“Totally.”
The next morning, we wake early, dealing with the stress the best way we know how: out on the water with our boards.
With the sun barely up, we catch wave after wave, silently, but together.It’s companionable and calming, and when Sloane and Owen join us, it feels perfect.Even better when Kai shows up with Nate, followed by Alana and Flynn.
And we surf together, just like when we were younger and would all meet out here before life got too busy.All we’re missing is Sage, but she’s back at the house getting breakfast ready for everyone.
“Sage said she’d rather be at home than out here today,” Nate says, all of us bobbing along on our boards, waiting for waves.
“Dude, for real?”Kai quips, shaking his head.“You gotta get her out here more often so she’s not afraid of these big ones.”
Looking over his shoulder, he tips his head in the direction of the incoming waves, calling it, and we all sit back and let him take it.We watch as he rides it all the way in, tossing up a shaka in response.
After that, we all catch wave after wave, riding them into the shore, ready to start our day.
“How are you doing?”Sloane asks me, just as I’m about to ask her the same question.
Smiling, I reply, “I was just about to ask you that.”
“I’m okay.Sleep was a little tough last night, but I’m going to be fine.Always am.”She winks at me, linking her arm through mine as the guys carry our boards back to Nate and Sage’s.
“I don’t want you to have to be okay, so if you’re not, please let me know,” I tell her, hating that she’s always had to be resilient.
And now I’ve put her in a position that compromises her safety, something Alana and I put above everything else when Sloane lived with us.She needs stability and safety, and I hope she knows that I would do anything to help her through this.
“Things are better now, Daze,” she says, her words a little quieter.“I don’t worry so much anymore, and things with Owen are great.He’s the reason I can sleep at night; the reason I can overcome things like this.”
“Yeah, but—” I start, and she cuts me off, her words louder and firm this time.
“I won’t let you blame yourself for this.He’s to blame, not you.No guilt.We’re both safe, and Owen said the bakery is going to be okay too.”
I nod softly, but the guilt is still there and probably always will be.If it wasn’t for me, Isaac wouldn’t have…
It’s always there in the back of my mind.All the things he’s done lead me to this thought.But I have no idea what the future would have held if none of it had happened.If Miles hadn’t gone on tour with the band.If we hadn’t broken up.If Isaac had just disappeared.
So many thoughts.
“I’m sorry,” I now say, needing to get it out.“I never meant…”
“Daisy, seriously, I don’t blame you, and I’m not going to let you apologize for something you had no control over.”
She stops walking, looking at me.She rests her hands on my shoulders, and we stand together, the tears collectively welling up in our eyes.Eventually, they spill over, and I reach out and wrap her in an embrace.
“I hate that he did this,” I whisper, not wanting to give him any more attention, but he consumes my thoughts.
“Me too,” she rasps back, taking in a slow, ragged breath.“But he doesn’t get to win.Not now, not ever.So after this, we don’t talk about him and what he did.”
“Agreed.”
“I do have some good news,” Sloane now says, as Miles looks over his shoulder at me, stopping, but I flick a hand, telling him we’re fine.
“What’s that?”
“I got my grade on my final project,” she starts, and a massive smile spreads across her face.
“And?”
“And I got a ninety-eight.The highest grade in the class, but even better, my professor asked if he could use my designs in his course presentations in the future.”
