Page 35 of Chasing Waves

It seemed like any time I took a step forward with Charlee we would end up taking two steps backwards. I wasn’t equipped to help her, but I still wanted to be there for her, and she seemed like she was letting her guard down and letting me in, but something had happened to make her run away.

As I was getting back to my campsite, Drew jogged up the beach with his board tucked under his arm.

“What happened? You look like someone dropped-in on your wave.” He tossed his board on the sand.

“I don’t know. Charlee and I had another amazing night together and then she just kind of freaked out. It was weird.”

Drew gripped my shoulder. “The past has a way of drawing you under no matter how much you try to fight it. When I was talking to her, she made it sound like she spent most of her life on this beach. She has a lot of memories here with her late husband. It can’t be easy for her to be here, especially with another man.”

My heart sank. “Shit.” It didn’t occur to me how being here with me might make her feel. I scrubbed my face hard. “She got married here.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. Up there on the bluffs.” I pointed in the direction of the café.

“She might like you, Levi, but it sounds like she’s struggling, and I bet it’s more about moving forward than about you.” Drew pulled off the top part of his wetsuit.

“All of this is connected to her past and her late husband.” He motioned his hand around the campground. “She probably came here to make peace with all of it, not expecting to find you. It’s heavy shit, dude. You sure you’re ready for heavy?”

My phone rang from inside the Airstream, drawing my attention away from our conversation. I rushed in, and after the fourth ring, I found it buried under a shirt on the couch. It was my sister, Evie.

“Hey, sis, what’s up?” It had been a few weeks since I had talked to my family. My mom had been better for a few months now, so I didn’t worry too much about her, and my sister had started dancing again.

“Not much. I’m performing at a fundraiser tonight. It’s nothing big, and my dancing isn’t really up to par, but I couldn’t just sit back and watch other people dance anymore. Do you think you can make it? It’s just downtown.”

“Yeah.” I chewed my lip. It seemed like a bad time to leave Charlee, but maybe a little space would be good for both of us. “Send me the details and I’ll be there.” Downtown was about an hour and a half or so from the campground.

Traffic during rush hour would be a nightmare, so I left after lunch to try to beat it. Gridlock in Los Angeles was pretty much around the clock these days, but at least I beat some of it and it moved at a steady pace.

Exiting the freeway and navigating through the ageing residential streets, I arrived at my parents’ house before the show. It’s where I landed when I wasn’t on tour. It didn’t make much sense to pay rent for a place when I was traveling most of the year. After the accident, I had moved back full-time. It was supposed to only be temporary, but then Drew and I hit the road, delaying it further. My parents didn’t seem to mind and had never tried to push me out.

My dad was an excellent surgeon, and my mom ran her own clothing business, but they weren’t filthy rich by any means. They were comfortable, which was why they never gave me a hard time about surfing or Evie about dancing. They welcomed being able to support our dreams, but I’m sure they didn’t expect me to drop out of the circuit and roam the country like a nomad. It had come up once, but they were giving me space to figure it all out. My dad joked a lot that we definitely took after my mom in the artsy department. He never let on he was disappointed that I didn’t choose a more sustainable career, but I still felt like I had something to prove, so I trained hard. My goal was to be the best surfer in the world, and I had risen in the ranks quickly after high school with Bridger’s help. His astounding talent had me pretty determined to be a better surfer. Then he had retired suddenly without explanation, and my dedication diminished. That’s when the partying kicked up several notches, because with Bridger gone, there was really no one pointing out when I was flying off the rails. I felt like a complete jerk for resenting him so much when I found out he left because he was sick.

My parents were in good spirits when I arrived. This was Evie’s first performance since the accident, and it would do my mom good to see her on stage again. We drove to the show separately, so I could head back to the beach right after dinner. The parking lot was nearly full and the hallways were so crowded it was hard to navigate. Thankfully, the seating was assigned, so we found them easily just as the lights dimmed. For the next three hours, dancers stunned us as they took the stage. Evie performed a haunting solo piece that had silenced the entire auditorium. She had come such a long way in her recovery that you wouldn’t even know she had been in an accident.

After the show, we went out for sushi, Evie’s favorite. Everyone was in a happy place now, such a far cry from where we were last year. When we were finished, I hugged my family goodbye and headed back to the beach. It was almost midnight, so the traffic was much lighter than earlier. I made it back to the campground in a little more than an hour, anxious to get back to Charlee. She was a mess when I left her this morning, and although seeing my family was a nice distraction, it had me on edge all evening wondering if Charlee was okay.

Drew was still awake when I got back.

“How did it go?”

“Good. Did you see Charlee today?”

“No, but I was holed up in here most of the day on the phone and packing.”

“Right. What time are you heading out?”

“After breakfast. Thought we could hit up the café. I’m going to miss those apple fritter pancakes.” He rubbed his stomach dramatically.

“Your waistline will not, my friend,” I teased. “Yeah, sounds good.” It was dark inside Charlee’s trailer when I passed by, but as I peered out the blinds now, I was still considering going over there.

“This one has got a hold of you, dude. You’re in trouble.”

I was.

The pit in my stomach grew stronger, and when I tried to sleep, I tossed and turned, thinking about Charlee—the scent of her coconut lotion, her smile that lit up those sparkling amber eyes, and her unruly hair that I continually curled around her ear when I leaned in to kiss her.

I didn’t end up sleeping much and it felt like it took days for the sun to rise. When Drew finally crawled out of bed, I brewed coffee and helped him pack up the rental car.

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