Page 25 of Reckless Hearts

“Yeah, I hear you.” I let out a hard sigh. “I’m gonna go to bed. Don’t stay up too late,” I tell Sloane, standing from the couch. I lean down to drop a kiss on the top of her head.

“Thanks, Alana,” she now says, and I wrinkle up my nose at her comment. “For letting me stay here. For being…”

Shaking my head, I don’t let her finish. “Sloane, you never need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for being here for me. How many friends would get up at the crack of dawn to surf?”

“They don’t know what they’re missing out on. That’s when the swell is the best,” she replies, smiling at me. “I gotta get backto this chapter, but then I’m going to bed. I need to be up early for our first day of Maui Pipe training.”

She’s beaming at me now, and I smile back. I really am so fortunate to have Daisy and Sloane in my life. I think without them, especially with this Flynn situation, I would have backed out for sure. The one plus is that I love to run on bitterness, and I’m certainly bitter about losing Flynn.

“Goodnight, Sloane,” I say.

“Night, Alana.”

The next morning, we’re up early; the sun is just beginning to rise as we load the boards onto the roof of my car, strapping them down. We pile in and head over to grab Sage and then over to pick up the jet ski, needing it so I don’t have to constantly paddle out after catching a wave. It’s one of the best ways to train because this way, I don’t get tired too quickly and the jet ski can bring me straight to the big waves.

The jet ski is waiting for us when we arrive, and we thank the rental company as they hand off the keys. We only have two hours, and while that sounds like a lot, it really isn’t. The swell needs to cooperate, and so does my body.

I haven’t been out endurance training like this in so long, really since Mitch died, and I hope I can keep up. I need to get back to land training too, plotting out a schedule in my head as Sloane gets the jet ski ready.

“All set!” she calls out, and I grab my board with Daisy and Sage standing on the shore, binoculars in Daisy’s hand as she scouts waves, and Sloane and I head out. I can hear the din of Sage and Daisy chatting, Daisy filling Sage in on how it allworks. I love that she’s so eager to learn and that my friends have embraced her as if she’s always been here.

I grab the rope on the back of the jet ski, and Sloane heads out with Daisy calling out that a few good ones are coming in.

It doesn’t take long to catch a wave with Sloane telling me to paddle like hell, and I do. The wave begins to crest, and I catch it, loving the way my body feels with the wind sailing. Riding the wave all the way to shore, Sloane meets me there, and just like before, I grab the rope and head back out immediately.

“Awesome set coming in!” Daisy yells from the shore, and as I look over my shoulder, she’s jumping up and down, a huge smile on her face. Sage is standing next to her, her hands cupped over her face in nervous excitement.

Sloane takes me out, and as soon as I see the white, I grab it, the wave beginning to barrel. It’s fucking epic and I ride for a good solid minute at least as it curls over me. It’s unreal, and it’s the kind of wave I hope to catch during Maui Pipe.

As I come out the end, I throw my arms up in the air, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. It’s been so long since I’ve caught a wave like that, and holy shit, it feels good.

Daisy is jumping around and cheering from the shore, and Sloane comes in on the jet ski, hopping off, to throw her arms around me.

“Oh my god, Alana, that was amazing!” she squeals as Daisy runs over, doing a cute little celebration dance, with Sage following her.

“I have no idea what that just was, but it was literally the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Sage croons, pulling me in for a hug as soon as Sloane releases me.

“Tell Nate I got barreled today,” I say to Sage. “He’ll know what it means. And I hope one of you got a video of it.” I look at Sage and then at Daisy, both of them shaking their heads,disappointment on their faces. “It’s okay. We all saw it so I can still brag about it.”

“You can totally brag about it,” Sloane says, and I’m so happy to have them all out here with me today.

“We should celebrate tonight,” Sage now says. “Come by for some drinks after everyone is done with work and classes. We can sit around by the firepit. Alana can brag about what a badass she is, and the guys can wish they were her.”

“Love it,” I reply, and we all agree to meet at Sage and Nate’s house around eight tonight.

But as soon as I agree to this, the excitement wears off because of course, there’s a possibility I’ll see Flynn while I’m there. And no matter how wrong it is, it feels so right, like I’m meant to be with him. I hate that we met under these circumstances because in any other world, we’d be on fucking fire together.

The shop is busy all day, and by the time I close the doors and lock it up with Nate, Sage is already out back, getting things ready.

“She loves it here,” Nate says, watching her out the open back door of the shop. “Thanks for including her today. She was so happy for you. It was funny, though, she told me you surfed a circle.” Nate lets out a low chuckle. “Couldn’t remember the word.” I walk up and stand beside him, and he slings an arm around my shoulders. “Proud of you, Alana, for getting back out there,” Nate says, and I lean into his side.

“It’s been tough, but it’s where I’m supposed to be.”

And just as I say this, Flynn walks through the yard, heading toward the cottage. “Hey!” Nate calls to him, and when Flynnturns around, catching the two of us standing together, his eyes focus on me. “We’re having some drinks and shit, wanna come by?”

“Um,” Flynn starts, watching me, looking for my reaction.

“Yeah, join us!” I say with far too much enthusiasm, but this is how Nate expects me to respond. It’s how I would have responded if I hadn’t been hooking up with Flynn.

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