Page 44 of Reckless Hearts

Alana lets out a laugh, which tells me she thinks it’s bullshit too. “Didn’t we already try that?” she asks, head tilted to the side.

“Did we?” I ask. “We sorta started something that ended before we could, well, before we could get it out of our systems.”

She laughs again, her head falling back. “If you say so, Flynn.”

I blow out a breath. “Okay, look, I know that’s bullshit. This isn’t a work-it-out-of-my-system type of thing for me, Alana.”

“Me either,” she says quietly.

“Soooo...”

She licks her lips, pulling that bottom one between her teeth again. A low growl rumbles in my chest and I’m two seconds away from saying fuck it and just kissing her anyway, when I suddenly hear someone shout my name.

“Flynn!”

Closing my eyes, I let out a breath, hoping to fuck it’s not who I think it is. I have no idea how she’s found me, but I guess this kid’s comp is bigger than I realize.

I turn around just as Jade throws herself at me, her arms wrapping around my neck as she kisses my cheek. With my hands on her hips, I gently but firmly remove her, easing her back so there is some space between us.

“Surprise!” she says, smiling up at me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought I told you to get some practice in.”

She lets out a huff, pouting as she says, “No point in practicing if I don’t have my coach there. Besides, the guy at the hotel told me about this competition, and I thought I’d come check it out.”

“Right,” I reply, shoving a hand through my hair.

“So, are you going to show me around? Introduce me to everyone?” Jade now asks, linking her arm through mine.

I step away, pinching the bridge of my nose as I turn to where Alana stands beside me. When our eyes meet, I can see the disappointment and something that looks a lot like hurt on her face because I think she probably knows who this is and what her now being here means.

I really hope she’s not reading too much into that fucking hug Jade just gave me, though because there never has and never will be anything going on between Jade and me.

“Jade, this is Alana,” I start. “Alana, this is Jade Whitlock. She’s here to surf Maui Pipe.”

I immediately extend a hand,a smile on my face, as I try my best not to look at this situation with complete disdain. There certainly won’t be any more morning runs with Flynn now, and I hate the thought of it. It’s been the best part of my day.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I say sweetly, and Jade loosely shakes my hand. “I’ve been following your career for a while now. It’s really impressive.”

“Oh my god, you have?” she croons, this high-pitched tone to her voice as if she’s talking to a small child. “That’s so cute.” Batting her eyelashes, she smiles, but it feels fake and condescending. “What was my last comp you watched? Was it Tahiti Tide? I killed it there, right, Flynn?”

Flynn nods in agreement, but he looks like a different person. His face is pinched, and his jaw is tight, and when Jade sidles up against him, I see his entire body tense up. This isn’t the guy I met on the beach, and it’s certainly not the guy I’ve gotten to know so well.

A silence falls over us, and Jade lets out a sigh, turning to look at Flynn. He steps away slightly, and I watch his wholedemeanor change around her. He’s unhappy, and it’s so damn obvious to everyone but Jade. She doesn’t give a shit about him, but he’s the reason she is where she is today.

“I gotta go check in at the judges’ booth,” Flynn mutters bitterly, looking over his shoulder. He begins to walk, and Jade jogs to catch up to him, and being the nosy bitch that I am, I can’t let this play out without hearing every word of it.

“Oh my god, you’re judging?” she shrieks, slipping an arm through his, and again, I see his entire body tense with disgust. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’ll totally join you.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Flynn hisses through clenched teeth. “And they didn’t ask you to judge. They asked me, so why don’t you just join the others in the stands.”

“Oh my god, Flynn,” Jade wails, rolling her eyes and letting out an over-the-top giggle. “You know I can’t sit in the stands. People will recognize me, and I won’t get a second to myself.”

“That would be horrible,” Flynn mutters under his breath, but I catch every word of it. It goes over Jade’s head, though, and as Flynn’s gaze crosses mine, I wink at him, seeing him smile a real smile for the first time since Jade showed up here.

She acts like she’s a fucking celebrity starring in some epic Hollywood production. She’s a fucking surfer, and a female one at that. Despite all the women who came before us and how they opened doors and fought for equality in the sport, we’re still not as recognizable as the men.

“You can come with me,” I tell Jade against my better judgment. “I’m going to be over on the sidelines helping the kids get ready.”

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