I wasn’t sure if Turtle could sense him there on some level, but he slowly calmed down as Finn continued to stroke his fingers through his hair.
Jet appeared, his expression dark. He had tear streaks on his own cheeks as he reached out with a bloody hand to touch his grieving friend.
“Hey, man. Come on. Let’s let the paramedics get him out of here. You can come crash with Kai and me tonight.”
Turtle looked up at Jet with swollen, red eyes. He looked lost.
“I can’t leave him, man. He wouldn’t want to be alone.”
“Hey…” Jet said softly, crouching down next to Turtle. “He’s not alone. My buddy Jake’s looking out for him.”
Turtle sniffed and dragged his wrist across his puffy, tear-stained cheeks.
“Yeah? You really think so?”
“I know so, man. Jake’ll make sure he’s alright.”
“He’s right,” I said softly, even though they couldn’t hear me. “I’m here. I’ll make sure he’s never alone.”
Finn looked up at me, his own eyes finally welling with tears. I hated to see him cry, but tears were a good thing. It meant he was processing what had happened to him.
“You promise?” Finn sounded so small and broken.
I nodded, giving him a sad smile.
“If you’ll have me, baby, I’ll take care of you forever.”
He came to me, succumbing softly to his tears as Jet led Turtle away to where Kai was waiting by their truck.
Finn wrapped his arms around me, and I tucked him into my chest, kissing the top of his head softly.
“You’re alright. I’ve got you,” I murmured against him as he cried quietly in my arms.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
You’re not alone, baby. I’m right here.
Alexa Play: Coastline - Vancouver Sleep Clinic Remix by Hollow Coves, Vancouver Sleep Clinic
5 years later
Leviathans was officially closed to the public after Finn’s death. What should have filled me with a sense of relief only made me feel bitter.
It felt cosmically unfair that it had taken the deaths of two of the most talented surfers the world had ever seen to finally drive the point home.
Kyle was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 5-10 years in prison. His defense attorney had attempted to reduce the charges to involuntary manslaughter, but both Devon and Sylvia testified against him, claiming that he had shown clear signs of aggression toward Finn and had dropped in on his waveintentionally.
As far as I knew, that little fucker was still in jail, though he was likely to get out soon due to the strings his father had pulled in an effort to get him out early on good behavior.
He also had a lifetime ban from all professional surfing events, so I could at least rest easy knowing he couldn’t hurt anyone else the way he’d hurt Finn.
The Tully family needed to pay significant restitution to Finn’s family for damages. Since Finn didn’t have any living relatives that anyone knew of, it went to Turtle, who Finn had named as his primary beneficiary on his Sharkies benefit plan.
This was the closest thing Finn had for a will, so Turtle was now a very financially comfortable surf rat.
