Page 14 of Until August

I restedmy forearms on my knees and watched the surfers. I’d gotten to the pier early when the sun was just starting to rise, and the beach was still empty. Now the sun was inching higher in the sky behind me, and a handful of surfers were in the lineup.

Three weeks had come and gone without a word from Sasha, and with each day that passed, the angrier I got. Was it her idea to keep Sage away from me? Or was her husband calling the shots?

The thought of another man stepping into my shoes had my hands curling into fists and my stomach twisting into knots. If not for Sage, I wouldn’t have heeded Sasha’s wishes to stay away from her house. But if I had any chance of fixing what I’d broken, I needed to do this right.

Unfortunately, that meant I had to rely on my ex’s good graces.

After I checked my phone for the millionth time and confirmed that there were no missed calls or messages, I lay down on the sand and tucked my hands under my head.

While I watched the sun trying to burn through the clouds, I weighed my options. I was staying at a hostel for backpackers and surfers about three miles from the pier. It was the cheapest option I could find, nothing fancy, and offered zero privacy. I slept in a bunk room with three others. But it was close to the beach, and most people passing through were chilled-out surfers looking for their next wave. So, it could be a lot worse.

But if I didn’t get a job soon, I wouldn’t even be able to afford the hostel.

My eyes drifted shut, and I listened to the waves lapping against the shore and the seagulls squawking.

I’d missed this. Feeling the sun on my face and breathing fresh air. I’d missed so many things. Cold beer. Fresh seafood. The ocean.Sex.

Jesus, I’d missed sex. The scent of a woman, the feel of her skin, the little noises she made when I was buried deep inside her.

My thoughts drifted to Nicola. What were the chances I would run into her again after all these years?

We’d met a long time ago, and it hadn't been anything monumental in the greater scheme of things. But the day we met, I’d thought about her all the way home, and she’d pop into my head for weeks, even months, afterward.

I hadn’t even known her name. She’d just been the pretty girl with big brown eyes and lush lips in a short denim skirt and faded red hoodie.

She’d tasted like freshly squeezed lemonade laced with honey. A little bit tart, a little bit sweet. And all I’d wanted was another taste.

A few weeks later, I went back to find her but ran into her father instead. “I know guys like you. You’ve got trouble written all over you. Stay the hell away from my daughter. She’s a good girl, and I don’t want her hanging around with the likes of you.”

I’d flipped him off, but he hadn’t been wrong. I was trouble. And at eighteen, I’d already heard those words a million times. From teachers. From social workers. From foster parents who kicked me to the curb because I wastoo much trouble.

“Hey, Kai,” a kid yelled from somewhere behind me, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Bet I can catch air on the first wave I ride.”

“Yeah, sure you can,” the boy scoffed. “Last time you tried that, you ate a mouthful of sand. Why don’t you learn how to stay on the board before you try any fancy stuff?”

“I’m just as good as you, and I’ll prove it.”

I chuckled under my breath and made a wild guess that they were competitive siblings.

“Why did I have to come to this break, Dad? It’s for groms. The waves are better down at—”

“Dad, he’s doing it again. Keeps acting like he’s so much better than me.”

“Kai, your brother’s four years younger than you. Cut him some slack. We’re not here to compete. We’re here because we love to surf. Surfing is fun, remember?” the man prompted.

“Yeah, I remember,” the kid muttered, his voice closer now. “But tell Bodhi to stop being so annoying. I have to train for my next competition, and whenever he surfs with me, he’s always cutting right into my line and trying to show off.”

“That’s not going to happen today. Travis is going to work with you.”Travis. I jackknifed off the sand and swiveled my head as the group crossed the beach. “You good, Sage?” the man asked.

My heart jumped into my throat when my gaze homed in on the three boys. One of them was taller and clearly older. Sadly, I wasn’t sure which of the younger two was mine, and that fucking killed me. How could Inotknow my own son?

“Yeah, it’s all good,” the blonder of the two boys responded as they passed right by the spot where I was sitting. His hair was longish and wavy, bleached lighter by the sun, and like the others, he was wearing a wetsuit and carrying a surfboard. “Can’t wait to get out there.”

The man with the blond buzz cut ruffled Sage’s hair. “That’s my boy.”