Page 80 of Sparks Like Ours

“Lack of performance is kind.” Gia attempted a smile. It didn’tfully manifest. “But yeah, that part’s true.”

Elle took a deep breath and just said it. “I don’t want to loseyou, Gia. I don’t want to lose us, but ifwe’rethe problem, what’s the solution?”

“I’ve been asking myself that for days.”

“So I can let myself fall helplessly in love with you, which I’mconfident I’ll do, and—”

“Pay for it every step of the way.”

“Or we can take a step back from us, before we’re any further in,and try and salvage what’s left of the season and beyond. I don’t know aboutthe future, but maybe we do what’s right for us now.”

Gia stared at the carpet, her jaw set. “Sounds like you know whatyou want to do.”

“It’snotwhat I want. I’m improvising here, and I need your help. What do you think?”

Gia didn’t say anything at first, studying the hem of her jeans.She raised her gaze to Elle’s, and the sadness spoke volumes. She couldn’tstand to see Gia looking that way, the very same way she felt herself. “Isabelmentioned that maybe after the season, we could see where we’re at. Maybe hit apause button and focus on the tour.”

Elle nodded, afraid to speak. “Maybe,” she said quietly.

“But who knows where we’ll be then. Who you’ll have met. Andhonestly, why would next season be any different?”

“Right,” Elle said, allowing the tears to come. Their potentialfuture was looking bleaker and bleaker with each moment that ticked by. “So wejust go back to being competitors who see each other in lobbies of hotels? Thatsounds awful.”

The corners of Gia’s mouth turned down in a helpless fashion. “Ithink we agree on that.”

They stared at each other, the sadness palpable, overwhelming. “Iguess we’re doing this,” Elle said, not quite believing it.

Gia stood and shoved her hands into the pocket of her jeans. “Walkme out?”

Elle took her hand, and together they walked to the entryway ofthe house. Once in front of the door, Gia took Elle’s face in her hands, staredlong and hard into her eyes, and kissed her, thoroughly. Elle stepped into thekiss, memorizing that mouth, Gia’s scent, the feel of her skin, unsure how shewas going to get by without these very important things in her life.

“I should go,” Gia whispered, her forehead pressed to Elle’s.“Goodbye, Elle.”

Elle swallowed, as the tears fell. “Goodbye.”

She didn’t watch Gia walk down the sidewalk to her Jeep the wayshe so often had in the past. She couldn’t do it. Instead, she closed the doorto the familiar image, and to what had been a wonderful time in her life,wondering, all the while, if this might be her biggest regret.

Chapter Seventeen

“Oh, my goodness. We’re here!” Hadley said, wide eyed. She twirledin a circle at baggage claim, and Gia looked around to see who noticed. “Itfeels like France, you know? The ground is French.”

“It is,” Gia said conservatively.

“Hello, France!” she said to the air all around her, then turnedback to Gia. “And we’re going to see French things, and talk to French people,and find a café and dream big dreams like they do here. I can’t wait till wecan see French stars in the sky.”

Gia nodded, doing her best not to kill Hadley’s buzz, but reallynot feeling it herself. “Sounds exciting, and I want you to be able to get allof that in. We’ll see what kind of downtime I can come up with.” Hadley hadbeen more than generous and agreed to accompany Gia to the Roxy Pro when she’dasked. Knowing Hadley’s affinity for Paris, offering to take her anywhere inthe same country was a pretty sure bet. Having a friend with her would behelpful, she decided, and bolster her courage to face this tournament…and Elle.

It had been a good three weeks since they’d said their tearfulgoodbye in her doorway. Since then, Gia had put every waking moment she hadinto being a better surfer, to satisfying results. She was currently in thebest shape of her life and taking on waves like Ms. Pac-Man downing pellets.She had high hopes for her chances this week, though she was less optimisticabout the toll it would take on her heart.

She missed Elle. Even her crazy affinity for organization and theway she was capable of charming every person she met. She smiled thinking backon the way she’d flick her hair behind her with her hand, often smacking Gia inthe face. The buzz about them in the media had died down, as they’d given themzero public interaction to scrutinize.

It was almost as if the whole thing never happened, except for thelasting impression it left on every inch of Gia’s being. She longed for Elleand wondered if there would ever be a time when she was over her. Didn’t seempossible.

“No, no. Don’t get me wrong.” Hadley said, yanking Gia back to theconversation. “We’re here for surfing and so much more surfing. To surf likewe’ve never surfed. To win it all and climb that leaderboard.” Hadley grabbedher light blue suitcase with the pink heart sticker on the handle from thecarousel. “And we will.” A pause and another twirl. “But we’re in France!”

“You guys here for the Roxy Pro?” the guy next to them asked,clearly having overheard their conversation.

“Yep.” Gia nodded, keeping an eye out for her suitcase.

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