Page 60 of Below the Barrel

“This feels incredible,” I murmur, letting the gentle waves rock me.

Koa turns his head to me, his expression serious. “You’d love Hawaii.”

I glance at him from the corner of my eye before returning my attention to the sky. “You really miss it, huh?”

I hear him release a breathy chuckle. “More than you know.”

I swallow hard, feeling sad for him. He hasn’t seen his family since he was seventeen, I can only imagine how hard that must be. I’m not the closest with my father but I at least see him every few years. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for Koa, going so long without being back home.

“Hawaii is our last stop on this trip,” I say, turning to look at him now. “Are you planning to visit your family when we’re there?”

He smiles to himself. “Hell yeah,” he says, his face bright. “I’d love it if you’d come with me too. I want you to meet my mom.”

The weight of his words nearly drowns me as I quickly reposition so that I’m treading water instead. Meeting his mom…that means something, doesn’t it?

“Your mom?” I ask, unable to hide the hesitation in my voice.

“Yeah,” he says, letting his feet drop into the water so that he’s treading too. “I think you’d like her.”

I want to say no. I’ve never met anyone’s mother before, not someone I’m interested in. What if she hates me and convinces him to end what we have? I’d lose him again, and I don’t know if I could recover from this one.

He must sense my inner panic because he paddles over and cups my cheeks, forcing me to look into his eyes.

“I already know she’s going to love you,” he says, reassuringly. “So, will you come with me?”

I let out a shaky breath, knowing this would mean a lot to him. Instead of saying no like I want to, I find myself nodding slowly instead.

I watch as the widest grin spreads across his face in return, causing my heart to flutter. We paddle back towards the boat and climb back on board. Laughter echoes around the deck as everyone shares their favourite moments from their snorkelling experience.

Just before lunch, Koa pulls me aside, a playful glint in his eyes. “I have something for you,” he says, his voice low and teasing.

“What is it?” I ask, curiosity piquing as he gestures for me to follow him away from the group.

He leads me to the edge of the boat, where the water glimmers below us. In one fluid motion, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a small, elegantly wrapped box. My breath catches in my throat as he hands it to me.

I can’t help my brain from thinking back to the day he broke up with me, the day I thought I’d be getting proposed to. I quickly shake the reminder out of my mind and stare down at it.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I protest, suddenly feeling nervous as I unwrap it. I gasp as I open it and find the pearl necklace and earrings I had been admiring at the market yesterday, their iridescent beauty mesmerizing.

“I went back this morning while you were sleeping,” he explains, his expression earnest. “I wanted you to have them.”

So that’s where he was when I woke up.

“This must have cost a fortune,” I say, trying to push the box back towards him. “I can’t accept this.”

He shakes his head, his jaw set with determination. “You deserve it. You’re worth every penny.”

Koa’s words warm me from the inside out, but the weight of the gift feels heavy in my hands. “I really appreciate it, but?—”

“No buts,” he interrupts, taking my hands in his. “You can just say thank you.”

I look into his eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity, but all I see is affection. Taking a deep breath, I decide to surrender to the moment.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my heart swelling.

Without thinking, I lean in and press a soft kiss to his lips, feeling the warmth of his smile as he kisses me back, a gentle spark igniting between us. It feels right, natural.

“Now, let’s go eat,” he says, grinning widely, and I can’t help but smile back.

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