Page 134 of Ride the Wave

‘Sorry you didn’t get the Hollywood ending for your feature,’ he remarks.

‘It’s okay.’ I shrug. ‘I can make this work. I’m fucking good at what I do.’

He tips his head back and laughs, the proper laugh I want to spend my life chasing.

Leo Silva, you make me weak at the knees.

‘You were amazing out there,’ I gush, looking at him in wonder.

‘I had the best time,’ he says, beaming at me. ‘It was a lot of fun. Brilliant to surf with Ethan again. I wish it wasn’t over. I’d like to get back out there, but,’ he nods to the crowd with a grin, ‘Ethan is having his moment, so I probably need to stick around.’

I tilt my head at him. ‘You knew that last wave was the one to catch. You had priority but you gave it to him.’

‘Nah, I couldn’t have surfed it like he did then. That was fucking incredible. The best man won today.’

You make me want to be better.

‘Well, you may not have won but Bells Beach finalist is pretty damn good,’ I reason.

‘Yeah, not bad for a has-been.’ He rakes his fingers through his hair, glancing over at Ethan as he nears the climb to the podium. ‘Dad tells me I’ve got a lot of sponsorship interest and commercial opportunities flying in. And surf-lesson bookings are through the roof. Looks like the surf shop and school in Burgau is going to be safe.’

‘That’s great news, Leo.’ I hesitate. ‘Speaking of which, while you were messing around in the water out there today, I’ve been doing some serious thinking.’

He raises his eyebrows. ‘What about?’

‘Burgau. It’s weird, but I ended up writing really well out there. Despite certain distractions, I was extraordinarily productive.’

The corners of his mouth twitch into a grin. ‘Certain distractions can be inspiring.’

You make me laugh.

‘Against all logic, yeah, they can.’ I kick at the sand absent-mindedly. ‘I’ve been thinking that maybe I could find a place in Burgau to stay for a few months over the summer. Being a freelance writer, I can work from anywhere, and since I write so well there…’

He stares at me as I trail off. ‘What about that big role you’re being considered for? The sports editorial director.’

‘I do think it’s a dream job,’ I muse. ‘But for someone else. I’ve come to realise I’d rather be out in the field, meeting my sports idols and writing their stories than making big decisions in a swanky office somewhere.’

A smile stretches across his lips. ‘And you think Burgau might be a good spot to write those stories.’

‘Yeah, I do. Obviously, it’s just a thought, I’d need to—’

Leo reaches out and grabs my waist, pulling me towards him and dipping his head to kiss me. Winding my arms around his neck, I melt into him, sparks igniting in my chest as his arms wrap round me tighter, my clothes growing cold and damp pressed up against his wetsuit. But I don’t care about that. I don’t care about anything.

In this perfect moment, the rest of the world has faded away.

You make me happy.

He breaks the kiss to gaze down at me, his eyes glistening as he murmurs softly, ‘I love you, Iris.’

Closing my eyes for a moment, I sigh. Then, I open them to meet his.

‘I love you too, Leo.’

In the background, a cheer erupts on the beach as the famous bell trophy rings out over on the podium, the victorious clanging echoing around the cliffs and across the waves. As Leo kisses me again, he goes to lift me up in his arms, but he finds I’m already jumping.

You make me fearless.

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