Page 47 of Fighting With Light
I sigh, laying my head back on my pillow, and as my eyes close, my bedroom door opens. Aelia’s figure slips through the door and closes it behind her. She steps up to the other side of the bed and stands there for a moment. I grab the coversand throw them back, holding my arm out across the pillows. She slips into bed and I notice her pink, silky night dress before she pulls the sheets up over her. “Is this okay?” she asks.
I dip my head down and kiss her minty lips. Our foreheads meet and I nod against her. “It’s more than okay,” I tell her, pulling her into my chest. She wiggles around and then tucks her head under mine.
“I’m sorry, Liam. I feel like this is my fault.”
Drawing my hand up and down her silky spine, I say, “None of this is your fault. My brother will be here soon and take Ben, and then we can focus on everything else.”
“You’re going to do great tomorrow,” she says into my chest.
I can’t help the smile that grows on my face as I close my eyes.
18
Aelia
We had to getup at five in the morning, which was entirely too early for me. We let Ben out of his cabinet so he could do his business, eat a sandwich I made for him, take a walk around the yard, and back into his cabinet by the time Liam was ready to go.
I don’t know what to say to him. I’ve never dated a professional athlete, which surprised me after I thought about it. We’re notdating, dating.It’sjust acasualsort ofdating. Yes, that makes total sense.
Deciding to keep my mouth shut, I watch him inspect his board, wax it, and get it loaded up on the Bronco. The dress code wasn’t clear, and I didn’t want to ask him a stupid question about swimsuits, so I opted for my best beachwear, especially if cameras were there. I obviously have to look my best. I have my favorite red bikini on, with a sheer cover-up that doesn’t cover much, but the pattern of the lace is pretty. Then I decided on my simple Hermes sandals, no heels. My nails are still good and I’m amazed I didn’t break one last night. I did light makeup and brought a hat in case I needed to be less noticeable. When Liam saw me come outside, he just stared at me for a moment, then went back to checking his board and his bag. I think maybe he’s getting his head straight to compete.
While I’m waiting, I look up the way surfing competitions like these are scored. He’s one of a few other men competing against each other in a heat. There are multiple heats throughout the day for everyone to compete in. He goes five times and the highest and lowest score is dropped, then they average it out. He’s shooting for a twenty-point heat, which is perfection from all thejudges. If I understood what I was reading correctly, then that means his place is guaranteed in El Salvador.
How he achieves those twenty points is beyond me. All I understand is he has to surf well because he’s up against the best surfers in the world. I saw him listed on the lineup and smiled at the picture of him all tan, hair bleached in places from the sun, and a wide grin. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to kill it.
Liam keeps the music off and it’s silent as he drives us to the beach. He keeps looking at me, though, and every time his eyes touch my skin, it prickles. I have to force my mind not to think about last night because it just makes it worse. I slept better than I have in a very long time. He held me the entire night. I fell asleep in his arms and woke up in them. We may have agreed to temporary, but the way it felt waking up to him felt more like…no.
Liam startles me a little and grabs for my hand, linking his fingers through mine as he drives with one hand. “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet,” he asks me.
“Oh, I wasn’t sure if maybe I needed to be so you could…I don’t know, get your mind focused.”
He chuckles. “Thank you, that’s nice. Usually, it’s just me, so it’s always like this. I didn’t think anything of it.”
“Are you excited?”
He shrugs. “I’m not,notexcited. I try to keep my energy in check because once I get on a wave, I have very little time to make it count, so I try to reserve it even though that probably makes no sense.”
I smile and squeeze his hand. “If it makes sense to you, then that’s all it needs to do, right?”
“Right, thank you for coming.”
“Why are you thanking me? I told you I would.” He glances at the rearview mirror.
“When I was a kid, my family used to come to my competitions, but that stopped once I started traveling.”
“Why?” I ask, trying to suppress my excitement that Liam is volunteering something about himself.
“I don’t know. We’ve had to deal with a lot. My brothers were being looked at to start their professional careers. Mom could only split her time so much, and they were all close or within the continental US. I was all the way over here or Fiji. The plane rides are a little longer than an hour’s drive.”
I squeeze his hand again. I think he feels forgotten.
“Don’t get me wrong, they care. They would call me after a competition. Kai would watch my heat and talk to me about it. Which I appreciate, but I don’t know…being here to see me means more if that makes sense.”
“It does.”
He keeps our hands linked until we park and he turns off the Bronco.
“I have to get all checked in at the tent. Will you be okay by yourself?”
