Page 93 of Broken Hearts

“Ugh, come on, let’s get these bags upstairs,” she grumbles against my lips. “We have some catching up to do.”

Chuckling, I pull back, grabbing her bags as I follow behind her, knowing that as much as I’d love to have Sage all to myself right now, that’s not going to happen. And when Sage walks around the back of the shop to find everyone waiting for her, a hugeWelcome Home!sign strung up and food and drinks ready, I watch as she lets out a surprised yelp before covering her mouth with her hands.

Dropping her bags again, I walk up and wrap my arms around her from behind, my mouth at her ear as I whisper, “We’ll get to the shower, I promise.” Sage turns to me, her eyes shining with tears and a huge smile on her face. “Welcome home, babe,” I say, kissing her.

The heavinessof the tears brim in my eyes and begin to spill over. I thought it would be hard leaving New York, a place I grew up and where I started my life, but standing here with Nate, and knowing I’m about to do something my dad can’t do, it feels like home.

It’s interesting though, with my mom’s travel schedule and all my friends starting to graduate college, things had been pretty slow and quiet in New York. My best friend finished school before me, moved out of our apartment, and took a job in London, so starting over in Hawaii doesn’t feel all that strange, even if it worried me initially.

Being back here, the sun shining, the smell of the hibiscus floating in the air, being surrounded by all the lush greenery, I don’t know how anyone ever leaves here.

As much as it pains me to think it, if my father hadn’t passed away, I wouldn’t be here with these people. I may never have met them, and now I can’t imagine my life without them. They’re my family, a family I chose, a family my father chose when I failed him, and I’m grateful for them every single day.

“Did you do this?” I ask Nate, my words soft, my smile so wide my cheeks ache.

All these people are here to welcome me home, and it means so much. I can’t even begin to thank all of them for being here for me.

“Kinda,” Nate says, slinging an arm around my shoulders as he guides me over to where everyone is gathered. “Mostly it was Alana. You know how she is.” He winks at her from where we’re standing, and she’s absolutely beaming.

She has no idea what’s about to happen, obviously thinking she’s just here to welcome me back. It’s been hard for her since losing my dad, and from what Nate has said, she hasn’t surfed to train for the upcoming competition either. Something that used to be her passion, something my dad supported and trained her for.

I hate that it’s something she’s given up, and I hope the board helps and is a reminder of why she loves surfing and why she shouldn’t give up on it.

There will come a time when the pain recedes, and surfing will remind her of my dad in the best possible way. The same way his truck does for me and the smell of blueberry surf wax and the hibiscus that grow on his land. All of it reminds me of him, and it makes me smile.

Alana comes skipping over to us. A smile is on her beautiful, tanned face, her dark hair piled on top of her head in a perfect messy bun. She’s wearing a bikini top and a pair of cutoff shorts, her flip flops slapping as she greets us.

“Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re back!” she squeals, throwing her arms around me. Hugging her back, her arms hold me tightly. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”

“You have no idea how much it means to me to be so accepted by you, and really everyone,” I tell her, letting out a hard sigh.

“You’re not getting rid of me now,” Alana jokes, letting out a sweet little chuckle. “We’re going to do everything together.”

“Take it easy, Alana. You trying to scare her away?” Nate says, jabbing Alana in the side with his elbow, but he smiles at her.

He puts his arms around both of us, and then Nate leans over, his mouth next to my ear. He whispers, “Meet me in the garage in ten minutes.”

I look over at him, reading his expression, and as much as I hope he’s propositioning me, I know this is about Alana’s board.

“Later, I promise,” he now whispers, and even though I wasn’t gone that long, my body missed him too. Missed the way he touches me, the way my body responds to him, missed the way I feel like I can’t be without him.

“Come on!” Alana says, grabbing my hand. She pulls me over to where there is a cooler full of drinks, motioning for me to take one. “Let’s get drunk and do stupid shit. We can have a sleepover!” she now shrieks, and this sends Nate scrambling over to us.

“Whoa, no sleepovers,” Nate hisses, hitting Alana with a bothered look. “She just got back and she’s staying with me.”

Alana looks over at me, and I shrug. “He’s right. Another time, okay?”

“Fine,” Alana concedes, and as fun as it sounds to get drunk and have a girls’ night, it’s going to have to wait. “I’m holding you to it though.”

Daisy and Sloane, Alana’s roommates walk up. Both of them smile as they hug me, welcoming me home. Nate slips away as I chat with the girls, all of us laughing and talking about all the things we want to do now that I’m here permanently. It all sounds amazing and fun, and sometimes it feels like a dream that this is now my home.

Sloane and I talk about where she’s going to school, and it will probably be where I’ll end up too. I need to do a little research on places to finish my degree, but Sloane seems to love where she’s going to school, and it would be nice to already know someone on campus.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nate heading toward the garage, and that’s my cue. I’m just not sure I’m going to be able to get away from the girls without a ton of questions.

Luckily, I’m saved by Owen and Miles coming over, and I can tell by the looks on Sloane’s and Daisy’s faces that they aren’t happy. But it only takes a couple of seconds before Kai has them engaged in conversation, and I slip away unnoticed.

Looking over my shoulder, I make sure Alana isn’t watching me as I enter the garage, my dad’s SUV still parked out front, Nate and Tanner standing in the empty space.

---