Page 135 of Hawaii Can Suck It

And then she’s gone.

I yank open my suitcase and start throwing things in like a lunatic.

Scrunchies.

More scrunchies.

Armfuls of scrunchies.

Because if I don’t have at least a hundred mementos of him, I will die.

A soft knock at the door sends my heart soaring. Hope lights a fuse of fireworks in my chest.

Reece. He came back.He realized Gordon was lying. He—

Not Reece.

Kai stands in the hallway, shirtless. His sarong is tied with suspicious precision, his sun-kissed skin glowing like a damn sunset, his expression that usual Zen-master-meets-thirst-trap combo that makes women book extra nights at his resort.

His smile fades the instant he notices my tear-ravaged face. “Oh, wahine. What is wrong?”

“Um, I…” I struggle to form words, swiping at tears that won’t stop. “Never mind. What do you need?”

“I came to ask if there was any way I could help with the video about my friends from Lahaina,” Kai says, his eyes soft with genuine concern. “Our community is very grateful for Reece’s interest. Not many celebrities bother to look past the resorts to see the real Maui.”

He glances behind me at the explosion of clothes and toiletries. “This is a bad time. I will return later.”

That does it. The dam breaks again.

“I had hoped the video would help too,” I say between hiccupping breaths. “But I… I don’t work for Reece anymore.”

Kai blinks, processing what I’m saying. “May I hug you?” he asks, spreading his arms tentatively.

I nod mutely, and his arms wrap around me—not in the flirty, suggestive way he hugs female guests by the pool, but in a solid, comforting embrace.

It’s nice, but definitely not a Reece hug.

“I feel your heart’s pain,” he says, voice quiet and thoughtful. “At times like these, I recall what my grandmother said to me about the ocean. No matter how stormy the surface, deeper waters always remain calm. And every tide, no matter how far out it goes, always returns.”

My phone dings, the sound demanding my attention. I pull away to inspect the display—it’s from Petra, confirming my flight details.

I check the departure time. My flight doesn’t leave for several hours, but I can’t stay here. Not one more second.

“I need to go to the airport.”

“I will arrange a car,” he says, immediately pulling out his phone and sending a quick text.

Where the hell does he keep that thing? Does that sarong have pockets?

“Before you embark on your journey homeward, would you allow me to share the words stirring inside me?”

“Sure?” At this point, what’s one more bizarre Hawaiian memory?

Kai places his large hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle for a man who can bench press a small car. His eyes latch on to mine with a gaze so powerful that I forget to keep crying.

“Beautiful soul-seeker, find the hearts that beat with yours, for they are your tribe. Then dance with those who match your rhythm without masks or expectations. The universe has scattered kindred spirits along your path, like stars that light the way home. You do not journey alone.”

I exhale sharply, his words settling into me, cracking me open.

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