Page 92 of Beyond The Break

“Of course she did, Fin. I’m the coach of the team, she gets paid to keep me updated on each of you.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut. “This can’t be real life right now. Isn’t there some type of confidentiality law that prevents them from sharing patient details?”

He winks. “You should know by now that I can bend any law.”

I roll my eyes. Gabriel has friends in high places and enough money in the bank to ensure generational wealth, if he ever decides to have children. He gets shit done, even if the journey to get there isn’t entirely legal. It’s one of the qualities I admire and fear the most about him.

“Do you want the job?” he asks, pulling me out of my head.

“Yeah,” I grin, “I want it.”

I putaway my weights at the local gym when a text comes through on my phone. I pull it out of my pocket and unlock the screen, seeing that it’s from a new group chat with Eliana and the rest of the team. She’s shared a YouTube link.

Eliana

Let me know what you guys think.

Kairi

Oh. My. Gosh!! I’m in tears right now *crying emoji*

Malipop

This is a masterpiece. Have you read the comments yet?

Zale

Is there a reason I’m not featured in this video, when everyone else is in it?

Colton

I’m not in it either.

Zale

Was I talking to you, Harrison?

Kairi

Shut up, Evans.

Koa

*thumbs up emoji* Looks good.

I take a seat on a nearby bench and click the link, watching as my face appears on the screen. Clips that Gabriel shared with Eliana of my surfing days on the youth team, to my acceptance into the professional team, my competitions, and my accident, all capturing my journey and my struggle. Pictures I took of myself in the hospital and clips of my rehab progress that my doctors had recorded to track progress appear at the end. I had sent her those clips after we came back from our shopping trip.

I’m impressed with how quickly she was able to put this together and I make a mental note to buy her flowers on the way home to congratulate her on her first official campaign launch with the team.

The video ends with #StrengthInSetbacksappearing across the screen. I scroll to the comments and I’m shocked that there’s already over one thousand. I feel a tightness in my chest as I read through some of them, the support from fans is overwhelming. They’re also sharing their own setback stories and telling me I’m not alone in my journey.

It’s the kind of positivity I need right now, knowing that I’m taking a step away from the professional surfing world for a while until I can fully recover.

I leave the gym shortly after, stopping for flowers on the way. I realize I don’t know her favorite flower, so I opt forsunflowers, fitting for her bright personality. I rush to get home but when I arrive, the house is empty. I hear distant laughter and squeals coming from the beach and I spot Eliana through the window floating on her board in the ocean with Kairi and Maliah.

I retrieve a vase from beneath the sink and carefully transfer her flowers into it. I decide to leave them in her room for her, preferring not to interrupt her time with the girls. They’ve become so close in her time here and I know how much their friendship means to her. I place the vase on her desk and glance out of her window, smiling to myself when I see her laughing and splashing water at them both.

She’s absolutely stunning when she smiles, and I feel so lucky to have her here. To think I tried to get rid of her not that long ago. As I turn to leave her room my eyes catch on a piece of paper lying over her laptop keyboard.

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