my heart beating a little too fast, worried about what I need to say.

I have no reservations about moving in with Flynn. I love him, and our life is only going to get better with each passing day. Surfing together and being able to possibly tour together. It’s like a dream.

But it’s real.

It’s fucking real.

“I want to tell you both something,” I say, hesitation catching in my words, and Daisy shakes her head, a knowing smile on her face.

“You’re moving in with Flynn, aren’t you?” she says, and before I respond, I see Sloane’s smile drop.

“Are you?” Sloane asks, the sound of the choked-back tears slipping through.

“I am.”

“It’s okay,” she quickly says now, swiping at her eyes. “I’ll be fine. You aren’t moving away or anything, right?” The words come out quickly, fear-laced and panicked.

“No. Never. Maui is my home, and it’s where all of you are. You’re always going to be my family,” I say, reaching for Sloane and pulling her into my arms. “You’ve got this, and you know I’m here for you no matter what.”

“I know,” she says, sniffing back the tears. “It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just that…I don’t even know,” she mutters, and this is when the tears begin to spill over.

“You’re scared to do it on your own?” I ask her, and Daisy scoffs, folding her arms over her chest. She pushes her bare foot into the back of Sloane’s leg, laughing.

“And what about me? I’m just nothing?” Daisy teases. “But I get it, I’m not all motherly like Alana.” She rolls her eyes and bats her lashes, making Sloane and me laugh.

“Alana was the first person I ever had that helped me, that didn’t think I was a burden. It’s hard.” Sloane’s words are still tough to hear. She was forgotten, and that still hurts.

“We’re gonna do this together,” Daisy tells Sloane, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “You and me, kicking ass, and maybe we can even find a new roommate to take Alana’s place.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sloane responds, sniffing again. She wipes at her eyes, letting out a hard sigh. “I’m just being dramatic. You’re not leaving, so I’ll be showing up on your doorstep anytime I need advice.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Daisy, Sloane and I move into a ridiculous group hug, which only prompts Kai to stroll up and make some stupid ass comment.

“Threesome!” he calls out, and Miles runs over and punches him hard in the shoulder. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“No, dude, what the fuck, right back to you. Fucking threesome, you asshole,” Miles barks, but his gaze instantly falls to Daisy, waiting for her to notice him. These two. They’re too damn much for this group with all their longing and desperate gazes.

And that’s when Owen walks over. In his hand he has a stack of napkins, and he hands them to Sloane. A sweet smile on his face when she thanks him, blotting at her eyes.

“You okay?” he asks her, and she shakes her head, looking away from Owen as he waits for her to answer.

“I’m fine. Alana’s moving in with Flynn and I’m just a being whiny girl,” Sloane says, but I watch Owen’s face change from adoration to anger quickly. This is something she’s learned after years in foster care. She’s not allowed to cry. Expressing how she feels is a no-go for her, so she turns to making fun of herself. It’s something I’ve been trying to get her to stop doing, but she struggles.

She’s not being whiny, and I want to tell her that, but Owen beats me to it.

“You’re not a whiny girl,” he tells her. “It’s cool to have feelings, you know?”

The group of us falls silent at Owen’s words, and he’s far too sweet for his own good. And a part of me wants to slap Sloane for constantly overlooking him. But letting people in is her weakness, and eventually, she’ll come around. He’s going to win her over. He’s far too charming, and not to mention rich. Sometimes I wonder what he’s doing hanging out with a pack of weirdos like us.

“With that, I’m getting another drink,” Kai calls out, and the crowd of us disperses. Sloane and Daisy head over to grab some food, with Owen and Miles trailing behind them.

I look for Flynn, finding him talking to Tanner, and I watch, taking in how at ease he is with this crowd of people, people he barely knows but people he’s welcomed and who have welcomed him.

It makes me fall in love with him even more.

He catches me watching him and smiles, giving a small wave that makes me giggle. I call him over with a hook of my finger, winking at him when he starts to walk over.

“What are you doing over here?” he asks, his words sweet and playful.

“Just watching you and falling in love all over again.”

Wrapping his toned arms around me, the weight of his body against mine, he kisses me. Here in front of all my friends, his lips pressed against mine as if we’re the only ones, as if the world exists only for us.

And it’s a kiss that says everything we both feel. It’s a kiss that holds so much meaning and so much hope for the future.

It’s a kiss that says forever.