Page 32 of All at Once

“Earlier than 10? Insummer?” I scoff. “Absolutely not.”

“There’s nothing quite like catching a wave when most of the town is still asleep,” he says with a relaxed smile.

“I’m the person in the town happily asleep,” I admit. “I amnota morning person.”

“That explainssomuch,” he deadpans.

I roll my eyes. “I’m guessing you’re not a night owl then?”

“I don’t really have a preference actually,” he replies. “I like waking up early, but there are nights that I stay up pretty late.”

“And how late is that usually?”

“I don’t know. Maybe 2 or 3?” His eyes narrow amusedly. “Is that lateenoughfor you?”

I raise my brows. “If I told you how late I’ve sometimes stayed up until you’d be terrified.”

“I think you’ve done a pretty good job at scaring me so far,” he says confidently.

I splash some water at him while he tries not to grin. “Maybe sometimes 3 or 4? The worst I’ve done is 7 or 8.”

His jaw drops. “7 or 8? That’s not staying up late. That’s an all-nighter. How do you go to work?”

“I don’t anymore. I lost my job right before I came here.” If I wasn’t attractive to him before, I sureamnow. Suddenly I feel self-conscious about what he thinks of me.

When Luca’s eyes soften, it almost throws me off.

“Sorry. That’s rough,” he offers.

“It’s okay. I’m honestly a lot more relieved than sad. At least now I can look for something that I actually enjoy,” I say.

His expression turns a bit sour. “Liking your job sounds nice in theory. Yeah, it’s fun at the beginning. But then it just feels like any other work or sometimes even worse.”

“Do you speak from experience?”

“Something like that,” he says.

“Even if having a job in an area that you like still feels like work, at least it’s within your interests. Not many people get to say that,” I reason.

He nods. “I guess that’s true.”

We sit in silence for more than a few seconds, when I notice how it doesn’t feel awkward, a definite first for me around guys. Though subtle, it’s a relaxing feeling I never knew could be possible.

“You know you’re pretty good at this,” I say as my way of thanking Luca for his help.

“And you’re not as bad as I thought you’d be at it,” he says with a barely there grin.

I roll my eyes when he closes his as he tilts his head up to embrace the sun. He looks so peaceful in the water that I almost forget about my anxiety with the ocean. The first time I’ve ever felt safe in the sea.

“You know the ocean is one of the scariest things to me? I’m more of an observer rather than a participant.” I somehow feelcomfortable enough to confess one of my biggest fears as his eyes are still shut.

“So why did you want to come?” he asks, slowly opening his eyes.

I give a deep exhale, releasing the tension that’s been building inside me ever since we got to the beach. “As much as you don’t believe me, I’m really trying to push myself.”

Luca glances at me while I’m staring at the water. It’s when my eyes meet his, he says, “Idobelieve you.”

I’m temporarily moved by his words and how sincerely he said them that it takes me a second to add, “And I wanted to impress him.” I nod my head in Enrique’s direction, so engrossed with surfing with his friends it seems he’s forgotten all about me.

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