Page 8 of Catch a Wave

I always liked when she looked at me like that, taking in every inch of me, never hiding the fact that she was checking me out. The heat is gone now, though. This is different.

Kalaine lived life filled with helium. Buoyant, light, rising above, reaching upward. Now she’s a deflated version of the girl I loved—the girl I still love, definitely still love.

“Yeah. I was shaping a board.”

“For yourself? You’re surfing?”

The incredulity in her voice is warranted.

“I don’t do anything too rad anymore. Mostly just teaching at the resort.”

“You teach surfing?”

“I do.”

“With Kai?”

“Yep. He’s my boss.”

Mavs laughs at that—a full belly laugh. And once she starts laughing, it’s like a dam broke. She’s laughing hard, her eyes squinched up, her mouth wide open. She places a hand on her stomach and bends slightly while she cackles, looking like she could double over at any minute.

I can’t help but smile, watching her come undone. She’s gorgeous. I’d say exotic, and she’d correct me, saying she’s a dime-a-dozen in Oahu. She’s not. There’s no one like her. And I thought I had rid myself of the way she affected me. I moved on,started a life without her, married myself to the ocean and grew content to go out with girls from work here and there. I knew I’d never settle down. Kalaine was my one. And when I blew it, I knew I’d never try to make my forever with anyone else. But, here she is, losing it on my couch, laughing like she used to. And my heart has officially entered a time warp.

“I’m getting you water.” I walk toward the kitchen.

I need to put space between us—to breathe through the urge to sit next to her. She’s hurting. In the past, I’d have held her. I may never hold her again. It’s not even fair to her for me to be thinking of anything but what she needs right now after taking the fall of her life.

“I take it you came over on the ferry?” I say from the kitchen.

She’s still giggling. “Yeah.” Her softening laughs trail into the kitchen and I indulge myself in a full smile. Mavs is sitting inmyliving room, laughing. If you’d have asked me if this would ever be my life, I would have sworn you were out of your mind to even consider it. Sure. Kai’s her brother. But she never visited him. They’d meet up at their family’s home in Hawaii. I honestly never thought I’d see her in person again, let alone have her here, in my own house.

I walk back into the living room and hand Kalaine the glass of water. Our fingers brush and our eyes lock, and for the briefest moment it’s like we’re catapulted back in time to over two years ago.

I step back and she regains composure, or maybe she never lost hers.

“Kai. Your boss. Man. That’s … that’s just crazy.”

“It’s really not as crazy as you’d think. He’s chill. I came here after the accident.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. Not right away. But … yeah.”

“You’ve been here for …”

“Almost two years.”

The truth hangs between us. I feel like a jerk. Obviously, Kai hasn’t told her I live with him. He’s never mentioned me to his sister. I get why. I’m not sure she does.

“So, you mentioned moving here?” I circle back around to her original declaration.

“Yeah. That’s … well, after I kill my brother, I’m not sure how things will end up.”

“Unless I’m in the will for his half of the house …”

She chuckles, but it’s not the laugh she had a few moments ago.

“He told me he had a spare bedroom. I basically begged him to let me come here.”

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